Baylor Proud

Alums Release Pat Neff Biography

It took the authors of The Land, the Law and the Lord: The Life of Pat Neff over 20 years to finally get down on paper what the former Texas governor and Baylor president did in his 80 years on Earth.

Baylor alumna Dorothy Jean Chapin Blodgett (BA ‘45) began the book in 1985 and was joined by co-writer David L. Scott (BA ‘87) in 1990. Blodgett’s husband, Terrell (BA ‘43), joined the pair in 1998. Dorothy passed away in 2005, but the other two finished the book for her earlier this year.

Former Governor Ann Richards — like Neff, a Waco native who attended Baylor before becoming governor — wrote the foreword to this definitive Neff biography. Perhaps a professor or two will make this required reading to ensure Baylor students know the man as more than just a name on a building.

Sic ’em, alumni authors!