Baylor Honors Immortal Ten at Mass Meeting
Students gathered at Fountain Mall to mark the 100th academic year since 10 Baylor students died in a 1927 bus-train collision.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in College Life
Baylor students held the annual Ten at Ten Mass Meeting at Fountain Mall, honoring the Immortal Ten killed when their bus was struck by a train on January 22, 1927. The Baylor Chamber of Commerce hosted the 10 p.m. Thursday service, which included a candlelit ceremony and the passing of the eternal flame to the next generation.
Why it matters
The 2026-27 academic year marks the 100th since the tragedy, making this commemoration a milestone for the Baylor community in Waco. The tradition connects current students to a loss that is memorialized through a campus memorial and the Castellaw Communications Center.
The 1927 collision killed 10 Baylor students on January 22, 1927. The 2026-27 academic year is the 100th since the tragedy, and the stub does not report attendance figures for this year's gathering.
The players
Baylor University
A private Baptist university in Waco, Texas, which hosts the annual commemoration and the campus memorial to the students killed in 1927.
Samuel Palmer Brooks
Former Baylor University president whose words were featured in a video message opening the service.
Neil Knighton
Baylor alumnus who opened the evening by recounting the 1927 bus-train collision.
The details
The service opened with a video message including words from former Baylor President Samuel Palmer Brooks, and alumnus Neil Knighton recounted the 1927 event. Freshmen took part in the tradition and received the torch from upperclassmen, while the Class of 2030 began constructing the bonfire scheduled for Friday night.
Timeline
January 22, 1927: Bus struck by a train, killing 10 Baylor students.
Thursday, 10 p.m.: Ten at Ten Mass Meeting held at Fountain Mall.
Friday night: Bonfire scheduled, with construction begun by the Class of 2030.
2026-27 academic year: 100th academic year since the tragedy.
Campus Legacy
The Immortal Ten tradition traces back to the January 22, 1927 bus-train collision that killed ten Baylor students, and this year's Mass Meeting marks the 100th academic year since that loss. The eternal flame passed from upperclassmen to freshmen links each new class to the memorial that stands on campus in Waco today.
Waco residents and students near Fountain Mall may see increased foot traffic and campus activity around the Friday night bonfire. Freshmen who joined the torch-passing ceremony now carry a tradition that will continue through the centennial year.
The takeaway
The Ten at Ten tradition shows how a campus can keep a century-old loss present through ritual, passing the eternal flame from one class to the next. Students who attend can take part in remembering the Immortal Ten during this 100th academic year.
What happens next
The Class of 2030 bonfire is scheduled for Friday night, following the Mass Meeting.
Further reading
Explore more on College Life in Waco.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Baylor Lariat - The official student news source.
