Established in the fall of 1976, the Dr. Robert G. Packard Kappa Omega Tau Scholarship was created to aid and assist young men of Kappa Omega Tau in their quest for scholastic achievements at Baylor University. These funds also assist worthy KΩTs in continuing their education at Baylor when difficulties might otherwise prevent them from doing so.

Eligibility: The scholarship is open to juniors or seniors with two semesters of membership in Kappa Omega Tau. Additionally, the applicant much have at least a 2.5 GPA to be eligible to apply.

Criteria: Primary consideration will be given to applications from active members of Kappa Omega Tau based on merit, achievement, and need.

Submission: Once completed, email your application to the faculty sponsor of Kappa Omega Tau.

Deadline: May 1, 2024

About Dr. Packard

Born Robert James Gay in Regina, New Mexico in 1924, he moved with his family to Temple, Texas at a young age.  An excellent student, he enlisted in the US Army after high school and served in Combat Engineers and Army Specialized Training Program before his assignment in the Signal Corps in the World War II Pacific Theater of Operations in 1944. Returning home, he attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned three degrees, a BS with highest honors in Physics in 1949, an MA in Physics in 1950 and a Physics PhD Phi Beta Kappa in 1952. In September of 1952 he received an invitation to become an Associate Professor of physics at Baylor University.  It was during those first few years at Baylor that he met and married Joyce Hornaday, Assistant Dean of Women.  They were wed on April 15, 1954 by university president Dr. W.R. White. For almost six decades he taught at Baylor, grounded in his philosophy that “you have to be stimulated to grow.  I believe there is nothing more stimulating than a college student.  For four years you’ll have the (mostly) undivided attention of people who rank scholastically in the upper 5 percent of the entire population.  They are at the point of transition from carefree youth to young adulthood.  Mentally and physically, they are at the most exciting point in their lives.  You can’t grow old when exposed to that.  Their energy, their drive, their joy—won’t let you age while you are with them.”  Dr. Packard possessed a rare combination of high intellect with a commitment and ability to make complex ideas understood and appreciated by the thousands of students that came to his classroom.

Along with his service to other student organizations, Dr. Packard served as the faculty sponsor for Kappa Omega Tau from 1963 to 1979. He received scores of tributes for his teaching and service throughout his career, including Outstanding Educator of America and an American Man of Science.  He was a Baylor University Alumni By Choice, a Honorary Member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, and was named a “Master Teacher” in 1990.  His longtime classroom in the Marrs McLean Building was renovated and renamed the Robert G. Packard Lecture Hall in his honor in 1990.  He was Grand Marshall in the 2003 Baylor Homecoming Parade and received the Baylor Habitat for Humanity Outstanding Faculty Service Award and the Baylor Alumni Retired Faculty Award for his continued service to the university.  He was also recognized with the high honors of the W.R. White Meritorious Award for service to Baylor in 2000, the Collins Outstanding Professor Award in 2001, and the Baylor Legacy Mentor Award in 2014. His contributions to Baylor University, its students, and the members of Kappa Omega Tau endure through this scholarship named in his honor.