Hardly to our surprise, local news that former Whitewater special prosecutor and law professor Ken Starr will become Baylor University’s next president June 1 quickly erupted as a national story. But before we get too giddy about any opportunities for the future, let’s thank the man who held Baylor together for more than 18 months — interim President David Garland.

True, some worried that Garland — slight, mild-mannered dean of Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary since June 2007 — was just too nice to succeed as president when Baylor regents asked him in August 2008 to fill in after the board and then-President John Lilley parted ways.

But Garland has shown muscle when necessary. We recall how angry he was about initial reports that exaggerated minor Election Night incidents on campus into ugly acts of political defiance involving the election of the nation’s first black president. Baylor officials said their investigations confirmed, for instance, that a supposed noose was, in fact, a poorly engineered love seat.

Yet Garland refused to let the matter lie. Rather than ignoring suspicions some had about the highly charged incidents, he took charge of the matter, calling for a dialogue about race on a campus that, in so many ways, constantly spotlights and champions its rich diversity.

Garland also showed resolve in trying to forge a compromise that would have brought the independent Baylor Alumni Association into the fold, complete with provisions for the hiring of its staff. The overtures went nowhere, but he was forceful in arguing that Baylor and its alumni association needed to sweeten their relations.

And rather than leaving town-and-gown issues to the next permanent president, Garland sought new ways to further cement the relationship between Baylor and the city of Waco, ranging from a public river path on the south side of the interstate along the campus to working closely with city leaders on the Central Texas Technology and Research Park.

The latter holds great promise of fulfilling the dream of some Baylor officials in transforming the campus into a dynamic, research-oriented university, even as it maintains its devotion to a quality undergraduate education — a direction that Starr says he’s dedicated to maintaining.

Happily, Garland has kept his magnetism and humor while holding the Baylor campus together. He says he’s gratified that seminary students tell him they’re actually looking forward to his return. And when a Trib editorial board member asked what he planned on doing when his presidential tenure ends in June, he said he had at least four book contracts to fulfill “that I’ve already cashed the advances on!”