Baylor Alumni Association

By Judy Henderson Prather

The word “family” often pops up in conversations about the Baylor community, and for good reason—Baylor people are a close-knit bunch who welcome newcomers and seek out opportunities for fellowship. At the heart of this family is the Baylor Alumni Association (BAA), enabling alumni to stay connected or to re-connect with former classmates, professors, and our alma mater.

Because they recognize the vital function the BAA plays in keeping the family strong, a number of family foundations have joined the cause by making contributions to the Sesquicentennial Campaign. Chad Wooten, director of finance and operations for the BAA, says, “The association is a membership-based organization, and a significant portion of our annual operating revenues come from membership. However, that is not enough to completely fund our operations, so we look to sources such as foundations to supplement those revenues.”

A brief backward glance reveals the depth of commitment the BAA has demonstrated to historic moderate Baptist principles and to a tradition of service to Baylor University, Baylor alumni, and the community of Texas Baptists. Funds contributed by foundations provide crucial support in helping the association pursue the most robust performance of that significant mission.

One of the foundations that has stepped up to help is the Baugh Foundation, established by the late John and Eula Mae Baugh, prominent Houston philanthropists and big believers in Baylor University. The Baughs were known for their support of a lengthy list of Baptist causes, including the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Baptist University of the Americas, Houston Baptist University, Baptist Child and Family Services, and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.

At Baylor, the Baughs established the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and were among the founding benefactors of Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, but they also donated funds toward more than twenty other programs and projects at Baylor, most notably the Schools of Music and Social Work. In gratitude of their deep devotion and generous support, the university awarded both John and Eula Mae Baugh the title of Alumnus Honoris Causa of Baylor University.

Though both Mr. and Mrs. Baugh have since passed on, their family continues to make an impact in the life of Baylor. Their daughter, Babs, a member of the Class of 1964 and president of the BAA in 2006, continues to be vitally involved in the association’s life, and one of the Baughs’ granddaughters, Jackie Baugh Moore ’86, currently serves on the association’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

Moore notes that all foundations have specific guidelines and says, “In our case, we knew the founders so well and knew what they believed, so it was simple for us to follow their guidelines. One of the most important characteristics to Mama and Papo was that organizations always be truthful and run with integrity.

“We believe that it’s critical to Baylor that the alumni association stand as an independent organization,” Moore says. “Since the university has withdrawn direct funding from the association, it’s even more important that foundations like ours step up and help protect Baylor’s traditional mission.”

Several other family foundations have generously contributed to the work of the association and also played a vital role in the association’s ability to support the university. Christ Is Our Salvation, a foundation started by Paul and Katy Piper, has been a benefactor to the BAA and other causes. The same is true of the Robert M. Rogers Foundation, a private charitable foundation in Tyler, and the Prichard Family Foundation, established by the late Lev Prichard and his wife, Ella Wall Prichard ’63. Each of these family foundations has been a generous supporter of the alumni association—as has the Baptist Foundation of Texas.

These organizations, and the individuals and families they represent, serve as a model for others who believe in Baylor and the BAA. A gift to the alumni association not only helps Baylor alumni remain informed and connected members of the family, but ultimately serves Texas Baptist life and the “crown jewel” of Baptist higher education.

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