Baylor Mourns Passing of Dr. James M. Tipton, Retired Finance Professor

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (Aug. 12, 2019) – Baylor University is mourning the passing of James M. Tipton, Ph.D., retired professor of finance, insurance and real estate, who taught for 29 years in the Hankamer School of Business. Dr. Tipton passed away July 23.

A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Grace Gardens Funeral Home, 8220 Woodway Drive. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at Grace Gardens Funeral Home.

Dr. Tipton was in the ROTC program at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and earned his B.S. in economics with various honors in 1971. He completed his military service in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1974. He went on to the University of Florida, where he received his M.B.A. in finance, M.A. in economics and his Ph.D. through Florida’s rigorous economics program.

After joining the Baylor faculty in 1980, Dr. Tipton taught various economics, finance and banking courses to graduate and undergraduate students. He served on many committees, as well as Faculty Senate. He also served as chapter adviser for the Sigma Chi Fraternity of which he was a member at Tennessee. In addition, he was actively involved with Boy Scout Troop #497 chartered by Baylor. He was a masters-level chess player and avid sports fan of Baylor, Florida and Tennessee.

Some of his business school colleagues shared these remembrances:

Terry Maness, D.B.A., dean of the Hankamer School of Business: “Dr. Tipton will be remembered for developing our banking program by establishing a strong network of bankers to recruit our students and setting a high performance level for our students. As a result, we were able to place a significant number of students into meaningful career opportunities.”

Bill Thomas, Ph.D., professor, The J.E. Bush Professor in Accounting and Master Teacher, Accounting/Business Law: “Dr. Tipton and I were lifelong friends, from the time we were students at Baylor. He joined the Baylor faculty in 1980, shortly after finishing his Ph.D. at The University of Florida. His course in commercial banking in the finance department placed tough demands on his students and took the expected degree of rigor in the finance department to a whole new level. His students most often expressed appreciation for the course’s demands several semesters after graduating. But they realized they were prepared for the real world! From a personal standpoint, I appreciated James’ loyalty to me as a friend and colleague. He was a “straight shooter,” rarely without an opinion on the things that mattered. I will miss him for his honesty, candor and insistence on excellence in both his personal and private life.”

H. Stephen Gardner, Ph.D., director, Mayo McBride Center for International Business, The Herman Brown Endowed Chair in Economics, and Professor of Economics: “Were you lucky enough to have a teacher (perhaps in English) who set very high standards and drove you a bit crazy when you were in her/his class? And then about five years later, you were grateful that you suffered through that demanding class, because it made a clear contribution to your life success? That was the experience of many Baylor students who had their banking and other finance classes with Jim Tipton. He gave open-ended assignments in the 1980s that we would call ‘engaged learning’ in the 2000s. Jim’s students moved on to successful positions in financial institutions throughout the U.S. Jim lived fearlessly during his time in the Special Forces of the military, and he served fearlessly in the classroom and in the Faculty Senate at Baylor. In recent years, he and I have interacted primarily online, but I will miss him!”

William Reichenstein, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Investments: “Dr. Jim Tipton spent his lifetime serving his country in the military and Baylor University for 29 years as a professor and scholar. He loved to challenge his students to become the best they can be. He helped students attain internships while at Baylor and jobs after graduation. He served on the Faculty Senate, as a chapter adviser for Sigma Chi fraternity and as a Boy Scout leader. He was always dependable, and he will be sorely missed!”

Jerry W. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing: “Dr. Tipton was a true professional who worked tirelessly to deliver relevant professional knowledge to his students. He respected his students but he expected and required a strong commitment from them. Jim had a lot of professional experiences in the financial services world so he was able to match theory and practice very well.”

He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Barbara Tipton, of Woodway, Texas; one son, Christopher Tipton; mother, Lois Tipton; sister, Kay Segerdahl and two nieces, Kim and Katie Segerdahl.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to some of Dr. Tipton's favorite organizations: The James M. Tipton Memorial Fund at the Baylor Line Foundation, Baylor University School of Business Finance Excellence Fund, Sigma Chi Fraternity, Boy Scout Troop #497 and Military Veteran groups or the charity of your choice.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

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At Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, integrity stands shoulder-to-shoulder with analytic and strategic strengths. The School’s top-ranked programs combine rigorous classroom learning, hands-on experience in the real world, a solid foundation in Christian values and a global outlook. Making up approximately 25 percent of the University’s total enrollment, undergraduate students choose from 16 major areas of study. Graduate students choose from full-time, executive or online MBA or other specialized master’s programs, and Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The Business School also has campuses located in Austin and Dallas, Texas. Visit www.baylor.edu/business and follow on Twitter at @Baylor_Business.