Baylor grad authors Amazon's top history book for 2016

One of America's top authors of popular history is a Baylor graduate. Candice Millard, MA '92, has written three bestselling books about little-known (but meaningful) moments in the lives of American presidents and world leaders -- including a title Amazon named its best history book of 2016.

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill tells how Churchill strived to make a name for himself as a war hero long before becoming Prime Minister. The New York Times described the book as "thrilling" and "a nail biter" while listing it among their critics' top books of 2016.

Such recognition is the latest in a long line of honors for Millard, who earned her master's degree in literature from Baylor in 1992. Her previous two books -- River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey and Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President (on the assassination of James Garfield) -- were each bestsellers. River of Doubt was also named a best book of the year by The New York Times, and Destiny of the Republic won the Edgar Award for Best Crime Fact Book in 2012. Combined, her books have sold more than a million copies in the last 10 years.

Sic 'em, Candice Millard!

Baylor, Round Rock honor 90th anniversary of Immortal Ten's passing

Sunday, January 22 will mark the 90th anniversary of the tragic accident outside Austin that took the lives of 10 Baylor students -- the group we remember today as the Immortal Ten.

For generations, their story has been passed down each year during Mass Meeting just before Homecoming, and in 2007, a memorial went up in their honor in the heart of campus. But with this being a special anniversary, Baylor went the extra mile to remember and honor these 10 students.

Tuesday's men's basketball game against Texas was chosen to celebrate the Immortal Ten. A special black t-shirt designed in their honor was given free to the first 750 students attending the game; it's available for all to purchase from the Baylor Bookstore. The new Eternal Flame sculpture was also on display outside the Ferrell Center, and 10 seats were left empty inside the arena in honor of the 10 students. Player jerseys featured temporary nameplates identifying members of the Immortal Ten, and videos played during timeouts to further educate fans about the tradition.

[SEE PHOTOS from Tuesday's Immortal Ten game]

And that's not all. On Sunday at 2 p.m., the City of Round Rock will host a memorial event to remember those who were killed in the train-bus collision. At the event, the city will dedicate what will henceforth be known as the "Immortal Bridge," which arcs over the railroad tracks where the accident occurred. Green lampposts, green-and-gold paint and other markings will honor the 10 students who were killed there 90 years ago. The event is open to the public, and expected attendees include Baylor administrators and student leaders, the spirit squads, and the Golden Wave Band.

Sic 'em forever, Immortal Ten.

Baylor named a 'Best College Value' again -- this time, by Kiplinger's

Hearing this sort of thing from outside sources never gets old: Once again, Baylor has been named a "Best College Value" by Kiplinger's Personal Finance, coming in at No. 64 among private universities.

Kiplinger's 2017 list is based on factors such as admission rate, student-faculty ratio, graduation rate, financial aid, and of course sticker price. It's no secret that a Baylor education isn't the cheapest around -- but this honor means the Baylor experience, academics, research, and Christian environment, coupled with its efforts to make tuition more affordable through financial aid and scholarships, continue to make Baylor one of the best buys in the nation.

[READ more about Baylor's latest awards and rankings]

As part of the Baylor family, we all know that students here get a special value from their time on campus that goes behind a simple diploma -- but it's nice to see people outside our campus recognize that, too. And if you, like me, were one of the many who received your degree thanks to scholarships, consider paying it forward by giving a gift to support future Baylor students and continue what has become a tradition of being a "Best College Value."

Sic 'em, Bears!

You may also like:
* Men's basketball ranked No. 1 in the nation -- joining many other Baylor programs (Jan. 2017)
* Baylor matches best-ever U.S. news ranking, moves to No. 4 in Texas (Sept. 2016)
* Baylor named a Fiske 'Best Buy' School -- yet again (July 2016)

'Blind Side' director's latest film, 'The Founder,' opens Friday

With hits like The Blind Side, The Alamo and The Rookie under his belt, John Lee Hancock, BA '79, JD '82, has built a reputation as one of Hollywood's top writers and directors. Friday, the two-time Baylor alum's 10th feature film, The Founder, hits the big screen.

Hancock's latest tells the story of fast-food magnate Ray Kroc, the man who oversaw McDonald's growth into an iconic company. Movie posters for the film promise juicy details about his role in the company that many fans of the chain haven't heard. Watch the trailer here:



Michael Keaton headlines the film in the role of Ray Kroc, working alongside such other well-known actors and actresses as Nick Offerman, Laura Dern, Linda Cardellini and B.J. Novak.

[REVIEWS: Variety || Los Angeles Times || USA Today || The New York Times]

The Founder marks the sixth time Hancock has sat in the director's chair. He has also produced the 2000 film My Dog Skip and wrote six other films, including The Blind Side, The Alamo, Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil and the film that first earned him nationwide notice, Clint Eastwood's A Perfect World.

Sic 'em, John Lee Hancock!

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