820 Speight Ave
Samuel Palmer Brooks (December 4, 1863 – May 14, 1931) served as President of Baylor University from 1902 to 1931. He is one of the most consequential figures in Baylor's history. When Brooks took office, Baylor had fewer than 300 regular college students; by the late 1920s, enrollment reached 3,500. Carroll Science, Carroll Library, Brooks Hall, Memorial Hall and Waco Hall all went up under Brooks' leadership, and during his tenure, Baylor established a College of Medicine, a College of Pharmacy, a College of Dentistry and a Theological Seminary. He died in Waco after a lengthy illness on May 14, 1931, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. His papers are housed at The Texas Collection at Baylor University. This house was once located at 720 Speight Ave where Brooks lived during his nearly 30-year presidency (1902–1931).
The land where Brooks's former home stood was acquired by Baylor for construction of Armstrong Browning Library. Groundbreaking for the library was held on May 7, 1948. Rather than demolishing the home of such a beloved former president, the house was physically moved one block down to 820 Speight Ave; consistent with the kind of respect Baylor had for Brooks's memory. His legacy was deeply honored: he remains well-known at Baylor for the residence halls that have carried his name (Brooks Hall/Brooks Residential College and Brooks Flats), and his "Immortal Message," a stirring Commencement address written shortly before his death in 1931.
This is the house where I resided while attending Baylor University.
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