Oral Histories
The Baylor Line Foundation’s Oral Histories project had its roots in my father’s love for Syracuse University.
His love for the Orange was a major reason I attended Syracuse. We’d watch football and basketball games by phone, and I’d regularly have to talk him off the ledge as he fretted about the final outcome. In fact, on the night he died suddenly, the Syracuse basketball team beat Georgetown.
And suddenly he was gone. And 20+ years later I find myself wishing I had more than memories about his love for the university.
Baylor allowed me to help preserve the memories of wonderful teachers and successful alumni. My son Max and I interviewed retired professors and recipients of the Baylor Line Foundation’s Hall of Fame Awards.
If I’ve piqued your interest in this, don’t wait. Some of the people we wanted to film passed away or became too ill to participate before we could get them on tape.
In this emotional clip, retired Baylor History Professor James Vardaman talks about how his sister (Ann Miller, another legendary Baylor professor) got him into Baylor as a probationary student, their differences in teaching styles, what he misses most about here, and then recites his favorite poem.
My extended video interview with retired Baylor journalism professor David McHam.
We saw these extended video interviews as an important way to remind alumni what they love about Baylor. At the 2017 Hall of Fame Dinner, attendees left with an extra bounce in their steps after hearing each honoree talk about what makes Baylor special. The Oral Histories make it a bit easier to remember their love for the institution, despite the problems.
We can do the same for you, whether:
You’re an alumni association that wants to get renowned professors, administrators, and alumni on tape before it’s too late. We can film at a high-profile event, or film over a longer period of time.
You’re a company or non-profit that would love to publish short videos of founders, employees, and customers but don’t have a big budget. You can post these on your website to bring your corporate values to life.
You have older family members who have stories current and future generations should hear.