In Office
After a newly elected crop of legislators was sworn in this January, Baylor alumni held about 10 percent of the seats in the Texas Legislature. Democrat Kirk Watson '80, JD '81 (pictured, left), a former mayor of Austin, was elected last fall to the Texas Senate. He joined Republican Kip Averitt '77, MBA '78 (right), who has represented Waco in the Texas Senate since 2003, after more than nine years in the Texas House. Thirteen of the 150 members of the Texas House are also Baylor graduates: Valinda Bolton-D '81; John E. Davis-R '82; Jim Dunnam-D '86, JD '87; Craig Eiland-D '84, JD '87; Kelly Hancock-R '86; Bryan Hughes-R, JD '95; Brian McCall-R '81; Anna Renshaw Mowery-R '51; Diane Porter Patrick-R '66; Ken Paxton-R '86; Larry Phillips-R '88; Larry Taylor-R '82; and Allen Vaught-D '95.
Weather Report
While you were busy worrying about the weekend weather forecast, Baylor associate professor of geology Dr. Lee Nordt was looking back in weather history instead--way back. Nordt recently developed a new method for measuring the temperature in the Great Plains dating back 12,000 years. While such temperature records have existed for coastal areas, they were based on studies of fossil pollens, which are better preserved in wetter climates and are virtually nonexistent in the Great Plains. Nordt assessed the behavior of the stable isotopic composition of buried soils, applying a mathematical equation comparing what he found in the buried soil to a modern temperature record. His research was published in the February issue of Geology, a premier scholarly journal of the Geological Society of America. Nordt is currently serving as the interim dean of Baylor's College of Arts and Sciences.
Founders Medal
 Baylor's 2007 Founders Medallion was presented on January 31 to Ralph Storm '49 (pictured, left) of Corpus Christi and, posthumously, to his wife, Jean Morgan Storm '49. The award was presented during the annual Chapel program to celebrate Baylor's founding on February 1, 1845. "Although Baylor has produced countless servant-leaders since her founding, it is difficult to find two individuals who have embraced the Baylor mission more fervently than Ralph and Jean," Baylor President John Lilley (right) said. A partner in Storm-Prichard Co. of Corpus Christi, Ralph Storm has been involved in oil and gas and banking investments for many decades. He is a former Baylor regent, has served First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi in many capacities, and has worked faithfully with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Jean was a devoted volunteer at First Baptist Church as well, serving as a Sunday school teacher and in the church's many ministries.
Business as Usual
Students in Baylor's Hankamer School of Business recently presented a gift of $210,000 to Baylor's athletic department. The funds, given for the fourth year in a row, came from the earnings of a portfolio managed by select business students. The Philip M. Dorr Alumni and Friends Endowed Investment Fund was started in 2001 with a gift of $250,000 from Philip Dorr '80, MBA '83. In all four years combined, the fund has provided $660,000 to the athletic department for student-athlete scholarships.
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