As Baylor University's 13th president, John Lilley began his tenure in January 2006 presiding over a complex, divided, often quarrelsome constituency. He also arrived at a time when the university was implementing Baylor 2012, a wide-ranging vision to move Baylor into the front lines of research-oriented universities nationwide.

Here's a look at Lilley's 2 1/2-year tenure in his own words, drawn from interviews with the Tribune-Herald, university-issued statements and forums with various groups including the fiercely independent Baylor Alumni Association and the faculty senate.

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COVERAGE

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Lilley's legacy: strong will, occasional rancor

Baylor students mixed on Lilley's departure

John Lilley's tenure at Baylor: Mission Impossible?

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Slide show: Lilley retrospective
Interactive: Baylor presidential timeline
Interactive: Timeline of Lilley's presidency

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Recent coverage

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• 08-20-08  News report: Truett dean to be Baylor's interim president 
• 07-27-08  Inclusiveness paramount as divided Baylor University seeks 14th president 
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• 07-25-08  Lilley legacy at Baylor one of focus, strong will but occasional rancor 
• 07-25-08  John Lilley's tenure at Baylor: Mission Impossible? 
• 07-25-08  In his own words: Dr. John Lilley at Baylor 
• 07-24-08  Baylor board of regents debating Lilley's future 
• 05-17-08  BU officials mum on campus president's future 
• 05-15-08  Seven BU faculty see controversial tenure denials overturned 
• 05-14-08  Lilley's future hinges on BU regents' vote, sources say 
• 05-10-08  Beleaguered BU president labels faculty senate's criticism 'false' 
• 05-07-08  BU faculty senate passes resolution critical of administration's governance 
• 05-01-08  Baylor officials back off decision to change logo on football helmets 
• 04-16-08  Some BU alums feel snubbed by leaders not at dinner 
• 04-03-08  Faculty 'massacre' blamed on Baylor's confusing tenure criteria 
• 03-24-08  Tenure denials spark steep questions about Baylor's academic aims 

Nov. 3, 2005, after Baylor University’s board of regents announced John Lilley would be Baylor’s 13th president: “This university has made tremendous progress over a short period of time with tremendous challenges. You don’t move to a top-tier university and you don’t deal with the intentionality of it being a Christian university in the Baptist tradition without Baptists, as we love to do, disagreeing. But Baptists also come together.”

Nov. 5, 2005, on the idea of becoming Baylor’s 13th president: “Oh, this is absolutely the capstone of my career. And it is intellectually, it is emotionally, it is physically — in every way. The regents asked for a commitment of five to 10 years.”

Jan. 6, 2006, after an international students program summit hosted by the White House in Washington, D.C. Lilley was asked whether he had pitched Baylor as the place for President Bush’s presidential library. Baylor later lost its bid to Southern Methodist University: “I have no idea where the president is on that matter. I didn’t ask for a commitment. It would have been inappropriate in the brief time I had with him. However, I did get some indication the Baylor proposal is being given serious consideration.”

Jan. 10, 2006, at a facultywide meeting on improving the tone of campus discourse: “I truly do believe that we can improve the level of our discourse. I have talked with some of you individually and others in groups about this. My way of characterizing it is we need to lift our spirits and lower our voices.”

Feb. 3, 2007, on the dedication of a long-awaited bronze sculpture memorializing 10 men killed when a bus taking the Baylor men’s basketball team to a game in Austin was hit by a train in Round Rock in 1927: “The story of The Immortal Ten is deeply woven into the fabric of our history and it binds generations of Baylor alumni. For 80 years the memory of the young men who lost their lives as well as those who escaped the tragedy have reminded us of the abiding value of faith, community, loyalty, perseverance and hope.”

April 5, 2007 after Lady Bears basketball coach Kim Mulkey signed a 10-year contract to stay at Baylor: “She is a person of integrity who is committed to success at the highest level of competition. We expect that Kim will be with Baylor for a long time.”

After a favorable April 2007 evaluation by Baylor’s board of regents: “Clearly, the greatest charge I got from the regents was that I needed to — to the extent possible — help bring the Baylor family together. And so my first goal was to work with all of those constituencies.”

Aug. 17, 2007, after U.S. News & World Report ranks Baylor 75th overall of 1,400 accredited four-year schools — a high ranking Baylor officials credit to a record-breaking incoming freshman class and more first-rate campus facilities: “We know that parents and prospective students pay attention to these rankings, and we are pleased that the numbers do reflect all the positive progress that is happening here at Baylor at the halfway point of (Baylor) 2012.”

Oct. 6, 2007, while trying to press the independently run Baylor Alumni Association to embrace Baylor 2012: “The consequence of saying yes (to Baylor 2012) is you’ll have more influence over the board and the administration. The consequence of saying no is you’ll have less.”

Nov. 28, 2007, during the announcement of Art Briles as Baylor’s new head football coach: “Football has a storied tradition at Baylor, and we think Art can bring that tradition back and build upon it. And what I love about him is that he is never satisfied. Because if you are, you’re starting down a slippery slope.”

Feb. 3, 2008, following a semi-annual report on Baylor 2012, including Lilley’s top goal of trying to reach a $2 billion endowment: “I’m optimistic that can happen by 2012. Not certain, but quite optimistic.”

April 21, 2008, during a tense meeting with Baylor faculty over his tenure policies and his insistence on faculty doing a better job in the process: “What I mean by that is, if the faculty take a very, very disciplined approach to this process, there will be no need for (Provost) Randall (O'Brien) and me ever to disagree with the departments.”

April 30, 2008, after Baylor administrators quashed a controversial decision to change the interlocking “BU” logo on the school’s football helmets: “We have heard from a number of members of the Baylor family, however, and, as a result, we have concluded that while this suggestion makes sense from a branding perspective, we acknowledge the value of our traditional symbols. We will honor our past by retaining our current football colors and our interlocking ‘BU’ logo.”

May 16, 2008, after reports that Baylor’s board of regents had discussed Lilley’s future and whether he should keep his job: “I am always hopeful. The agenda at Baylor is huge, we’ve accomplished a lot over the last 2 1/2 years and we just have a ton of things on the agenda, things that we will be working hard toward that will substantially improve Baylor. And that’s a team effort (that will) involve a lot of people — regents, administration, faculty.”

Early June 2008, after a fence-mending summit with faculty to discuss tenure guidelines and improve relations between administration and faculty: “It was a wide-ranging conversation. People, I thought, were graceful. When there were criticisms offered, across the board, everybody got their turn. I thought it was very healthy, very forward-looking, very open.”

July 24, 2008, after Baylor’s board fired him during its retreat in Grapevine: “I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to bring the Baylor family together and to help the university achieve the ambitious goals set forth in our mission and vision 2012, documented in our annual report just presented to the regents. I deeply regret the action of the board, and I do not believe that it reflects the best interests of Baylor University.”