Spring 2020 Newsletter

A Message from Baylor University

We are truly grateful for the leadership, service and commitment that outgoing director Judy Maggard has exemplified during her service to the Retired Professors & Administrators program. As Judy transitions out of her role as her term ends, we give thanks for her direction during these challenging past few weeks as the University has responded to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

During our 175-year history, Baylor has weathered many seasons of change and challenging times in the history of our country, and it is the Baylor Family – the network of students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents and, yes, retirees that have sustained the institution and allowed for our growth. Judy’s leadership extends that legacy.

As we move forward in these weeks and months, Baylor as an institution remains committed to the Retired Professors and Administrators Program. We value your commitment to Baylor, your wisdom and your experience and ties to our Baylor Family. We hope you will continue to engage with the RPAP administrators and members.

Most of all, we hope you know that we are grateful for your place in That Good Old Baylor Line. Please check back often for new developments, and reach out to us if you have any questions.

Baylor Turns 175

From its founding at Independence in 1845, Baylor University has stood for the same values, the same mission and the same deep commitment to its students. February 1 marked the beginnings of a year-long celebration for 175 years of heritage and achievements for this beloved institution.

As members of the Retired Professors and Administrators program, your service and commitment to Baylor University helped to create the environment, the culture and the commitment to excellence in higher education that forms the students of today and tomorrow. Thank you for all you have done in service to That Good Old Baylor Line.

We hope you will make plans to return this fall to campus to celebrate this incredible anniversary. As health concerns and measures to protect against the coronavirus (COVID-19) subside, we hope you will take part in the ways we are marking this achievement as an institution, including through Founding to Future: Bright Lights of Baylor University, a new exhibit at the Mayborn Museum highlighting the culture, achievements and great moments of Baylor's 175 years. Filled with stories and memorabilia from past leaders and events, the exhibit is an interactive look at the rich history of the state’s oldest continuously operating university.

Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center

In February, Baylor University hosted a groundbreaking ceremony kicking off the construction of a new multi-purpose facility that will serve as an exciting new entry point to the campus. Spurred forward by a naming gift from Paula Hurd and the late Mark Hurd, the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center will create an attractive and impressive new front door for visitors and alumni returning to Baylor.

Mark Hurd, who was a 1979 graduate of Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, passed away in October 2019. Hurd was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Oracle Corporation and a member of Oracle’s board of directors. Paula, while not an alumna, has strong ties to the University through Mark and their daughter, Kelly, BBA ’14, while daughter Kathryn did not attend Baylor. Paula and her daughters attended the groundbreaking.

Plans for the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center feature a 120,000-square-foot complex, which will include a grand hall, an admissions lobby, a 1,000-seat capacity Ballroom, shops and restaurants, a 250-seat auditorium, offices for Admissions and Alumni staff and green spaces for outdoor events and concerts.

Situated at the corner of University Parks Drive and Dutton Avenue, the building will serve as the main entry point for the more than 60,000 prospective students, families, alumni and other guests who currently visit campus each year.