WACO, Texas — Baylor University celebrated the opening of the renovated 67-year old Tidwell Bible Building ahead of schedule.
Renovations were made with preservation in mind, and are part of the university's Give Light Campaign which intends to support Baylor's efforts to move forward as a leading Christian research university.
“Tidwell Bible Building is a much-loved landmark at Baylor University, and we are grateful to the Sunderland Foundation and the Baugh family for helping us to restore and preserve this wonderful piece of Baylor’s history,” President Livingstone said. “At some point in their Baylor journeys, practically all of our students have taken a class in Tidwell, which houses some of our core disciplines, and we are grateful that this Baylor tradition will continue on for future generations because of their generosity.”
The building was originally dedicated in 1954 after Baylor professor Josiah Blake Tidwell, founder of the current department of religion in 1910. The building with 68 carved limestone panels was constructed to tell the story of the in an encircling exterior panorama.
“We are grateful for this new home for Baylor’s history, sociology and religion departments,” said Lee Nordt, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “Tidwell represents a rich history of Baylor’s faculty investing in students and inspiring them to investigate how their Christian faith animates their lives, and we are grateful that this space will continue to serve the needs of our students and faculty for generations to come."
The renovation improved infrastructure, expanded and enhanced academic areas with technology-enabled features, and preserved the limestone carvings and stained-glass windows in Miller Chapel.
