A Baylor Love Story

From a chance meeting freshman year to a lifetime together. 

Charles Massler (BS ’70) arrived at Baylor in the fall of 1966 from Kirkwood, Missouri, where his first big Baylor memory came early — an unforgettable football upset over Syracuse. But the moment that changed his life forever happened not in the stadium, but at a President’s Reception in the SUB, where he met Linda Payne (BS ’70).

What began as a friendship soon grew into something more. Back in these days, Baylor students marked a committed relationship with a Baylor drop, a small gold pendant from the Baylor Bookstore, worn on a chain as a meaningful step before engagement. When Charles gave Linda his drop, it signaled a serious commitment… and earned him a surprise dip in the Baylor Fountain courtesy of his Kokernot Hall friends.

The drop eventually led to an engagement at Christmas in 1968 and a wedding in June 1969. The couple returned to Baylor for their senior year, serving as student managers and directors of married student housing at Howell Apartments while completing their degrees.

After graduation, Baylor’s influence carried them forward — Linda into careers in education and finance, and Charles into dental school, followed by more than 20 years in the Navy Dental Corps and 16 years as a dental educator and practitioner.

More than 56 years later, their Baylor story, rooted in faith, service, tradition, and love, is still going strong.

Check out the post on Facebook and jump into the conversation by leaving a comment or giving it a like!

Baylor Stories We Love

Discover how members of the Baylor Family are inspiring others, one story at a time—see who we’ve featured so far!