Amplifying Faculty Support
Baylor’s faculty also received significant support through the creation of the Baylor Illuminate Chair Matching Program, which builds upon the legacy of the Foster Academic Challenge by matching faculty endowments that have been identified as critical positions that advance the University’s strategic plan.
William J. Abraham Endowed Chair
An anonymous gift of $1.5 million established the first Illuminate Chair through the program, The William J. Abraham Endowed Chair, which supports George W. Truett Theological Seminary’s Wesley House of Studies. The Abraham Chair is named in memory of the late William J. Abraham, D.Phil., a Truett Seminary faculty member and the founding director of the Wesley House of Studies. Abraham died Oct. 8, 2021. With the Abraham Chair in place, Truett Seminary is able to recruit and retain a distinguished faculty member to carry forward Abraham’s work in conducting research within the Wesleyan tradition and in expanding a Wesleyan network for Baylor’s Truett Seminary. The anonymous donor’s support through the Abraham Chair aids the Wesley House of Studies in preparing and equipping Christ-centered, Spirit-led students to serve in Wesleyan congregations and institutions, furthering the legacy and ministry of Abraham and his vision for the program.
A Milestone for the Louise Herrington School of Nursing
The Louise Herrington School of Nursing announced the creation of an endowed faculty professorship, the first endowed faculty position in the School’s 112-year history. The Harris and Anne Clark FastBacc Endowed Professorship, made possible through a $1.5 million gift from the Deerbrook Charitable Trust, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Harris and Anne Clark of Dallas, provides enduring support and stability for the FastBacc program. The Clark Chair supports the 12-month accelerated post-baccalaureate Bachelor of Science in Nursing program by providing faculty funding. It also creates opportunities for faculty and students as resources previously tied up in funding faculty salary are now available to fund other needs related to the program. Current program director and clinical associate professor Beth Hultquist, Ph.D., was named the inaugural holder of the Clark Chair.
Baylor Giving Day
Mark your calendars: The fourth-annual Baylor Giving Day will be held March 16.
For 24 hours, Baylor’s alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends will come together to give back and shine a light on the things they hold dear at the University. The event is intended as a way to show that by coming together, gifts of any size combine to have the greatest impact on Baylor and its students.
The last Baylor Giving Day was held April 14, 2021. Baylor saw 3,942 people, foundations and organizations give more than $1 million to every academic unit and to all areas of the University; 59 percent of donors gave to scholarships and academic and campus programming, and 41 percent gave to support Baylor Athletics programs. All 50 states were represented with gifts coming from parents, alumni and friends.
To learn more, visit Give Light.