Thursdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am- Feb 2. 9, 16, 23
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
A current world crisis, no matter how we may be surprised by it, does not simply appear out of nowhere. Each of them -- wherever they are and whatever countries are involved -- have roots that go deep into history. Understanding that history is crucial to understanding our contemporary world. Join Baylor history professor Dr. David Smith as he unfolds some of the dramatic world issues of today.
Dr. David A. Smith is a senior lecturer in American history at Baylor. His undergraduate degree is from what is now Texas State University in San Marcos, and his Ph.D. in modern American history from the University of Missouri in the year 2000. His writings on art, culture, and politics are featured in books and articles, as well as on television and radio programs across the country. He is an avid public speaker and an often-requested teacher at LLL.
Vocalist Ann Harder and pianist Lydia Bratcher bring their knowledge of The Great American Songbook to the stage! The songbook has been called the “loosely defined canon of significant early-20th century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes.” They hope you will sing along as they look at some favorite melodies from past decades and hear about the amazing composers and lyricists who wrote them.
Ann Harder is a native Wacoan and proud graduate of Baylor University. Her radio and television broadcasting career spans nearly 50 years beginning in radio in the early 1970’s. Although retired after 25 years on the anchor desk at KXXV, she’s still reporting for the station twice monthly with “Traveling Texas With Ann Harder” and hosts “Central Texas Living the Podcast.” Through the years, Ann has presented several continuing education courses focusing on The Great American Songbook. She is married to Mike Harder and they have three grown sons, two daughters-in-law and three beautiful granddaughters.
Lydia McCall Bratcher, NCTM, has taught private piano and theory for over forty years in Waco. She majored in Piano Pedagogy at Baylor University. She enjoys teaching a full studio of students of all ages and stages. Lydia accompanied the Midway High School choirs for 18 years before retiring in 2018, but still returns annually to accompany students in the UIL Vocal Solo Contest. Lydia has also served on the staff of Seventh and James Baptist Church as Organist and Sanctuary Choir accompanist since 2004. Lydia volunteers with the Waco Symphony Council and Meals on Wheels. She enjoys reading, gardening, and cooking. She and her husband Kent, an attorney, have two grown children and Lucy, a rescue dog of varied ancestry.
Tuesdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm - Feb 7, 14, 21, 28
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Religions all over the world have physical locations that are “sacred” to the faith’s adherents. What makes a physical location, like the rock Uluru in Australia or the Batu Caves in Malaysia, a place of spiritual power? This class will examine multiple sacred places, learning about the peoples who hold these places as spiritually significant. The course will also explore what makes a place sacred to each of us. In each class session, Dr. Rosalie Beck will examine 2-3 locations, such as the River Ganges, the Grand Canyon, and the Ka’aba.
Now retired, Rosalie Beck taught Church History and Bible at Bible at Baylor University for thirty-five years. Growing up in a Marine Corps family, she learned to love history and knew she wanted to help students learn how to think critically and thoughtfully about the past and about how the past informs their lives. As a retired person, she teachers, speaks and preaches whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Wednesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - Feb 8, 15, 22, Mar 1
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Explore many of our 400 national parks and monuments with retired National Park Ranger, Larry Smith. You will hear about the best parks for hiking, camping, hotels, fishing, petroglyphs, volcanoes and wildlife. You will learn about current park details and how to plan a trip, best time to visit, plus camping and lodging information. With what you learn, you will design a personal tour of our parks for your “bucket list.” Included will be a look at lesser known parks in addition to the more famous destinations. Park brochures will be provided to participants.
Larry Smith served as a Park Ranger at Yellowstone and the Badlands National Parks. He has extensive travel experience to over 70 parks and memorials. He also worked at several Texas State Parks while traveling and living by 5th wheel. Having given numerous tours, hikes, and camping programs among parks, he loves to share his knowledge about the Parks.
Mondays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - Mar 13, 20, 27, Apr 3
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Foodways is the multidisciplinary study of how cultural, economic, historical, geographical, social, and personal forces and experiences with food and food practices shape our lives. In this course, you will read, talk, and write about food, exploring how food -- something so ubiquitous, yet often ignored -- so dramatically impacts our lives. Participants will share food memories and traditions, as well as hear those of others. The class will also share food together, creating new food experiences. Dr. Sara M. Dye will lead this fun and meaningful time together around the table.
Sara M. Dye is a lecturer in Professional Writing and Rhetoric at Baylor University. In pedagogy, research, and everyday life she explores the relationships between rhetoric and writing, individual and collective political and religious beliefs, values, and identifies; and social policies, systems and injustices. She previously spent two years as a researcher at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. She loves cooking; eating; and thinking, writing and talking about the ways that food and food practices impact our senses of self, community, place, tradition, and exploration.
Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am- Mar 14, 21, 28, Apr 4
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Have you ever been curious about some of the historic Texas ranches? This opportunity to hear the inside stories will be led by Dr. Don Risinger with the focus of the sessions on four unique ranches, their owners, the ranch hands, and how these ranches came to be famous. J.P Davis, a local attorney and historian will speak on the XIT Ranch; Gerald Powell, a retired Baylor Law Professor, on the 6666 Ranch; Golda Lacey Brown, an owner, on the Kokernot 06 Ranch; and Doug Baldwin on the King Ranch.
Don Risinger was born and raised in Bandera, Texas, a descendant of the original Mormon colony of Texas and a graduate of Bandera High School. He attended the University of Texas, is a graduate of University of Texas Medical Branch, served 4 1/2 years in the U S Nav and is board certified in radiology. His grandfather notably sent six herds up the Chisholm trail.
Tuesdays, 4.00 - 5:30 pm- Mar 14, 21, 28, Apr 4
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
The Middle East is critical internationally, and specifically to the United States, for a wide range of factors: the struggle between authoritarianism and democracy, the role of religion and how it is exploited by the extremists, the region’s political economy, and the impact of oil production for the world. This course, taught by Joanne Held Cummings, will focus primarily on the Arab core (the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, and Egypt), as well as North Africa, Turkey and Iran. In addition, attention will be given to what China and Russia seek in that region, creating a challenge to the United States and the European Union.
Joanne Held Cummings teaches on the Middle East, Islam, Political Geography, US Foreign Policy, and BIC programs at Baylor. As a U.S. diplomat, she served in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Jerusalem, Micronesia, and Afghanistan. A diplomat’s daughter she lived in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.
Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3:00 pm- Mar 15, 22, 29, Apr 5
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Dr. Bracy Hill will explore the intersections of humans, their religions, their social constructs, and the environment of North America that has been increasingly affected by the expanding human population and patterns of consumption. The course will investigate these intersections through studies of four animals -- the bison, the squirrel, the Whitetail deer, and the Axis deer -- and their place in American history.
Bracy Hill is a Senior Lecturer in the History Department at Baylor. His studies have focused on hunting cultures in America and on marginalized religious groups in late medieval and early modern England. He was the primary author and editor of God, Nimrod, and the World: Exploring Christian Perspectives on Sport Hunting (Mercer University Press, Sports and Religion Series), a project he conceived and constructed out of his interests in the presence of hunters in past societies and concern for the conservation of both the natural environment and of hunting cultures for generations to come.
Thursdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - Mar 16, 23, 30, Apr 6
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Graphic novels are not just expensive comic books. They are not always novels and not often graphic in the bad sense, either. They are an exciting new medium that offers readers diverse experiences and new knowledge, adults as well as kids. Dr. Gretchen Schwarz will explore graphic novels, their history and current status and uses, and see how they make meaning. The class will examine a variety of graphic novels and see why they have become so popular.
Gretchen Schwarz is a retired professor from the Baylor Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She was also a teacher educator for nearly 20 years at Oklahoma State University and taught high school in New Mexico and Texas. Schwarz still teaches 7th graders for pre-confirmation at her church. Years ago, a high school student shared his enthusiasm for a graphic novel, and she became intrigued. Graphic novels was one of her research interests as a professor, and her interest continues. She enjoys sharing this new medium with other adults.
Thursdays, 1:00 - 2:30 pm - Apr 6, 13, 20, 27
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Thirty years ago, the “Waco Siege” occurred, rocking Central Texas and far beyond. This course, coordinated by Dr. Rosalie Beck, will review the history, religion, politics, and law surrounding this event in four sessions: (1) Dr. Bill Pitts will give the history of the Davidians and Branch Davidians through Vernon Howell; (2) Professor Bob Darden will speak on his research of David Koresh about the confrontation between the Koreshians and the government; (3) Dr. Ashley Cruseturner will discuss the results of the encounter of 1993 and the impact it had on politics and the law; and (4) Dr. Rosalie Beck will synthesize the issues that continue to swirl around the Elk debacle.
Now retired, Rosalie Beck taught Church History and Bible at Bible at Baylor University for thirty-five years. Growing up in a Marine Corps family, she learned to love history and knew she wanted to help students learn how to think critically and thoughtfully about the past and about how the past informs their lives. As a retired person, she teachers, speaks and preaches whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Thursdays, 3:30 - 5:00 pm - April 6, 13, 20, 27 (Enrollment limited to 16)
Location: Browning Library $20 per person
Explore the Armstrong Browning Library (ABL) on the Baylor campus, home of the world’s largest collection of material on Victorian poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. View the largest collection of secular stained glass in the world that surrounds this beautiful research center and museum. Interact with the Library’s rare books and manuscripts related to Robert and Elizabeth and learn interesting stories about their writing and lives with sessions led by the ABL’s librarians and scholars of 19th century literature. This course will be coordinated by Jennifer Borderud, has limited enrollment, and is a repeat of an earlier course.
Jennifer Borderud is Associate Librarian and Director of the Armstrong Browning Library. She has been an Access and Outreach Librarian and served as the Rare Books Catalog Library in the Central Libraries at Baylor. While writing her master’s thesis, Browning’s Companion Dear and True: The Letters of Robert and Sarianna Browning to Annie Egerton Smith, she held a graduate assistantship with former ABL director Mairi Rennie. Jennifer receive both her BA and her MA in English from Baylor University and her MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas.
Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - April 11, 18, 25, May 2
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Dr. W. H. Bellinger, Jr. brings the Psalms to life based on his many years of studying and writing on the book of Psalms. Author of Psalms: A Guide to Studying the Psalter and Psalms as a Grammar for Faith, the course will include a session introducing the book of Psalms and other sessions on Prayer in the Psalms, Praise in the Psalms, the Royal Psalms and the Wisdom Psalms.
W.H. Bellinger is a Professor Emeritus of Religion. He retired as Department Chair after being on the faculty for 37 years in Hebrew and Old Testament. Recent books include Psalms: A Guide to Studying the Psalter (2nd ed.); Psalms as a Grammar for Faith; and Psalms: New Cambridge Bible Commentary (with Walter Brueggemann).
Wednesdays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm - Apr 12, 19, 26, May 3
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
All 5 Branches of the U.S. military and over 2.5 million military men and women served during the Vietnam War, each of which have amazing stories and have different perspectives from their personal experiences. Hear about some of those who served with honor, and honor those who “gave their last full measure of devotion.” Join popular military historian and Baylor’s First Gent, Brad Livingstone, as he looks into the reasons for the war, the lives that were affected by the war and how the Vietnam War changed America and the world.
Brad Livingstone received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Oklahoma State while also playing basketball for the Cowboys. He has been an educator at Oaks Christian High School in southern California, served as Dean of Students, Principal and history teacher at Trinity Christian School in Fairfax, VA, and taught at Vanguard in Waco in the mid-1990s, returning in 2017 to continue teaching history with specialties in WWII and the Vietnam War.
Thursdays, 10:30 - Noon - Sep. 1, 8, 15, 22
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Bob Anne Senter’s Book Club returns with four books about friendships. We are all indebted to our circle of friends and know the joys they bring to our lives. These books describe different avenues of friendship and also the circumstances that unite them: 12 Mighty Orphans by Jim Dent; Patsy and Me by Loretta Lynn; The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King, and A Dog Called Hope by Jason Morgan and Damien Lewis.
Bob Anne Senter was born in Amarillo, Texas, and graduated from Baylor University. She was an executive secretary at Republic National Bank in Dallas before she married, and later worked as a secretary for the Superintendent of the Methodist Home, volunteered in several areas, served on the Midway School Board for 9 years, and was President of the Baylor Alumni Association. Later she took a part-time position as Director of Travel for the BAA that led to representing Lifelong Learning. She retired in 2016.
Thursdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm - Sep. 1, 8, 15, 22
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Photographer Sam Wilson will cover ways a photographer can connect with viewers by telling stories through, and by eliciting emotional responses to, photographic images. Students will take photographs in specific genre (portraits, nature, still life and so forth). Samples will be anonymously displayed for gentle critiques and discussions, leading to improving one’s photos. Students will need access to a camera or phone camera. This course will not cover technical details of photography.
Sam is a former president of Plano Photography Club where he also achieved a Master photographer rating. He is also a member of the Photographic Society of America, and he has been certified by PSA as a photography contest judge. He retired from a career as an engineer in 2019. Following retirement, he and his wife Barbara moved to Waco to be closer to their children and grandchildren. He’s a graduate of Baylor, class of 1978.
Fridays, 1:30 - 3:30 pm - Sep. 9, 16, 23
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Our connected digital world is becoming increasingly complicated and dangerous. Everything and everyone depends on technology that is interconnected to the world, either directly or indirectly. What can the average person do to protect themselves from cyber-attacks, loss of personally identifiable information (PII), and other exposures in our modern digital world? Keith Kooyman presents multiple ways to protect yourself.
Mr. Kooyman began his technical career in the early days of computing. He has worked as a systems administrator, Microsoft and Novell Systems Engineer, IT Manager, IT Director, IT contractor and consultant. His interests and focus have always been security, even before IT security was a field of study. He has been teaching Cybersecurity at TSTC for 10 years.
CANCELED
Authentic Connections: Understand Your Communication Style to Build Healthy Relationships
Wednesdays, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Sep. 7, 14, 21, 28
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Wednesdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm - Sep. 7, 14, 21, 28
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Join Waco attorney Wesley J. Filer to learn generally about the judicial branch of the federal government and in particular about the U.S. Supreme Court. While most of the decisions by the Supreme Court are routine and attract little attention other than from the participants in the litigation, some are very controversial, have large impacts, and are politically charged. A better understanding of the Court is not only fascinating, but crucial to being a well-informed citizen.
Wesley Filer is an experienced attorney certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the Texas Bar Association in estate planning and probate law. A graduate of the University of Texas, Baylor University School of Law, and The George Washington University Law School, West has been a partner for many years at Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee in Waco.
Mondays, 1:00 - 2:30 pm - Sep. 12, 19, 25 and Oct. 3
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Who said this? “The defense of religion, of democracy, and of good faith among nations is all the same fight.” Or, how about this? “Our government makes no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith, and I don’t care what it is.” Both are quotes from American presidents, who often play the role of preacher, pastor, and priest to the American people. Barry Hankins will discuss the faith of some of our presidents and how they deployed that faith both privately and publicly.
Barry Hankins is Professor of History as well as Department Chair. He is also Resident Scholar with the Institute for Studies of Religion. His specialties are Religion of American Culture, Protestant Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism, as well as Church and State in American History. He came to Baylor because he wanted to be at an university that takes both teaching and research seriously and also promotes scholarship from a Christian perspective.
Mondays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - Sep. 26 and Oct. 3, 10, 17
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
With new planets, stars and galaxies being discovered, the wonders of our Universe are at an all-time high. New telescopes and space vehicles are revealing mysteries never seen by mankind. Students will learn how the universe works as well as identify major constellations, nebulae, and black holes. Taught by Larry Smith, retired National Park Astronomy Ranger, the course will provide hands-on activities so that students may understand the “workings” of our Universe.
Larry Smith is a retired National Park Service astronomer, science teacher, and university administrator. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Baylor University and a Master of Science degree from TCU. He has given over 200 public “Night Sky” presentations at the Badlands National Park; conducted monthly “Star Parties” at the Waco Mammoth Site and Lake Whitney State Park; and is co-founder of 3 Rivers Foundation (www.3rf.org). He holds NASA teacher certification.
Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - Sep. 27 and Oct. 4, 11, 18
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
This class, led by Bill Pitts, is an introduction to the era of the eight classic Crusades in the Near East, 1095-1291, involving conflicts among the Islamic, Byzantine (East Roman), and Western European cultures. Jerusalem, taken by the Franks (first Crusade), was eventually lost to Saladin, prompting a crusade, led by Richard the Lionhearted. The fourth crusade seriously strained relations between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Attention will also be given to the crusades in Spain, the role of the papacy, and consequences of the crusades.
Dr. Bill Pitts is Retired Professor Emeritus, Department of Religion, Baylor University. He earned his BA at Baylor in history and religion, his MDiv at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and his PhD in Church History at Vanderbilt University. His 52-year teaching career included Mercer University, Houston Baptist University, Dallas Baptist University, and 43 years at Baylor University.
Thursdays, 9:30 - 11:00 am, Sep. 29 and Oct. 6, 13, 20
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
These sessions, taught by Al Childs, will focus on topics particularly relevant for mature adults such as investments, budgeting, gifting, and handling broader family financial issues. Topics will include gifting to children (pre- and post-mortem), treating children equitably, and charitable giving. Final planning issues, such as durable powers of attorney, medical directives, organizing financial affairs, and distributing assets tax effectively and in consideration of family priorities will be discussed. Other issues will be covered that are relevant to the attendees.
Al Childs is a 1976 graduate of Baylor University. He majored in finance with a BBA degree. Al spent the better part of 4 decades as a banker. The last 25 years, he was a leader in the wealth management area with 20 years at US Trust and 5 years at Comerica Bank. He began the private banking business for U S Trust in Texas and led the wealth management efforts for Comerica in North Texas. Al has been a CFP professional and was licensed with a series 7, 66 and a Texas Life and Health license. Al has been a national Trustee for the March of Dimes, chairman of the Board of Habitat for Humanity in Dallas, on the Advisory Board of Hankamer School of Business, and Chairman of the Deacons at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. He is married to Beverly and has 2 sons and 5 (precious) grandchildren.
Wednesdays, 4:00 - 6:00 pm - Oct. 5, 19, & 26
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
This course, taught by Brad Livingstone, will concentrate on the Pacific Theater portion of WWII, particularly those events that occurred in 1945. Featured topics will include the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the use of the “kamikaze,” the development of the Atomic Bomb and its use on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the (almost) unconditional surrender of the Japanese Empire to end WWII. The significance of these major war efforts led to the end of WWII after four years of bloody battles and millions of deaths of both military personnel and civilians.
Brad Livingstone received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Oklahoma State while also playing basketball for the Cowboys. He has been an educator at Oaks Christian High School in southern California, served as Dean of Students, Principal and history teacher at Trinity Christian School in Fairfax, VA, and taught at Vanguard in Waco in the mid-1990s, returning in 2017 to continue teaching history with a specialty in WWII.
Mondays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm - Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Dr. Lynn Tatum, during the summer of 2022, is attending an intensive seminar centered in Israel. He is meeting with security officials, diplomatic officials, military leaders, Palestinian leaders, religious leaders, fellow academics, and Israeli and Palestinian politicians. His experiences are “up to date” and from “on-the-ground.” The course will cover the history of modern Israel, its politics, its problems, its challenges, and its hopes. There will be lots of discussion, a great deal of laughter, some good-natured arguing, and a learning experience for everyone!
Dr. Tatum holds a PhD in Religion from Duke University, and he teaches courses on Bible, archaeology, and the Middle East in Baylor’s religion department and in its honors college. He recently received a grant from Brandeis University to study in Israel. He has almost forty years of experience travelling to and living in Israel. He has also travelled and studied extensively throughout the Middle East and the Arab World.
Tuesdays, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, 8, 15
Location: Online via ZOOM $20 per person
This course taught by Dr. Tom Hanks and Professor Betsy Vardaman touches lightly upon the history of literature intended for children: Aesop's Fables, Mother Goose Rhymes, John Newbery's little books for children, the Volksmärchen (folk tales) of the Brothers Grimm, Perrault's stories intended for adults and adopted by children, 19th century dreadfully moralizing stories intended to regulate children's behavior in strict conformity to adult comfort (some of these are now comic), and modern fiction and poetry for children (and adults). Along with brief histories, the instructors will focus on delight.
Tom Hanks joined the English Department in 1976, having earned an MA from Washington University, St. Louis, and his PhD from the University of Minnesota. His teaching and research have focused primarily on Medieval English literature. Dr. Hanks has garnered many awards for teaching at Baylor, including Collins Outstanding Professor Award, 1998; Baylor Centennial Professor, 1998-1999; Outstanding Faculty Award, 2001; Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award, 2004; and the Master Teacher designation, 2005. He retired in 2017.
Thursdays, 2:00 - 4:00 pm - Nov. 3, 10, 17
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Back by popular demand! Jon Singletary takes the Enneagram and breaks it down in ways that help us as individuals to recognize our personality type and hidden potential. You are not defined by your “number,” but it is helpful information for understanding yourself and others. For both newcomers to the subject and those who took the introductory course last fall, knowing more about your Enneagram number can lead to stronger relationships, reduced stress, and more productivity.
Dr. Singletary is dean and professor of the Garland School of Social Work and has served on the faculty for 20 years. He has led the Center for Family and Community Ministries in the GSSW studying congregations and how they engage in service.
Wednesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am - Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, 9, 16
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
David W. Music will lead a survey of worship practices from the New Testament through the Medieval and Reformation churches, with consideration of the Old Testament background and recent worship forms.
David W. Music is Professor Emeritus of Church Music at Baylor University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Christian worship and church music, including, most recently, “A Noble Theme, a Skillful Writer: Timothy Dudley-Smith and Christian Hymnody.” (2021)
Thursdays, 9:30 - 11:00 am - Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, 10, 17
Location: Mayborn Museum $20 per person
Architectural historian Kenneth Hafertepe will discuss historic Waco buildings, analyzing the evolution of these buildings for religion, commerce, industry, education, and government over the years. As the award-winning author of numerous books on architecture, he is known for digging deep into the details of each structure to find the unique stories he shares with his readers and students. His previously published book, Historic Homes of Waco, Texas has received the Ron Tyler Award for Best Illustrated Book on Texas History and Culture from the Texas State Historical Association.
Kenneth Hafertepe is a professor of museum studies at Baylor University and an award-winning author on American and Texas architecture and material culture. His subjects have included the Smithsonian Castle, the French Legation and Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Ashton Villa in Galveston, and the Spanish Governor’s Palace in San Antonio. His books on The Material Culture of German Texans and Historic Homes of Waco, Texas both won the Ron Tyler Award from the Texas State Historical Association. He has spoken at many museums, including the Alamo, the Amon Carter Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Witte Museum.
Tuesday, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22
Location: ZOOM
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Dr. Tom Hanks will feature thought-provoking selections from three American Poets Laureate. Robert Frost, whose work centers on rural New England, was the only poet to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for poetry. The New York Times named the second poet, Billy Collins, “The most popular poet in America,” and in 2005, the U.S. magazine Poetry awarded him the Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry. Amanda S. C. Gorman (age 23) is both a poet and an activist on issues of oppression, feminism, race, marginalization, and the African diaspora. She read her poem, “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021 to international acclaim.
Dr. Tom Hanks joined the English department in 1976, having earned an M.A. from Washington University, St Louis, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His teaching and research have focused primarily on Medieval English literature. Dr. Hanks has garnered many awards for teaching at Baylor, including Collins Outstanding Professor Award, 1998; Baylor Centennial Professor, 1998-1999; Outstanding Faculty Award, 2001; Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award, 2004; and the Master Teacher designation, 2005. He retired in 2017.
Tuesdays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
The stories of WWII are important to remember and share. In this course, Brad Livingstone will interview daughters of veterans who served our country: Nancy Parrish whose mother, Deanie Parrish, served as a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flying B-26 bomber planes; sisters Melisa Benham and Marsha Mason whose father, Morris Barker, was a POW in Germany; Susan Pollard, Linda Wilson, and Patricia Walton whose father, Ira Walton, served in the Army in 3 wars: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam; and Stacey Short, whose grandfather, J.C. Alston, was a Pearl Harbor survivor on the USS California.
Brad Livingstone, popular historian and Baylor's First Gent, received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Oklahoma State while also playing basketball for the Cowboys. He has been an educator at Oaks Christian High School in southern California, served as Dean of Students, Principal and history teacher at Trinity Christian School in Fairfax, VA, and taught at Vanguard in Waco in the mid-1990s, returning in 2017 to continue teaching history with specialties in WWII and the Vietnam War.
Wednesdays, 10:00 – 11:30 am Feb. 9, 16, 23, and March 9
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Hymns have often been called “the ordinary person’s systematic theology.” With instructor, Dr. David W. Music, this course will cover Christian hymns in their multiple dimensions, including their relationship to the Bible, theology, liturgy and worship, literature, music, and history. Examples of hymns from antiquity to the present, from popular to less well known, will be discussed and sung.
Dr. David W. Music is Professor Emeritus of Church Music at Baylor University, from which he retired in 2020. He is the author or coauthor of several books on hymnody, including “Repeat the Sounding Joy: Reflections on Hymns by Isaac Watts,” “A Survey of Christian Hymnody” and “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story: A History of Baptist Hymnody in North America,” as well as more than 250 articles on church music. He served as a committee chair for two different hymnal projects and is a self-described “hymn lover.”
Thursdays, 9:00 - 10:30 am Feb. 10, 17, March 3 & March 17
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
The oceans are a critical component of Earth’s climate system that effectively transfers heat from the tropics toward the poles and from surface to deep water. It also exchanges dissolved gases with the atmosphere affecting the concentration of greenhouse gases. Dr. James Fulton will provide an introduction to ocean circulation patterns, ocean chemistry, biological processes in the ocean, and coastal processes that influence and are influenced by climate change.
Dr. James Fulton completed his Ph.D. in Geosciences and Biogeochemistry at Penn State University in 2010. He was a Postdoctoral Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution from 2011-13 where he studied algae-virus interactions and lipid export from surface to deep water masses. He moved to a faculty position and is now an Assistant Professor in the Geosciences Department at Baylor and principle, investigator of the new Microbial Biogeochemistry Lab.
Mondays 10:00 – 11:30 am Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28
Location: Martin Museum of Art
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
This course seeks to provide participants with the tools to engage works of art in an art museum setting through instruction with the museum’s permanent collection. Unlike other institutions, art museums often have an imposing reputation and are intimidating more often than not. This lecture series with Allison Chew will help make visitors feel more equipped and confident in these types of spaces, as well as help them find new and exciting ways to appreciate visual arts.
For the past six years, Allison Chew has been Director of Baylor’s Martin Museum of Art. She received an M.F.A. in studio art from the University of Texas at Tyler and received certification in education and outreach from the Texas Association of Museums. Prior to coming to Baylor, she served as the Curator of Art for the Pearce Museum as well as the Director of the Pearce Museum in Corsicana, Texas.
Mondays 10:30 am – Noon Mar. 14, 21, 28, and Apr. 4
Location: ZOOM
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
While you sleep, billions of birds and bats fly overhead. In the sea, millions of animals travel thousands of miles every year. In the spring, the butterflies pass your way. This study of nature’s incredible travel schedule for animals that inhabit our world will be led by Larry Smith.
Larry Smith is a Baylor graduate with an M.S. degree from TCU and doctoral studies at OU. Formerly Larry has been a university administrator and a secondary science teacher. He retired after serving as a National Park Astronomy Ranger at Yellowstone and Badlands National Parks. He has traveled extensively in the United States as well as internationally and has taught 10 courses for Baylor Lifelong Learning and Continuing Education since 2018.
Tuesdays, 10:00 – 11:30 am Mar. 15, 22, 29, and Apr. 5
Location: Various (Registrants will be notified)
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Dr. Judith Staples has arranged for a variety of experiences at several Waco highlights. Starting with a backstage look at scenery, costumes and props at the Waco Civic Theater, the group will meet the second week at First Baptist Church in Waco to see the beautiful stained-glass windows and learn about their history. The third session will convene at the Methodist Children’s Home, followed by the fourth week at Baylor’s McLane Football Stadium. NOTE: This is considered an extra-curricular activity and participants agree to take personal responsibility for their own transportation to and from each location.
Dr. Judith Staples served four school districts in Western New York as Superintendent of Schools before her retirement after 40 years in public education, starting as an elementary school teacher. Soon after retiring to Waco, she found the Baylor Lifelong Learning program and has been an active participant and a leader in recent years. She and her husband, George, have four children and 10 grandchildren. In addition to LLL, she enjoys writing, scrapbooking, quilting, and baking.
Tuesdays, 3:00 - 4:30 pm Mar. 15, 22, 29, and Apr. 5
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Join honky-tonk keyboard extraordinaire, Ralph Sparks, as he leads you through the beginnings of the Rock & Roll era starting in the early 1950s. Rock & Roll had an impact on dancing, clothing, language, and lifestyle. It originated from Black American music such as gospel, rhythm and blues, and country music. With a combination of history, music, singalong, and humor, you’ll enjoy a walk down memory lane featuring Elvis and the Beatles, as well as other teenage favorites of the 50s and 60s.
A piano student from age 5 through two years at Baylor, Ralph Sparks is a lifetime Wacoan who started performing professionally in 1957 in “The Originals.” By 1960, he was doing stage shows at Six Flags Over Texas for a three-year stint. Drafted into the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps, he served in the Vietnam War. Upon his return, he regrouped “The Originals” once again to perform until the 1990s. He has written gospel music, recorded seven music CDs, and, for the past 10 years, he has partnered with three others to start the “Stars Over Texas Jamboree.” He is currently Minister of Music at Crossroads Baptist Church.
Thursdays, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Mar. 17, 31, Apr. 7, and Apr. 14
** Note Change of Dates and Day of Week from Brochure **
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
This course will provide an introduction to what it means to sleep soundly. Covered topics will include the psychological and physiological benefits of good sleep, how sleep loss affects the brain and vice versa, changes in sleep that occur with aging and dementia, the prevalence and causes of sleep disorders in America, and scientifically validated tips for improving your own sleep. Dr Michael Scullin is the Director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor.
Dr. Michael Scullin is the Director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University. He completed his Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis and a post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine. He has published over 50 articles and received grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and private foundations. In the last three years, Dr. Scullin was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science, the President of the Southern Workers in Memory Society, and Newsmaker of the Year at Baylor University.
Wednesdays 2:30 - 4:00 pm Mar. 30, Apr. 6, Apr. 13, and Apr. 20
** Note Change of Dates and Day of Week from Brochure **
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
This course will address the social, political, economic, and military issues in Texas during the pivotal and controversial years from the 1850s through the 1870s. It will focus on understanding the actions of a broad range of Texans – Anglo, Black, Tejano, and Native Americans – regarding slavery, secession, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and their ramifications to the present. The course, taught by Dr. Michael Parrish, will emphasize the vital importance of Texas during the Civil War Era.
Dr. Michael Parrish is the Bowers Professor of American History at Baylor University where he teaches courses in Texas History, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and Religion and War in U.S. History. He received his Ph.D. from UT Austin. He is the author, co-author, or editor of several books on the Civil War, Southern History, and Texas History. His most recent book co-authored with Thomas Cutrer, is Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement.
Thursdays 3:00 - 4:30 pm Apr. 7, 14, 21, 28
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Did you ever wonder how the Sheriff’s Department fits into our system of law enforcement? Major Ricky Armstrong will bring you “inside” the department with history and governance on subjects not usually available to or known by the general public. From the constitutional creation to the present, the highlights of this particular unit feature such things as human trafficking sting operations developed locally and replicated all over our nation. The operation of our two county jails includes a distinguished reintegration program to reduce recidivism. Learn fascinating details about the largest law enforcement agency in our county.
Major Ricky Armstrong, McLennan County Jail Administrator, has over 30 years of experience in law enforcement. He is a graduate of the National Jail Leadership Command Academy at Sam Houston State University. He received the 2017 Community Leader of the Year award from the Cenikor Foundation for his efforts to improve reintegration. He is currently President of the Texas Jail Association. He also serves on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards panel to study and evaluate jail standards.
Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 am Apr. 12, 19, 26, and May 3
Online via ZOOM
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Participants will examine samples of memoirs and compose stories about their lives under the leadership of Dr. Elaine White. Classmates will share and workshop those stories with each other in a fun and encouraging way. For those who have taken the course before, advanced techniques such as including conversational quotes will be added to personalize their memoirs. At the end of the course, participants will have begun or added to their memoirs.
Dr. Elaine White is a published author and founding director of the Live Oak Writing Project at The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast. She has 29 years of experience teaching writing to high school and university students. Elaine is an active member of Baylor Lifelong Learning and Calvary Baptist Church.
Wednesdays 9:30 - 11:00 am April 13, 20, 27 and May 4
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Author of the 2016 book Waco, Eric Ames, has dug deeper into some of the lesser-known Waco stories in his most recent book Hidden History of Waco. Enjoy his stories of artesian wells, steamboats on the Brazos, “The Little Rough Riders,” and the invisible empire on Austin Avenue. Explore the book Sironia, Texas by Wacoan Madison Cooper that some feel may really be about Waco. Learn about a 1923 public hanging of a convicted murderer in front of a crowd of nearly 5,000 people that led to significant changes in the way Texas and the nation handled executions.
Eric Ames is Assistant Director for Marketing & Communication for the Baylor University Libraries and ITS and an adjunct lecturer in Baylor’s Department of Museum Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Texas Tech University and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Baylor University. He has served in leadership positions for the Historic Waco Foundation, the Historic Landmark Preservation Commission for the City of Waco, and the Hewitt Public Library Advisory Board.
Thursdays 9:30 - 11:00 am Apr. 14, 21, 28 and May 5
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
Every world religion invests certain physical locations with spiritual power. In this course, Dr. Rosalie Beck will help participants learn why the sacred places around the world hold such importance for billions of religious practitioners. It will include history, background, and interpretations of what Christian cathedrals, Buddhist pagodas, Jewish synagogues, and the Muslim holy places can teach us about the faith systems that name these spaces “sacred.”
Dr. Rosalie Beck became the first woman professor in the Baylor Department of Religion in 1984. Her main interest is in teaching church history to help students understand how their belief system took shape, to help them know what they believe, and to enable them to understand how their beliefs apply to daily life.
Tuesdays 4:00 - 5:30 pm Apr. 19, May 3, 10, and 17
** Note Change of Dates and Day of Week from Brochure **
Location: Mayborn Museum
Cost: $20 per person, a Lifelong Learning Membership is required for purchase
The Vietnam War is a very complex and controversial subject. This course will endeavor to navigate the contentious story by presenting perspectives of all sides, including The Cold War, Vietnamese Nationalism, U.S. Presidential Politics, American servicemen and women, Vietnamese civilians as well as the American Home Front. Baylor First Gent Brad Livingstone will also have Vietnam War veteran guest speakers present their personal stories and participate in Q&A.
Brad Livingstone, popular historian and Baylor's First Gent, received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Oklahoma State while also playing basketball for the Cowboys. He has been an educator at Oaks Christian High School in southern California, served as Dean of Students, Principal and history teacher at Trinity Christian School in Fairfax, VA, and taught at Vanguard in Waco in the mid-1990s, returning in 2017 to continue teaching history with specialties in WWII and the Vietnam War.
