Dr. T. Lee Baumann could have named the UM scholarship endowment he funded after himself. Instead, he named it after his book.
“I wanted the name to be more meaningful,” said Baumann, who has donated $60,000 to the endowment so far. “The title of my book explains what I’m about better than anything else.”
Thus, the “God at the Speed of Light” scholarship was created in 2003 for an incoming freshman who is a native of Mississippi. While the book explores the science of spirituality, Baumann is quick to point out that the scholarship is simply dedicated to those who want to seek an education, regardless of their beliefs.
“In no way do I try to promote spirituality or any particular belief system with the scholarship,” Baumann said. “That is a personal journey, and, if a student comes to that point, that’s their decision. I just want to make the opportunity to have an education for as many people as I can.”
True to his intentions, the scholarship is based mostly on financial need. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA, but there are no requirements for leadership or community service. “I’ve always believed in education, and I want to help those who have never had a chance to pursue an education,” Baumann said.
After his undergraduate career at Vanderbilt University, Baumann studied medicine at Southern Illinois University and began practicing in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. At the time, it was common for science to debunk the existence of God, and Baumann was no different. “My wife and my mother could accept the concept of God on pure faith, but under the teachings of scientific method, I just couldn’t,” he said.
That changed when Baumann began reading up on near-death experiences and other religions. That, combined with his studies of Einstein’s theory that time stops at light speed, set him on a quest to find out where God and science meet.
“Virtually every major religion describes God in terms of light,” Baumann said. “We’ve traditionally thought of that light as metaphorical. But what if, in fact, it is literal? What if God actually is the light we perceive with our eyes?”
Thus, after more than 20 years of studying this issue, Baumann’s first book God at the Speed of Light was published in 2002. He has since authored Window to God: A Physician’s Spiritual Pilgrimage and The Akashic Light: Religion’s Common Thread. He now tours the nation to spread his message.
“I do miss medicine, but the rewards of speaking on this topic are too great to ignore,” Baumann said. “I pinch myself regularly for being able to do something I believe in so strongly.”
Dr. T. Lee Baumann