Honors College receives gift to support mission trips

Baylor announced a $1 million gift from David and Amy Hunt of McLean, Va., to create the David and Amy Hunt Christian Missions Endowed Fund. The gift will support mission experiences led by the Honors College, enabling Baylor students to integrate the Christian faith with discipline-specific learning and hands-on service.

The parents of a current Baylor student, David and Amy Hunt said they are excited to support the mission and students of a faith-based university through their philanthropy.

"We love that Baylor University is unashamed of the gospel," David Hunt said. "We hope our gift will allow many Baylor students to go on mission trips to apply what they have learned--whether that is in engineering, the medical sciences or the humanities--while also sharing the gospel. We believe it is important not only to help people find Christ or to renew their faith, but also for Christians to reach out and help people in practical ways in a time of need."

Every year, hundreds of Baylor students engage in mission work around the world, many on faculty-led, discipline-specific mission trips. With destinations varying from Washington, D.C., and Haiti to Ghana, Greece and Peru, these trips create tangible opportunities for students to understand how they can use the knowledge and skills gained at Baylor to positively impact the world.

"Baylor University is deeply grateful to David and Amy Hunt for their generosity of spirit, which will allow Baylor students to serve as salt and light to those in need around the globe," Baylor President and Chancellor Ken Starr said. "Their gift will expand the Kingdom by supporting Baylor's steadfast and far-reaching mission to prepare men and women to become leaders in their professions, communities and churches."

Through Baylor Global Missions and other divisions on campus, students, faculty and staff are provided opportunities to integrate faith, learning and service within a broad Christian worldview. Mission trips are available during Spring Break, the May mini-mester and the summer for one to two weeks, with students paying for their expenses. Approximately 40 of these annual mission teams have a focus on work that is specific to a student's discipline or special interest, such as engineering or health care. This summer, the David and Amy Hunt Christian Missions Endowed Fund will provide funding for approximately 10 Baylor students, with preference given to Honors College students, to go on a mission trip to Greece, led by Doug Henry, PhD, associate professor of philosophy and associate dean of the Honors College.

"The gift by David and Amy Hunt will powerfully strengthen the Honors College by enabling our students to go out into the world and do good works while applying what they are learning as students of both ancient and contemporary thought," said Dr. Thomas S. Hibbs, Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Culture and dean of the Honors College.

David and Amy Hunt owned and managed Landon IP, an information company founded in 1949, which they purchased in 1998. With David serving as CEO and Amy as president, they transformed the company from a small firm that sold copies of patents and patent file histories to a dynamic business that provided extensive patent research services. By diversifying the business from a copy service to a research service, they led the company's growth from a staff of six people to more than 300 employees in six countries by the time they sold the company in 2014.

"We have a great love for Baylor, and in particular the Honors College, because of its interdisciplinary focus, the strong and supportive faculty and how they encourage students to think critically and participate in class," Amy Hunt said. "With this gift, Dave and I want to encourage Baylor students to live out the gospel in their personal and professional lives, and we hope that more and more students will experience the power of service through the mission trips Baylor offers each year."