ROUNDING UP CAMPUS NEWS SINCE 1900 THE BAYLOR LARIAT VOL. 110 No. 16 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010 © 2010, Baylor University Starr named 14th president Pepperdine dean will Kenneth Winston take office June 1 Starr BY CATY HIR S T Dary Stone, chairman for the STAFF WRITER board of regents, said Starr is a Born July 21, 1946 in perfect fit for Baylor. Vernon, Texas Judge Kenneth W. Starr, dean Stone said the commit- and professor of law at Pepper- tee looked at many traditional B.A. from George dine, was unanimously elected candidates who had strictly Washington University as Baylor’s 14th president by academic careers and they also in 1968 the Baylor University Board of looked at non-traditional candi- Regents on Friday. dates who were in strictly non- M.A. from Brown “I am very excited and hon- University in 1969 ored to be here,” Starr said. “I will do my very best to help “ I’m a J.D. from Duke Baylor move in the direction fifth-generation University Law School it is moving, which is ever up- ward.” Texan and in 1973 In an interview with the Lar- it was a call to iat on Monday morning on the Duane and Kelly Baylor campus, Starr said he is the heart Roberts Dean and honored and humbled that he to come home. ” Professor of Law at was elected Baylor’s president. Pepperdine since 2004 “It’s a great university with Judge Kenneth Starr a proud tradition of 150 years, President-elect Independent Counsel plus,” Starr said. “And stand- on the Whitewater ing for great principles of inte- case grating faith and learning. And happily situated in my native academic fields, such as busi- Authored the Starr state.” ness and politics. Report, which led to Starr was Solicitor General of “Judge Starr actually bridged former President Bill the United States from 1989 to both of those,” Stone said. Clinton’s impeachment 1993 and was appointed to serve Here is someone who had by alleging Clinton lied as the Independent Counsel for a terrific high profile, highly under oath about his the Whitewater investigation credentialed private sector ca- extramarital affairs of Bill Clinton and most well- reer as an attorney and public known for his investigation in servant, who also had a more the Monica Lewinsky scandal. recent, very successful career in Solicitor General of the He was the author of the Starr the academy.” U.S. from 1989 to 1993, Report, which provided evi- Tom Phillips, a member of arguing 25 cases before dence to impeach former Presi- the advisor committee for the the U.S. Supreme Court dent Bill Clinton. presidential search and a retired He argued 25 cases before Chief Justice of the Texas Su- U.S. Circuit Judge the U.S. Supreme Court, until he preme Court, said he had heard for the District of moved on to a career in academ- of Starr for more than 30 years. Columbia Circuit from ics. He said Starr started as a 1981 to 1983 Starr was born in Vernon, clerk for the Supreme Court Texas and raised in San Anto- before working for the Justice Law clerk to Chief nio, though he currently lives in Department and the U.S. Court Justice Warren E. Malibu, Calif. of Appeals for the Washington Burger from “I’m a fifth-generation Texan D.C. Court, the second most im- 1975 to 1977 so it was a call to the heart to portant court in the nation. come home, but especially [to] a Phillips said he has known great renowned Christian insti- Starr for approximately 20 years Authored 25 tution,” Starr said. and said his career in academics The search for a president was as impressive as his career publications and a book took over a year and a half after in the private sector. titled “First Among Dr. John Lilly was forced out of “I thought he has done a Equals: The office in July 2008. marvelous job as dean of Pep- Supreme Court in Dr. David Garland has served perdine and very much raised American Life” as interim president since Au- that school’s profile,” Phillips gust 2008. said. Son of a Church of “We had well over 100 names Stone said Phillips was the JED DEAN | PHOTO EDITOR Christ minister that we considered,” said Joseph energy behind Starr’s election, Judge Kenneth Starr, shown in the Alexander Conference Suite, was named the 14th president of Baylor Armes, Baylor regent and chair- as he was the first person to en- University Monday after a nationwide search lasting almost two years. Starr comes to Baylor as the previous Currently a man of the Baylor presidential courage Starr to inquire about dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law and will begin his role as president on June 1. non-denominational search committee. the position. Christian “We had conversations with Phillips said he approached approximately 25 people and in- way to say it,” Phillips said. sideration in the hiring process. not think of Starr as a possible Starr because he thought he Plans to join a Baptist terviewed 10. And we narrowed “It is important because of candidate because he did not would fit in well with Baylor’s congregation in Waco the field from there. It has been a mission. the Baptist identity of Baylor, it think Starr was a Baptist. “But very comprehensive process.” “I thought his intellect, his Baptist doctrine part of is who we are,” Stone said. I saw him some months after Married to Alice Starr, Starr will take office June 1. personality and his experience Starr’s foundation Phillips said he thought the search started at a speech “We were patient and we would make him an ideal deci- Starr would be a good appli- he was making in Washington has three children and are thrilled with the outcome,” sion maker for the Baylor cam- cant when the presidential of- four grandchildren Stone said that a Baptist af- see PRESIDENT, pg. Armes said. pus, an ideal leader for a better filiation was an important con- fice first opened, but said he did 3 The road Starr’s resume illustrates his life BY LIZ FOREMA N represented their values and in- we took EDITOR I N C HIEF terests -- but shared them. Both Baylor University, and Dean Baylor began the arduous Doggedly pursuing the pros- Starr, have chosen wisely, and process of looking for a ecution of a U.S. President and Barbara joins me in wishing the teaching inner city children pres- Baylor University family every president 19 months ago ent only one contrast of many in success moving forward.” the life and career of Judge Ken- BY NICK DEA N A nd SOMMER IN GRAM neth Starr. Starr’s connection to the for- NEWS EDITOR A N D CITY EDITOR His experiences seem as mer president dates back to 1989 diverse as those who support when he acted as Solicitor Gen- The position of president at a Big 12 him. eral of the United States until university may seem daunting to most, but Following Baylor’s official 1993, arguing 25 cases in front of the process of getting there demands even announcement Monday, George the U.S. Supreme Court during more. JED DEAN | PHOTO EDITOR H. W. Bush, 41st President of the his tenure. That process began 19 months ago and Judge Kenneth Starr, newly named as the 14th president of Baylor University, greets music U.S., expressed praise for Starr’s His other legal achievements ended Monday with the announcement of professor Dr. Georgia Green and other members of the Faculty Senate on Monday in the Alex- appointment, citing his charac- include his term as U.S. Circuit Baylor’s 14th president, Kenneth Starr. ander Conference Suite. Math professor Dr. Ray Cannon and Interim Provost Elizabeth Davis ter among other things. Judge for the District of Colum- But how did we get there? greeted Starr as well. “I am pleased that Baylor bia Circuit from 1981 to 1983; University has named an indi- counselor to U.S. Attorney Gen- The Start of the Search Search Committee headed up the effort, and “I think everyone worked together re- vidual of Dean Starr’s sterling eral William French Smith in it alone had voting power. ally, really well. I was very pleased with reputation, character and abil- 1981 and clerk to Chief Justice The search began after the board of re- “Everybody who was a continuing re- the participation, and especially pleased ity to lead the university into a Warren E. Burger from 1975 to gents fired President Lilley in the summer gent at the time the committee was set was with the discussions,” he said. “We didn’t future that is made all the more 1977. of 2008 after barely a two-year tenure as invited to participate,” Joseph Armes, chair- always agree but we were always in good promising by his presence,” The most controversial aspect president. man of the Baylor presidential search com- spirits, and everybody got along. It was a Bush said. “Ken was one of the of Starr’s tenure at Pepperdine Dr. David Garland, dean of George W. mittee said. very pleasant, thoughtful process.” very finest public servants with was his recent representation of Truett Theological Seminary, was named as Fifteen invitations were given, and one Batson also appointed 10 Baylor mem- whom I had the privilege to the proponents of Proposition 8 interim president on Aug. 20, 2008. regent declined, leaving 14 members of the bers to the Advisory Committee, all of who work as president of the United before the California Supreme Baylor’s Board of Regents Chairman, Dr.