Baylor University’s Mortar Board Chapter Receives National Award for Excellence

September 11, 2015
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WACO, Texas (Sept. 10, 2015) – Baylor University’s chapter of Mortar Board has been awarded the Silver Torch Award from the Mortar Board National College Honor Society.

“The Laurel Chapter of Mortar Board is very pleased to have received this recognition from the national office in recognition of our commitment to service on the Baylor campus,” said James SoRelle, Ph.D., professor of history in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences and faculty adviser to the Laurel Chapter.

Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. It provides members with opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community.

The Silver Torch Award was given to the 45 chapters that executed all national criteria and deadlines while promoting scholarship, leadership and meaningful service to their institutions. The award was presented to delegates of the winning chapters at the 2015 Mortar Board National Conference held in Phoenix in August.

“The Mortar Board National Council is pleased that so many collegiate chapters meet the standards of excellence that make for significant presence on their campuses,” said Jane Hamblin, executive director of the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society. “This is a point of pride for the administrators and faculty of the institutions that our chapters call home.”

Baylor’s Laurel Chapter of Mortar Board has a tradition of selecting first-rate students from a talented applicant pool who are actively involved in accepting the responsibility and obligation to be devoted to their chapter.

Mortar Board was founded in 1918 and has more than a quarter of a million members in 231 chapters across the nation. Notable Mortar Board members include professional football player Drew Brees, former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and award-winning actor Marion Ross.

by Ashton Brown, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

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Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.