George Washington Baines

{{short description|American Baptist leader, educator, and journalist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix   = [[The Reverend]]
| name               = George Washington Baines
| image              = File:Georgewashingtonbaines.jpg
| caption            = Portrait of G. W. Baines
| order = 3rd President of [[Baylor University]]
| term_start = 1861
| term_end = 1863
| predecessor = [[Rufus Columbus Burleson]]
| successor = [[William Carey Crane]]
| office2 = Member of the<br>[[Arkansas House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Carroll County, Arkansas|Carroll County]]
| term_start2 = November 7, 1842
| term_end2 = February 4, 1843
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1809|12|29}}
| birth_place        = [[Chowan County, North Carolina|Chowan County]]<ref name=Ark/> or [[Perquimans County, North Carolina|Perquimans County]],<ref name=Ballard/> [[North Carolina]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1882|12|28|1809|12|29}}
| death_place        = [[Belton, Texas]], U.S.
| resting_place      = Old Salado Graveyard, [[Salado, Texas]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[University of Alabama]]
| profession         =  {{hlist|Baptist preacher|journalist|politician}}
| known_for          = Co-founding [[Baylor University]]
| death_cause        = [[Malaria]]
| party              = [[History of the Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Melissa Ann Butler<br />|October 20, 1840|January 21, 1865|end=died}}
* {{marriage|Cynthia W. Williams<br />|June 13, 1865|January 8, 1882|end=died}}
}}
| children           = 9; including [[Joseph Wilson Baines|Joseph]]
| relatives          = [[Lyndon Baines Johnson]] (great-grandson)
| awards             = [[Honorary degree|Honorary]] [[Master of Arts|A.M. degree]] from Baylor University
}}

'''George Washington Baines''' (December 29, 1809 – December 28, 1882) was an American politician, [[Baptists in the United States|Baptist]] preacher, journalist, slaveowner, and educator. He was a co-founder, and the third president of [[Baylor University]], while the university was located in [[Independence, Texas]].

He was the maternal great-grandfather of the 36th U.S. president, [[Lyndon Baines Johnson]].

==Early life==
Baines was born near the Atlantic Ocean in either [[Chowan County, North Carolina|Chowan County]],<ref name=Ark/> or [[Perquimans County, North Carolina]],<ref name=Ballard>{{Cite web|last=Ballard|first=D. La Pierre|title=The Reverend George Washington Baines, Pioneer Texas Baptist Preacher, and President of Baylor University|url=https://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/freestone/bios/gwbaines.txt|website=US GenWeb Archives|date=March 4, 2006|access-date=May 21, 2020|archive-date=December 4, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204021334/http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/freestone/bios/gwbaines.txt|url-status=dead}}</ref> on December 29, 1809, to Thomas Baines, a Baptist minister, and Mary (''[[née]]'' McCoy) Baines. Baines was the eldest of ten children and was raised in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and [[Alabama]] where he spent most of his childhood. His family moved to a farm near [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama]], in 1818.<ref name=TSHA>{{Cite web|title=Baines, George Washington, Sr.|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fba14|last=Summerlin|first=Travis L.|date=June 12, 2010|work=The [[Handbook of Texas]] Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> Baines entered the [[University of Alabama]], later leaving due to poor health in 1836.<ref name=Ark/>

==Career==
===Baptist ministry beginnings===
[[File:George washington baines house 2008.jpg|thumb|The [[George Washington Baines House|G. W. Baines House]]]]
In 1832, he had a conversion experience{{clarification needed|date=November 2023}} in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, under the T.J. Fisher ministry.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Early|first=Joseph Everett|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EpLknrGtI7gC&pg=PA50 |title=A Texas Baptist History Sourcebook: A Companion to McBeth's Texas Baptists|date=2004|publisher=University of North Texas Press|isbn=978-1-57441-176-8|language=en}}{{page needed|date=January 2024}}</ref> He was baptized in Salem Baptist Church at the age of 25, and in 1834 he became licensed to preach by the Philadelphia Baptist Church of [[Tuscaloosa County, Alabama|Tuscaloosa County]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7vZkoiIPkq4C&pg=PA159 |title=Boone Co, AR|date=1998|publisher=Turner Publishing Company|isbn=978-1-56311-423-6|language=en}}</ref> He was ordained by the Grant's Creek Baptist Church on August 7, 1836. His father was among the signers of his preaching license and certificate of ordination.<ref name=Ballard/>

===Political career in Arkansas===
In 1837, he settled in [[Carroll County, Arkansas]], moving in an effort to recuperate from his recurring [[dyspepsia]].<ref name=TSHA/> He lived along [[Crooked Creek (Arkansas)|Crooked Creek]], about two miles southwest of present-day [[Harrison, Arkansas]], the area today lies in [[Boone County, Arkansas|Boone County]]. After settling in, he resumed his religious calling, helping to establish three churches, where he then preached. He also served as a missionary for the Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. In 1842, Baines was elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the [[Arkansas House of Representatives]], representing Carroll County from November 7, 1842, to February 4, 1843. As a representative, Baines was a member of several select committees, including one to create [[Newton County, Arkansas|Newton County]].<ref name=Ark>{{cite web|last=Polston|first=Michael D.|url= https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/george-washington-baines-17982/|title=George Washington Baines (1809-1882)|website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas|date=June 19, 2023|access-date=November 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>Arkansas Biennial Report of the Secretary of State John W. Crockett, Tunnah & Pittard, 1903, Fourth Legislature Held November 7, 1842-February 4, 1843, pg. 123-124</ref>

Baines baptized more than 100 people in Arkansas, where he lived for seven years, before moving to [[Mount Lebanon, Louisiana]], with his family in July 1844.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baines Family Collection, Inclusive: 1807-1912, undated; Bulk: 1855-1882; 1896-1899|url= https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/164145.pdf|website=Baylor University|access-date=January 20, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180527234144/https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/164145.pdf|archive-date=May 27, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Baylor University===
Baines moved to [[Huntsville, Texas]], with his family in 1850. In Huntsville, he was the pastor for [[Sam Houston]].<ref name=LBJPresidentialLibrary>{{cite web|url= https://www.lbjlibrary.org/life-and-legacy/the-man-himself/lbj-and-religion|title=LBJ and Religion|publisher=[[Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum]]|accessdate=January 20, 2024}}</ref> He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Baylor University from 1851 until 1859.<ref name=BU/> Baines, working almost singlehandedly, established the ''[[Texas Baptist (1855–1861)|Texas Baptist]]'' in 1855 in [[Anderson, Texas]].  He arranged the printing of the paper with R. A. Van Horn, publisher of Anderson's ''Central Texian''. A former Baylor University professor, J. B. Stiteler, joined Baines as assistant editor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stone Jr.|first=William J.|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-baptist-1855-61|title=Texas Baptist [1855–61]|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|work=The [[Handbook of Texas]] Online|accessdate=January 20, 2024}}</ref> Baines became the first editor of the first Baptist newspaper in Texas, the ''Texas Baptist'', while a member of the Board of Baylor. After [[Rufus Columbus Burleson]] departed the presidency of Baylor University for [[Waco University]], Baines was appointed president by the Board, until they could find a suitable replacement for Burleson and before the start of the [[American Civil War]].<ref name=BU/> On July 27, 1861, Baines was awarded with an honorary Master of Arts degree by Baylor University.<ref name=TSHA/> After his first year as president, the trustees found it difficult to find anyone to lead the financially-plagued university, and asked Baines to continue as president.<ref name=BU>{{Cite web|title=George Washington Baines, Baylor President, 1861-1863|url=https://about.web.baylor.edu/person/george-washington-baines|website=Baylor University|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> Health issues forced him to resign from the position in 1863. Shortly after leaving Baylor he moved to [[Fairfield, Texas]], where his wife and youngest son died.<ref name=TSHA/>

===Death===
He devoted his life as a Christian leader; even with his chronic dyspepsia, he was a field agent of the [[Baptist State Convention]] for several years. After the death of his second wife in January 1882, he lived with his daughter Anna in [[Belton, Texas]]. G. W. Baines died on December 28, 1882, of [[malaria]], a day before his 73rd birthday. At the time he was a pastor at [[Salado, Texas|Salado]].<ref name=TSHA/>

==Political and social views==
Baines was a member of the Democratic Party when he was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives between 1842 and 1843. He introduced resolutions asking the [[United States Congress]] to turn over "refuse lands" and worked to adopt the paper ballot and end voice voting.<ref name=Ark/>

===Slavery===
George Washington Baines was an owner of slaves, along with the other three founders of Baylor University. In the [[1850 United States census|1850 census]], Baines is recorded as the owner of two slaves when he was the pastor of a church in Huntsville. In the [[1860 United States census|1860 census]], when he was a pastor in Anderson at the time, Baines is recorded as the owner of eight slaves.<ref name=BU/>

==Personal life==
Baines had nine children with his first wife, Melissa Ann (''née'' Butler). He did not have any children with his second wife, Cynthia.<ref name=Ballard/> His son [[Joseph Wilson Baines]] was Secretary of State of Texas and a member of the [[Texas House of Representatives]].<ref name=LRL>{{cite web|url=https://lrl.texas.gov/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=3311|title=Joseph Wilson Baines|work=Texas Legislators: Past & Present|publisher=Legislative Reference Library of Texas}}</ref> His great-grandson was [[U.S. president]] Lyndon B. Johnson.<ref name=BU/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* ''George Washington Baines'', library of University of Baylor, Texas. 1855.
* ''George Washington Baines'', Baylor University, 1809 - 1881. Department of History.
* ''The Family of Thomas Baines'', George Washington Baines Sir, 1890. ''Bible study'', Baptist Church Texas.
* ''The Personal Correspondence of Sam Houston: 1848-1852'' by Sam Houston

==External links==
{{S-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box
| before=[[Rufus Columbus Burleson]]
| title=President of [[Baylor University]]
| after=[[William Carey Crane]]
| years=1861–1863
}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-par|us-ar-hs}}
{{succession box
| title=Member of the [[Arkansas House of Representatives]] from [[Carroll County, Arkansas|Carroll County]]<br>([[Crooked Creek (Arkansas)|Crooked Creek]])
| years=1842—1843
| before=Unknown
| after=Unknown
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Baylor University presidents}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baines, George Washington}}
[[Category:1809 births]]
[[Category:1882 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Tuscaloosa, Alabama]]
[[Category:People from Boone County, Arkansas]]
[[Category:People from Carroll County, Arkansas]]
[[Category:People from Independence, Texas]]
[[Category:19th-century American legislators]]
[[Category:19th-century American journalists]]
[[Category:19th-century Baptists]]
[[Category:American slave owners]]
[[Category:Members of the Arkansas House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Lyndon B. Johnson family]]
[[Category:University of Alabama alumni]]
[[Category:Baptists from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Baptists from Texas]]
[[Category:Presidents of Baylor University]]
[[Category:Baylor University founders]]
[[Category:Baylor University people]]
[[Category:Heads of universities and colleges in the United States]]
[[Category:Southern Baptist ministers]]
[[Category:Editors of Texas newspapers]]