Visionary Support

Baylor announced the naming of the deanship at the Hankamer School of Business to honor William E. (Ed), BBA’73, and Denise Crenshaw of Lakeland, Florida, for their support of the Give Light Campaign and the Hankamer School of Business. The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean within the Hankamer School of Business was funded through a portion of a $5 million gift from the Crenshaws. 

The new fund will provide endowment support for the initiatives, programs and projects essential to executing the Dean’s vision for Baylor Business and the mission of the School.

“The Crenshaw name has become synonymous with support for Baylor Business and our students,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “Ed and Denise have answered our call for support through the Give Light Campaign and through a lifetime of transformational philanthropy. We celebrate with them, and we are grateful for the opportunity to honor not only their generosity, but the incredible example Mr. Crenshaw has provided for our students of how Christian business leaders can make a difference in the world through their service, their leadership and their philanthropy.” 

“Ed and Denise are truly committed to the growth, the success and the flourishing of the Hankamer School of Business and our students,” said Hankamer School of Business Dean Terry S. Maness, DBA. “Ed and Denise, like many of our alumni, have taken deliberate steps to support this institution and ensure that we have the resources in place that foster innovation and position our School of Business for future growth and success. I am grateful for Baylor’s administration, who engage with our alumni to combine vision and resources into transformational support for this institution and our faculty leaders. Baylor Business truly has a bright future because of alumni and our Baylor Family.”

The Hankamer School of Business’s top-ranked programs combine rigorous classroom learning, hands-on experience in the real world, a solid foundation in ethical values and a global outlook to prepare students to become ethical business leaders. The School’s 300 faculty and staff support the approximately 4,100 Baylor students, about 25 percent of the University’s total enrollment, majoring in one of the 16 major areas of study available. Among the many renowned programs, the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship is home to the School’s top 10-ranked entrepreneurship program. Graduate students choose from full-time, executive or online MBA or other specialized master’s programs, and Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The Business School also has campuses located in Austin and Dallas.

Ed and Denise have been longtime supporters of Baylor University and its students. In 2005, the Crenshaws provided naming support for Baylor’s Ed Crenshaw Student Foundation Center, establishing the Ed Crenshaw Endowed Student Foundation Scholarship and the Ed Crenshaw Endowed Scholarship Fund in the Hankamer School of Business. In 2013, the Crenshaws also provided the naming gift for the Ed and Denise Crenshaw Student Commons within the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.

Ed and Denise continue their significant support of scholarships at Baylor in designating a portion of their $5 million gift to establish the William E. Crenshaw Endowed Scholarship Fund in Student Foundation to support Student Foundation members enrolled within the Hankamer School of Business. This endowed scholarship fund brings the overall endowment for Student Foundation to more than $5 million. Student Foundation recruits student leaders to serve as advocates for increasing scholarships for their fellow classmates. In addition to raising funds and awarding scholarships to bring awareness of philanthropy to the Baylor student body, the student leaders also serve as goodwill ambassadors among Baylor’s alumni and friends. During his time at Baylor, Ed served as president of Student Foundation.