A Shared Love for Baylor

Barbara Johnston recalls that her late husband, Robert "Bob" Johnston (B.B.A. '62), was such a big fan of Baylor football that when he was stationed at the U.S. Air Force's base in the Azores, during the 1960s, he would go to headquarters during the middle of the night on football weekends to watch the tickertape to learn the scores of Southwest Conference games.

Barbara met her future husband on a blind date when she was a freshman at Baylor. He was a senior and joined the Air Force immediately after graduation. "We saw each other as often as possible, with lots of long distance dating and letters," she remembered. They married the following spring, before Bob left for his assignment in the Azores.

"Bob and I always had a strong love for Baylor University," Barbara said. It was a love that brought them to many Baylor football games, once they were again living in Texas, and one that was shared by many in Bob's family. His sister is a Baylor graduate, as are his nephew and three nieces. When it came time for Bob and Barbara's son, Austin, to go to college, he also chose to become a Baylor Bear, going on to earn a B.B.A. in entrepreneurship in 1988 and a master's in communication studies in 1993.

For her part, Barbara received the Alumna By Choice designation in 2019. A graduate of Texas State University (B.S.Ed. '75) and the University of Texas-Pan America (M.Ed. '85), she built a career in education, retiring as a teacher from the Harlingen I.S.D.

An Empowering Gift

During their 57 years of marriage, the Johnstons made a variety of gifts to Baylor, and Barbara says it is a blessing to be able to add an estate gift to their philanthropic support of the University-and one with no strings attached.

"We are very pleased to have been able to establish endowed scholarships at Baylor in several academic areas and one to assist veterans attending Baylor," Barbara said. "Bob and I were from working families and first-generation college students, and our hope is the funds from the scholarships will open doors for students who might not otherwise be able to attend Baylor."

The couple's estate gift, which is not designated to a particular area, is a gesture of trust in Baylor's institutional strength, as well as being a future tool for strategic growth.

"We believed that leaving the decision of how best to appropriate the funds from our estate to the president will provide the most flexibility and benefit to Baylor and Baylor students at that time."

A Life of Many Passions

Barbara said her and Bob's motivation to give back to Baylor stems from the foundation the University gave them for their future together.

"We had a great experience at Baylor that has only multiplied through the years from our involvement with the University and alumni," Barbara said. "We hope future Baylor students will experience the same Christian environment, friendly campus and excellent preparation for their careers that we received."

During the course of Barbara's 29-year career teaching elementary school in Harlingen, Bob was busy serving as director of public relations at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen, where he became known in the area as the "Voice of TSTC." He subsequently started a company, Auto Etc. Neon, in 1987; licensed by Ford and Chevrolet, the Johnstons sold Chevrolet, Corvette, Ford GT40 and Mustang neon signs and jewelry for 30 years. As car enthusiasts, Bob and Barbara were members of the local Mustang and Corvette clubs, and Bob assisted in the organization of Harlingen's annual Jackson Street Car Show. The Johnstons were also founding members of the National Corvette Museum.

"Bob and I had a great life together," Barbara said. "I always said, jokingly, that I didn't know what he loved best - me, his cars or Baylor."