By Caleb Wheeler | Staff Writer
Baylor is full of long-standing traditions, and one comes in the form of a stone pillar many students don’t know the significance of on Founders Mall.
In 1945, Baylor established the Centennial Time Capsule, which was constructed from the remains of Tryon Hall — a building that was part of Baylor’s original campus in Independence.
“The capsule was made on the occasion of Baylor’s 100th anniversary,” Dr. Stephen Sloan, university historian and history professor, said. “It was part of the celebration for the centennial. They created the time capsule and dedicated it on Feb. 1, 1945.”
The capsule contains numerous items, including a recorded message from former Baylor President Pat Neff to the 2045 Baylor president as well as the paw prints of former bear mascot Joe College.
“The time capsule buried beneath the monument contains, among other items, a copy of the Roundup yearbook, copies of the Lariat newspaper, course catalogs, pictures, letters and recordings from the 1944-45 academic year,” Baylor’s website reads.
Sloan said the capsule represents what the class of 1944-45 thought was essential and relevant to the university.
He said the preservation of these beliefs is important, which is why he thinks it is good for the current Baylor community to know the capsule exists.
“[The time capsule] creates this connection with Baylor through the centuries,” Sloan said. “There’s a sesquicentennial time capsule that was established in 1995 also [for opening on its 150th anniversary]. Both of those things were the collective representation of primarily students and administrators on what they thought should be sent into the future.”
Sloan said maintenance is not necessary for the capsule, although it will be moved to an undetermined location soon because of renovations that are set to come to Founders Mall. These renovations will include the Memorial to Enslaved Persons that will recognize the enslaved people who helped build Baylor’s original campus in Independence.
“The monument is intentionally designed to break up the direct walkways on Founders Mall, symbolically bending the otherwise linear Baylor Line and drawing visitors into the experience,” according to Baylor Proud’s website. “The engraved map will be an impactful image of slavery at the beginning of Baylor’s story, which includes namesake Judge R.E.B. Baylor.”
