8 things you should know about President Garland

If you are fortunate enough to spend even a small amount of time around Baylor’s interim president, Dr. David Garland, you realize quickly what a kind man he is, with a knack for servant leadership that has led him from Truett Seminary to Pat Neff Hall and back again more than once.

Dr. Garland’s service since June as interim president is just the latest example of how his love for Baylor informs his willingness to help lead and serve the university wherever needed. But just how much do you know about the man at the helm of our university? Here are eight things every Bear should know about Dr. David Garland:

1. He’s a leading Bible scholar and author. Dr. Garland had a well-established reputation for Biblical scholarship when he came to Baylor in 1997 as a professor of Christian scriptures at Truett. Before landing in Waco, he taught for 21 years at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in Louisville. From 2007 until his retirement last year, he served as dean of Truett Seminary. He is also the author, co-author or editor of 23 books (many available on Amazon), with topics ranging from commentaries on the Gospels and Paul’s letters to a look at how God’s grace works in flawed families. He has also contributed pieces to more than 50 scholarly journals.

2. He has extensive experience as a pastor. Over the years, Dr. Garland has served as interim pastor at 17 churches. That dates back to his time in Kentucky and Indiana as well as here in Texas, and includes some tiny churches as well as some of the largest congregations in the state.

3. He’s also a U.S. Navy veteran. After graduating from high school in Baltimore, Dr. Garland spent two years at the U.S. Naval Academy before transferring to Oklahoma Baptist, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1970. After leaving the Naval Academy, he served in the Navy Reserves until he was honorably discharged in 1971.

4. His perspective is global. After attending Oklahoma Baptist University as an undergraduate and SBTS for his master of divinity and doctoral work, Dr. Garland looked abroad to further his education. He completed further postgraduate studies at Eberhardt-Karls Universitat in Germany and Macquarrie University in Sydney, Australia.

5. He’s not the only Garland to have served Baylor. Dr. Garland’s late wife, Dr. Diana Garland, dedicated nearly 20 years of her life to growing Baylor social work from a degree program to its own department to one of the nation’s leading schools of social work. She passed away in 2015 following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, but her legacy lives on; before she died, the school she led was renamed the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work.

6. He’s been here before. Dr. Garland previously spent nearly two years as interim president from 2008-10. During that time, he was widely praised for unifying the Baylor family; he also oversaw the establishment of the Texas Hunger Initiative, Baylor’s Army ROTC program, and the opening of the Waco Mammoth Site, as well as the beginning of renovation efforts at the BRIC and the completion of the McMullen-Connally Faculty Center, Highers Athletic Complex and Allison Indoor Practice Facility. More recently, he provided valuable leadership as interim provost from 2014-15.

7. He’s an avid sports fan, particularly baseball. You’re likely to find Dr. Garland at as many Baylor sporting events as his schedule permits. When it comes to professional sports, he’s a longtime fan of the Baltimore Orioles (having grown up there) and Colorado Rockies (having spent much vacation time through the years in Colorado).

8. He wants to get to know students. Dr. Garland eats lunch in the Penland Crossroads dining hall at least once a week, and he loves for students to join him during that time.

In short, Dr. Garland is the epitome of a servant leader, and exactly the type of leader Baylor needs right now. We are blessed to have such an individual at the helm of our university.

Sic ’em, Dr. Garland!