Truett, George W.

North Carolina native George W. Truett followed his parents to Texas in 1889, and settled first in Whitewright in Grayson county. He worked on the family farm, attended Grayson Junior College, and became an active member of the Baptist Congregation. A gifted teacher and speaker, Truett was ordained a Baptist minister by the congregation in 1890. Truett had also gained a reputation as a skillful fund-raiser, and in 1890 he was appointed financial secretary of Baylor University, which was burdened with a $92,000 debt. Within 23 months, Truett had eliminated the debt. In 1893 he enrolled at Baylor and paid his tuition by becoming pastor of East Waco Baptist Church. He married Josephine Jenkins in 1894. Truett graduated in 1897 and became pastor of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, a position he held for 47 years. The membership grew from 715 to 7,804. In 1904 the Texas Baptist Sanitarium, later the Baylor Hospital, was founded as a result of his fund raising efforts. He also raised millions of dollars for the Southern Baptist convention, served as an officer in numerous organizations, and traveled worldwide on preaching tours. Following a distinguished career in service to others, Truett died at age 77. (1997)

Truett, George W. is a historical marker in Waco, McLennan County, dedicated in 1997. It is one of 198 historical markers documented in McLennan County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 224 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.5502, -97.1203 near Waco. The nearest cataloged historic site is Second Baptist Church of Waco (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Hebrew Rest, Baylor University, and Earle-Napier-Kinnard House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5309002163. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.