By Kamryn Anthis | Staff Writer
Baylor students gathered at Fountain Mall Thursday night to honor the Immortal Ten and pass the university’s legacy to a new generation during the annual Ten at Ten: A Mass Meeting Experience.
Held at 10 p.m. by the Baylor Chamber of Commerce, the meeting commemorated the 10 Baylor students killed when their bus was struck by a train while traveling to a basketball game in 1927. The 2026-27 academic year marks the 100th academic year since the tragedy.
The service opened with a video message including words from former Baylor President Samuel Palmer Brooks in his “immortal message”, saying, “To you seniors of the past, of the present, of the future, I entrust the care of Baylor University. To you I hand the torch.”
The Mass included a reflection on the students lost in the tragedy, a candlelit service and the passing of the “eternal flame” to the next generation of Baylor students. The evening concluded as the Class of 2030 began constructing the bonfire for Friday night.
Baylor alumnus Neil Knighton opened the evening by recounting the 1927 event and reflecting on the lives of the students who died.
“Ninety-nine years ago, a tragedy occurred,” Knighton said. “And out of that tragedy, the Baylor spirit was born, as we know it today”
A campus memorial and Castellaw Communications Center, named after one of the students who died, serve as reminders of the tragedy. The students were around the same age as many of those who walk campus today.
Austin Smith, associate director of Student Activities, said retelling the story of the Immortal Ten helps provide a model for future generations of Baylor students.
“I think being 10 individuals who lost their lives but who exemplified Baylor’s core values while they were here provides a really important role model for who we would aspire to be as a community,” Smith said.
The students killed Jan. 22, 1927, were James Clyde Abe Kelley, William Winchester, Willis Murray, Merle Dudley, Sam Dillow, Jack Castellaw, L.R. Ivey Foster, Bob Hailey, R.L. Hannah and James Walker.
Freshmen gathered to participate in the annual tradition and receive the torch from upperclassmen. Plymouth, Indiana, freshman Jonah Rich said campus services like the Mass Meeting help build community among new Baylor students.
“The reason that I’m here is that I really enjoyed the last candlelit service during Welcome Week; I was really impacted by it,” Rich said. “Part of why I’m here as a freshman is to learn more about the Immortal Ten. I’m aware of them, but I don’t know as much about their impact on campus. And to just enjoy the fellowship of being around other Baylor students … it’s a beautiful image.”
Brooks’ words continue to guide the service more than a century after he became Baylor president: “My love be unto you, and my blessing be upon you.”
