Donor Stories

Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.

Investing in Others (Charitable Gift Annuity)
Life is in the journey, not the destination. If ever a couple lived that ethos, it is Jimmie and Molly Cole. Helping each other and helping others along the way is precisely what this couple's journey has been about.
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A Life that Resounds (Bequests)
He's not too interested in frills or a complicated weekly schedule. Harold Dunn lives a simple, thoughtful life.
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The Perfect Equation (Charitable Remainder Trust)
J.C. and Johnnie Ewing understand numbers. As owners of a financial services company, that's a helpful trait. It also has served them well while pursuing their dream of making a Baylor education possible for students with the odds stacked against them—a dream that started with a special connection to Baylor and the countless educators who made an impact.
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Melody of Generosity (Charitable Gift Annuity)
On October 20, 2009, Elizabeth Parkhill Scott (BA '42) left this world—and quite a legacy—behind. Only four days later, Golden Wave Marching Band members Emily, Tony, Elma, Kyle, Brittany and Emily stepped onto the Floyd Casey Stadium field—each with a different instrument, all in harmony and all made possible by the estate gift of a lady with enormous foresight and heart.
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A Teacher's Heart Keeps Giving (Gift of Retirement Assets)
Being a teacher is more than merely teaching-it's about a remarkable spirit-a teacher's heart. Janice (BA '58, MS '61, EdD '74) and Harold (BA '58, MSEd '61, EdD '70) Havard may be retired, but that doesn't stop them from investing in others.
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A Love that Inspired a Legacy: Jim and Nancy Thurmond's Story (Charitable Gift Annuity)
The Thurmond's love story would be quite incomplete if it stopped with their adoration of each other. Instead, it's a story of two people who walked side-by-side while reaching out to the rest of the world—from the 3B's to Baylor students and beyond.
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Give What You Have Today (Life Insurance Policy)
They didn't plan growing up as Air Force kids, moving around the country. They didn't plan on meeting at Baylor. They certainly didn't plan their assigned seating--one seat apart--in Chapel Forum. They didn't even plan falling in love. It all just happened.
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To Touch a Life Forever (Charitable Gift Annuity)
Don Weckworth could boast about his 50 years of success in the banking industry. But he'd rather just share his business savvy (and his resources) with others. Meet a man with a true gift as a mentor.
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Reservoirs for the Future (Charitable Remainder Trusts)
When Sparkey and Merrie Beckham see a reservoir, they see wisdom and time invested to create a better tomorrow. And when Sparkey and Merrie give to Baylor, they know their wise investment creates a reservoir of funds for innumerable Baylor students.
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Every Little Bit Adds Up to Something Big (Charitable Gift Annuity)
Marie has no regrets. John has one. He wishes he would have made more money — a surprising regret for a man who wants to "die broke."
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Love-at-first-Sic 'em (Bequest)
Baylor. Churches. The world. All impacted by one gift. Allene Hubler chose to use her estate to give back to the university she loved, opening doors for generations of ministry students to come.
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Through Thick and Thin (Charitable Gift Annuity)
When you're with people like John and L'Nell Starkey, you just can't help but enjoy yourself. John, with his enthusiasm and passion for life, and L'Nell, wittily keeping John in line, give one the impression that this couple knows how to treasure each moment and live in the present. But that certainly doesn't mean they're not prepared for the future.
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Long Distance Scholarships (Charitable Remainder Trusts)
Long-distance scholarships? Some things actually are bigger than Texas. One couple (and a CRT) proves it.
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A Statement of Hope (Charitable Gift Annuities)
The Tekell family's Baylor ties date back to 1908, but that didn't mean the journey for Kristen and Courtney Tekell would be easy. A financial wall stood between them and their Baylor experience. God used scholarship donors to build a ladder.
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Joyously Giving (Gift of Retirement Assets)
As undergraduates, Lane and Angela both received much-needed scholarship assistance. Later on, they were blessed with tuition remission benefits from their respective employers so that they each could attend graduate school.
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Drumming Up a Legacy (Charitable Gift Annuities)
Without a scholarship, Curtis Lightfoot, the oldest living member of the Golden Wave Band, never could have attended Baylor. But just as someone helped him keep marching toward his dreams, he is paving the way for generations of Baylor students.
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Genuine Gratitude (Giving Retirement Assets)
Gary and Susan Baker have seen the value of their Baylor education in action. But they couldn't settle with just being grateful. They've matched their gratitude with philanthropy and the result is generations of impact.
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'First' Ladies — A Bond Between History - Makers Inspires a Bequest
Lucile Plane had already set her own records and created her own legacy. And that made it easy to recognize and honor someone else's...in a way that will last forever.
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Passing on the 'Miracle' (Charitable Gift Annuity)
It wasn't a miracle that Jerry Marcontell (BA '58, MD '63) caught a 12-yard pass, helping lead the Bears to victory in the 1957 Sugar Bowl. After all, he was a seasoned player by then. For Jerry, the real miracle happened three years earlier.
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Love Everlasting (Charitable Gift Annuity & IRA)
Aileen McDonald (BA '53) loved learning, and she loved teaching-two passions that intertwined and unfolded at Baylor. What better way to honor her life than to give a scholarship affording other Baylor students the opportunity to become educators?
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Alan and Sara Lefever truly are Baylor Proud
They both drive green cars with gold trim. They dress in Baylor gear whenever they travel and relish in the occasional "Sic 'em Bears" from a stranger on the street.
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John and Ethel Venable
John and Ethel Venable (BA '48 and BS '45) of Temple, Texas, recognized a 'divine spirit' in those who give to Baylor University.
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Dr. Richard Goode (Bequests)
Nations around the world grew stronger thanks to the renowned economist's advocacy of developing countries. The field of economics is richer thanks to his work as an original founder of the International Monetary Fund.
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Supporting Students, Shaping Futures
Britt Langford (BBA '80, MBA '81) is a third-generation Baylor alum, but that's not why he chose to make a lasting gift to his alma mater.
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Writing The Future Chapters
Like many high school graduates during WW2, Paul Webb's (BBA '50) story begins with a term in the U.S. Army--paving his way for a college education through the G.I. Bill.
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