Remarks of Light T. Cummins at the Memorial Service for T. Lindsay Baker
Cleburne, Texas
June 23, 2026
My name is Light T. Cummins. I am the Guy M. Bryan Professor, Emeritus, at Austin College. I am a former official State Historian of Texas. Another former official State Historian of Texas, Dr. Monte Monroe, is also sitting in the pews today as a mark of respect along with members of the Texas Tech University Department of History and from its Southwest Historical Collection.
Dr. T. Lindsay Baker was a writer of uncommon range, a teacher whose influence stretched far beyond the classroom, and a Texas historian of the first rank. He was in every way an absolutely unique personality, the likes of which none of us will ever meet again. And, in so doing, I must observe that everyone in the state’s academic community lovingly called him T. Lindsay. That was certainly the case over my almost 50 years of my friendship with him. He was so well-known that his last name was seldom uttered, except in formal circumstances.
T. Lindsay was a person of deep roots and wide horizons, someone who carried Texas in his bones. He had unlimited curiosity and resounding good cheer. He stands alone as an individual who was in every way unusually memorable, extremely likeable, and who manifested a curiosity that took him across both wide swaths of this nation geographically and across the wide historical vistas of an open mind, one which deeply understood our historical roots.
He had advanced university degrees which placed him squarely in the first ranks of highly credentialed members of this state’s academic community, but he never wore those on his shoulder. Instead, he constantly manifested a marked humility, a genial attitude, and an abundant graciousness that stood as the hallmark of his personality. Never for an instant did he ever permit his high standing in the state’s historical profession to influence the admirable collegiality, the determined exuberance, and warm openness which characterized the way he interacted with everyone who came within his orbit. That was T. Lindsay to a T.
T. Lindsay’s warm smile immediately recruited as his ally every person who he met and immediately made them his friend. The plaques and commendations, along with the other framed documents related to his numerous accomplishments, could have filled the walls of his office and study and more, but as many of you know, his eagle scout award certificate was the only one which mattered to him enough to be enshrined for all to see. That eagle scout certificate remained important to T. Linday because he never forgot the down-to-earth values that shaped his life and the basic, fundamental principles to which he committed as an eagle scout. Do a good turn daily. Be loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, and kind. Be cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. That simply put, was T. Lindsay to a T.
He was ceaselessly prolific as a writer and as a Texas historian. He wrote across the course of his career a shelf full of books, along with storage boxes full of historical articles, essays, book reviews, and newspaper columns. These explored subjects as varied as Texas lighthouses, organized crime in the Lone Star state, and the sweeping story of wind power, a field in which he became an internationally recognized authority. I once heard him described as being a rock star in the world of those who cared about windmills. He also had a special affinity for understanding the historical role highways played in the development of our nation.
He gave hundreds of speeches and delivered dozens of formal academic papers across his career. Listening to a speech by T. Lindsay was not a passive experience on the part of his audience. He instead made his audience into participants who shared in an event of mutual joyfulness which proved to be memorable for everyone within the sound of his voice. And what a voice! How could I possibly describe it? It had the homespun twang of character actor Walter Brennan, coupled to the folk wisdom of Will Rogers, with the cadences of Walter Cronkite, and a matter-of-fact delivery that would impress any successful trial lawyer. There are speakers whose voices carry more than sound; they exude presence and personality. You remember not only what they said, but how it felt to hear them. T. Lindsay spoke with the voice of an everyman. That voice was T. Lindsay to a T.
His memberships in the Texas Institute of Letters, the Western Writers of America, the Texas State Historical Association, the West Texas Historical Association, and as founding member of the Alliance for Texas History reflected his commitment to his profession and to his colleagues in it. He gave far more to the Texas historical community than he ever took from it.
T. Lindsay’s scholarship was never confined to the page alone. He believed that history had to be lived firsthand in its historical surroundings, in touching its artifacts, and being in the built environment where it occurred. There he could fully understand the stories which history passed down through the generations to him. Also, he liked hiking to clear the mind, sometimes in England, finding in those hikes a contemplative rhythm that mirrored the careful pace of his writing and archival work. He was often on the road, both in his mind and in his physical travels across the landscapes of life, all of which made history for him into a participatory experience. His was a life of inquiry, grounded in place, animated by curiosity, and guided by a deep respect for the people and landscapes whose stories he preserved. That was T. Lindsay to a T.
And yet, for all his achievements, T. Lindsay was happiest in a place absolutely wonderful to him: on his family’s historic farm where the Nolan River winds through the land and its ancient live oaks cast their generous shade. That farm was more than a home; it was a living piece of his history, a place where he found peace, purpose, and continuity. There he valued history and the quiet satisfaction of moving through the world at a human pace. That was T. Lindsay to a T.
For all his scholarly achievements, T. Lindsay remained profoundly human. He was a devoted husband, a father, and a grandfather. His family was his pride, his grounding, and his joy. T. Lindsay’s true legacy lives equally in them and in all of us who knew him.
Today, as we reflect on his life, we recognize a scholar who expanded our understanding of the American past, a teacher who modeled intellectual generosity, a colleague whose presence enriched every room he entered, and a Texan whose roots ran deep into the soil he cherished.
His work endures. His influence endures. His example endures.
We must honor him by continuing the work he valued and the example he set for us: the careful preservation of stories, the pursuit of truth, and the belief that history, when approached with humility and rigor, can illuminate not only the past but show us the path ahead. That was Dr. T. Lindsay Baker. We should all, each and every one of us, strive to become for ourselves our own version of being T. Lindsay Baker to a T.
