Stewards of God's Blessings
SPRING 2023 - Steve and Alyce Beard share a deep love for Baylor University, one with many common elements. However, they joined the Baylor Family by dramatically different routes.
For Alyce, who earned a B.A. in 1970, attending Baylor was almost a foregone conclusion. Three preceding generations of her family had gone to Baylor. In fact, in 1985 her extended family was honored with the "First Families of Baylor" award. Since then, she has even added sixth-generation graduates to her immediate family.
In contrast, Steve was the first in his family to attend college. However, when he decided to become a Baylor Bear, so did his parents, Mary and Herbert Beard. In 1968, they started the Baylor Parents League, now known as Baylor Parent Engagement, and they had the pleasure of watching Steve earn two degrees from Baylor — a B.B.A in 1971 and a J.D. in 1973.
"Their desire was to better connect parents with their student's life and to establish a funded commitment from churches to support Baylor," Steve said of his late parents. "There is a Mary and Herbert S. Beard Scholarship Fund named in their honor."
THE BAYLOR DIFFERENCE
Once united under the Baylor banner, Steve and Alyce Beard — who were married in May 1970 — immediately found their time at Baylor to be fruitful, seeding their lives for even greater growth.
"Both of us were blessed to have been raised in Christian families with strong Baptist connections, so Baylor was a natural step in the course of growing up and in our education," Alyce said.
Steve added: "We felt as if Baylor reinforced and even emphasized the faith-based structure we grew up with and laid a foundation for our future both personally and professionally."
The couple have spent their lives together in Waco, where they still reside. Alyce served as an art teacher in the Bellmead and Waco ISDs for several years before she and Steve had their daughter, Stephanie. She went on to become a dedicated volunteer and community advocate, especially in the fields of education, art and the support of the needy.
After practicing as an attorney in Waco for nearly 27 years, Steve has spent the past 23 years in private business interests and entrepreneurship.
"During both segments of my professional career, I found that Baylor had prepared me and connected me to many choices that led to a fulfilling career in law, business and as a pro bono advocate for others."
IMPACTING STUDENTS
Steve described the financial support of scholarships, loans and campus employment as a critical component to his success as a Baylor undergraduate and law student. That's why, he said, he and Alyce have put giving back to Baylor high on their list of priorities.
"We wouldn't be in a position to make gifts to Baylor had it not been for other donors before us," Steve said. "We're grateful for their gifts, and we delight in making ours."
"We are merely stewards of our possessions for our Lord God," Alyce added.
In recent years, the Beards have established two named endowments at Baylor — The M. Stephen and Alyce A. Beard Chair in Business and Transactional Law, as well as The Steve and Alyce Beard Endowed Scholarship Fund in Law.
Motivated to make an even greater impact on Baylor's success in pursuing its mission, the Beards have communicated an intention to make a bequest to the University, benefiting Baylor Law School, through their estate plans. Their planned gift qualifies for the Baylor Law Legacy Challenge, through which alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the Law School can designate a cash contribution for immediate use if they document a new planned gift to support the Law School.
"Our belief that Baylor Law School is a superior institution that produces quality leadership is now defined in our monetary pledge to Baylor," Steve said. "We strongly believe in the Christian atmosphere and mission that Baylor holds and instills in its students. It's a profound blessing to know we have an impact on students' lives through our support."