Baylor Mourns Death of Dedicated Supporter Dr. Faber F. McMullen Jr.

Contact: Jill Scoggins, Assistant Vice President, Media Communications, 254-710-1964

Baylor University alumnus Dr. Faber F. McMullen Jr. of Bellaire, Texas, passed away July 19. With his wife, Roxanna Connally McMullen, Dr. McMullen was an advocate for education as well as a lover of art, and he eagerly shared these passions with Baylor University.

"Dr. McMullen truly invested in a legacy of excellence for Baylor, particularly with his heart for our faculty," said Dr. David E. Garland, Baylor University Interim President and Dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary. "Recognizing the significance of Baylor's outstanding faculty to the growth of our university, his generosity lifts up current and future faculty as they shape the lives of Baylor students."

Dr. McMullen, a respected cardiologist, credited Baylor faculty such as Drs. Robert B. Alexander, Cornelia Marschall Smith, John Haley and Joseph Gast for making possible his medical career, even helping him cope with a learning disability. "The faculty at this university had the ability and the connections to put me where I needed to be to become a physician--my dream since I was five years old," Dr. McMullen (BS '53, MD '56) said in 2008.

Desiring to honor Baylor's great teaching legacy, the McMullens chose to support current Baylor faculty with the gift of the McMullen-Connally Faculty Center. Dedicated in 2008, the 10,900-square-foot facility, which is modeled after the architecture of the Kellum-Noble House in Houston, facilitates the growth of Baylor's academic community. In addition, the McMullen-Connally Faculty Center showcases the McMullen-Connally Family Collection, which features the work of significant artists from the California School of Watercolor, as well as selected works by Eastern and Texan watercolor artists.

"The sense of the McMullen-Connally Family Collection is a gathering of the beautiful," Faber and Roxanna wrote several years ago in a statement of purpose. "The collection lives on for the benefit of future generations."

"We will be reminded of Dr. McMullen's love for art and his love for Baylor every time we enter the McMullen-Connally Faculty Center," Karin Gilliam, director of Baylor's Martin Museum of Art, said. "The gift of the McMullen-Connally Family Collection exemplifies his generous nature, love of life and exuberance for learning. It has been my pleasure and privilege to meet this amazing man and be a part of his vision. He will be dearly missed."

The McMullens also have contributed to the Cornelia Marschall Smith Distinguished Professorship in Biology, Armstrong Browning Library and the Dr. and Mrs. Faber F. McMullen, Jr., Endowment Fund. They are members of the Baylor University Medallion Fellowship at the Bronze Level of the Judge R.E.B. Baylor Society.

In his professional and civic life, Dr. McMullen held several leadership positions for the Harris County Medical Society, the Texas Medical Association and Houston Heart Association. He also served as a board member for the Harris County Heritage Society. Together, the McMullens founded the Crea Charity Clinic and also served on the Mayor's Coalition for the Homeless.

Dr. McMullen is survived by his wife, Roxanna; daughter and son-in-law, Lela and Bob Newsom; son and daughter-in-law, Faber III and Sandy; daughter and son-in-law, Rosemary and Steve Poe; and grandchildren, Faber IV, Alexander and Kat McMullen, Kelly Newsom and Adriana Poe. Visitation will be held in the chapel of the Woodlawn Funeral Home in Houston, on Wednesday, July 22 from 5-8 p.m. A funeral service will be held at St. John the Divine on Thursday, July 23 at 10 a.m.