Baylor University Mourns Passing of Judge Ken Starr, Baylor’s 14th President
Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (Sept. 13, 2022) – Baylor University was deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of Judge Ken Starr. Starr served as Baylor’s 14th President from 2010 to 2016, adding the title of Chancellor in 2013.
“Judge Starr was a dedicated public servant and ardent supporter of religious freedom that allows faith-based institutions such as Baylor to flourish,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “Ken and I served together as Deans at Pepperdine University in the 2000s, and I appreciated him as a Constitutional law scholar and a fellow academician who believed in the transformative power of higher education.
“Judge Starr had a profound impact on Baylor University, leading a collaborative visioning process to develop the Pro Futuris strategic vision in 2012 that placed Baylor on the path to where we are today as a Christian Research 1 institution,” President Livingstone said. “Baylor University and the Baylor Family express our deepest sympathies to Alice Starr and her family, and our prayers remain with them as they mourn the loss of a husband, father and grandfather. May God’s peace and comfort surround them and give them strength now, and in the days to come.”
In addition to the adoption of the Pro Futuris strategic plan, Baylor’s accomplishments under Judge Starr included:
- Completion – ahead of schedule – of the $100 million President’s Scholarship Initiative, Judge Starr’s first focus at Baylor;
- Establishment of Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences and strengthening the partnerships with Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor Scott & White Health, bolstering Baylor’s historic strength in health-related education and research;
- Completion of the Phase 2 expansion of the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC), the cornerstone facility of the 21-acre Central Texas Technology and Research Park, which provides researchers, organizations and private companies with 300,000 square feet of physical space for labs, research centers, industry collaborative space and workforce training;
- Construction of the Paul Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, home of the Hankamer School of Business; East Village Residential Community and Dining Commons; Elliston Chapel; McLane Stadium; Hart Track and Field Stadium; Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center; Carlile Equestrian Building; Beauchamp Athletic Nutrition Center (BANC); Williams Family Soccer and Olympic Sports Center; Getterman Indoor Hitting Facility; and improvements to the Hurd Tennis Center;
- Renovation of three residence halls (South Russell, North Russell and Penland Hall) as part of the University’s master plan to renovate existing residence halls; Marrs McLean Science Building, now home of the Baylor School of Education; and Fifth Street through the historic heart of campus, including the addition of Rosenbalm Fountain;
- Establishment of the Baylor in Washington program that allows the University’s leadership, faculty and alumni who are engaged in work shaping solutions to some of the nation’s most critical challenges, such as hunger, water quality and immigration, to capitalize on strategic partnerships. Judge Starr’s long career in public service and in Washington, D.C., allowed him to host a Who’s Who of guests to campus, including a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, authors, legal scholars, business leaders, journalists, U.S. Senators and Cabinet members; and
- Development of the Baylor Bound program to help students from community colleges across the state of Texas transfer with confidence and ease to Baylor.
During his tenure at Baylor, Judge Starr served on the faculty of Baylor Law School as The Louise L. Morrison Chair of Constitutional Law and nationally on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Independent Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities and the Southern University Conference. He also was a member of the Board of Trustees for Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor Scott & White Health.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 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