Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River in the United States.

Republic President Anson Jones signed the Act of Congress on February 1, 1845, officially establishing Baylor University.

[7] The noted Texas revolutionary war leader and hero Sam Houston gave the first $5,000 donation to start the university.

He worked vigorously to sustain the university during the Civil War, when male students left their studies to enlist in the Confederate Army.

Brann revealed Baylor officials had been importing South American children recruited by missionaries and making house-servants out of them.

In 1943, Dallas civic leaders offered to build larger facilities for the university in a new medical center if the College of Medicine would surrender its denominational alliances with the Baptist state convention.

[11] In 1991, Baylor began appointing the majority of its board, granting it partial independence from the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

[13] The report, summarized by the board in a public "Findings of Facts" document, stated that Baylor failed to implement Title IX in a timely and effective manner, that Baylor administrators actively discouraged reporting of sexual assaults, and that the athletic department failed to address sexual assaults.

The chartering process, managed by Matt Burchett, involved several steps, including listening sessions and forming a leadership team, aligning with Baylor's mission of creating a caring community.

Prism's constitution emphasizes creating a respectful space embracing diverse sexual identities, voicing LGBTQ+ concerns to the administration, and fostering continuous learning.

[22][23] In a May 1, 2023, letter to the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Baylor University's President Linda Livingstone requested a formal exemption from provisions of federal Title IX law related to the discrimination and harassment of LGBTQ+ individuals, on the basis that Baylor requires "purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman as the biblical norm" and must "regulate conduct that is inconsistent with the religious values and beliefs that are integral to its Christian faith and mission.

"[24] On July 25, 2023, the Office for Civil Rights responded acknowledging exemption to Title IX for a number of provisions related to the discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals, including "rules of private organizations" and "sexual harassment".

[25] The exemption request, notable for its specific claim of exemption to Title IX's sexual harassment provision specifically in response to three active investigations against Baylor by the Office for Civil Rights, including one investigation into "Baylor's alleged response to notice that students were subjected to harassment based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity," led five U.S. representatives, including Representative Adam Schiff, to write and sign a letter to Miguel Cardona, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, requesting "thorough, timely investigations into the pending sex-based harassment cases against Baylor University and further clarification on the implications of this particular exemption on students' rights to be protected from sex-based harassment.

[48] In 2022, Baylor chartered an official LGBT organization[49] called "Prism", that follows the University's "Statement on Human Sexuality", which affirms "purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman as the biblical norm" and prohibits advocacy groups from promoting "understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching", including "homosexual behavior".

Baylor runs several postgraduate and professional health sciences programs in partnership with the Army Medical Department headquartered in San Antonio.

[54] In 2005, the university was invited to join the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) collaboration at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois.

[6] In October 2009, a group of state, county and city governments and organizations and higher educational institutions in Central Texas announced the creation of the Central Texas Technology and Research Park, and the park's first project, the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) to be housed in the former General Tire facility on South Loop Drive in Waco.

Clifton Robinson (a member of Baylor's Board of Regents) donated the facility to the university to support the research collaborative.

Despite a hired consulting firm's concerns that the troubled economy and disagreements within the Baylor community could hinder continued growth, the university's endowment exceeded $1.1 billion as of May 2013[update].

[43] On March 4, 2010, "An anonymous longtime Baylor donor ... set up an estate provision that will benefit the school to the tune of an estimated $200 million.

[64][65] In the 2011–2012 season, Baylor broke the NCAA record for most combined wins in the four major collegiate sports: baseball, football, and men's and women's basketball.

Under the direction of head coach Scott Drew, Baylor achieved a record of 121–55 (.688) between the 2008–2012 seasons and reached post-season play in four of those years.

Opened in fall 2014, the stadium holds 45,000 spectators and is situated on 93 acres (38 hectares) of land adjacent to the Brazos River and Interstate 35.

After the Mass Meeting, the freshmen class build a bonfire on Fountain Mall which often includes burning vigils of the homecoming football opponent's mascot created by the various on campus houses.

[81][82] The Baylor Homecoming event began as a way to reconnect alumni with current students but has now grown to include a football game, bonfire, concerts, speeches, receptions, class reunions, pep rallies, and the nation's oldest and longest collegiate parade.

[83] On January 22, 1927, a bus carrying the Baylor basketball team collided with the Sunshine Special train in Round Rock, Texas.

Graduates acclaimed for their work in the arts include Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky, GMA Dove Award-winning composer Bruce Greer, Grammy Award-winning Christian recording artist Phil Driscoll, Christian recording artist David Crowder, Grammy-winning Gaither Vocal Band tenor David Phelps, screenwriter and director John Lee Hancock (with works including The Blind Side, nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Picture), screenwriter Derek Haas (with works including 3:10 to Yuma and Wanted, both nominated for multiple Academy Awards), Emmy Award-nominated director Kevin Reynolds, Emmy-winning actress Angela Kinsey (the character of Angela Martin in NBC's The Office), Emmy-nominated actress Allison Tolman, Tony Award-nominated actress Elizabeth A. Davis, actress Carole Cook (a protégé of Lucille Ball), ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, and The Silence of the Lambs writer Thomas Harris.

Professional athletes who graduated from the university include quarterback and 2011 Heisman Trophy-winner Robert Griffin III, Phoenix Mercury WNBA player Brittney Griner, four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, NFL Hall of Fame Member Mike Singletary, and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ted Lyons.

Grammy–winning recording artist Willie Nelson, actor Austin Miller and Senator Rand Paul attended Baylor.

[90] Actor and comedian Bill Cosby received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the university in 2003,[91] which was rescinded in 2015.