EDITORIAL: Tommye Lou Davis right choice for long-overdue mission
We have no intention of sounding off regularly on Baylor University President Ken Starr’s administration, but we will take this opportunity to sound off concerning his decision last week to appoint Tommye Lou Davis to be his vice president for constituent engagement.
In plain English, Davis will be overseeing Baylor’s activities and outreach programs to draw more of the Baylor Nation into the fold. It’s a crucial and demanding mission, especially as Baylor aggressively pursues academic heights, growing student enrollment and steep research-oriented goals.
We really can’t think of anyone better than Davis to do it.
Some of us at the Tribune-Herald were greatly impressed by Davis when she headed long-shot efforts to land for Baylor the presidential library of then-President George W. Bush. Even though most believed all along that Bush would place his library at Southern Methodist University, his wife’s alma mater, Davis never displayed a hint of doubt that it would or should go anywhere but Baylor, not far from the president’s beloved ranch near Crawford.
Davis displayed charm, focus and steadfastness as she enlisted hundreds of folks in the library bid, making some doubters think she might just pull it off. In doing so, she unified many on behalf of Baylor University at a time when other matters bitterly divided the Baylor family.
Her new mission is no less daunting. For a number of reasons, Baylor has lots of catchup to do in bringing alumni up-to-date on all Baylor is doing, how it is doing it and how those alumni can be of service to future generations, both in terms of fundraising and leadership.
In short, Tommye Lou Davis — a 1966 BU graduate who has toiled on behalf of Baylor 35 years, doing everything from impressing students with the relevance of Latin to seeking to reason with the White House — is right for the job. Because she knows Baylor well, she won’t require much time to get up to speed.
We know Baylor can expect great things because we’ve seen them of Tommye Lou Davis, especially when she’s trying to beat the odds.
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