• #FiveStarr: Celebrating fundraising highlights of President Starr’s 5 years at Baylor

    President's Scholarship Initiative

    Five years ago this summer, Ken Starr took office as Baylor’s 14th president. Since those early days, when he challenged Baylor Nation to join together to support student scholarships, Baylor has responded in record-setting numbers, providing for increased scholarships, game-changing facilities and more.

    “The momentous outpouring of generosity that, remarkably, continues unabated is really a story about Baylor Nation and how thousands of alumni, faculty, staff and friends enthusiastically joined the bold vision … to propel the university and ensure that Baylor remains well positioned to ‘meet the needs of the ages to come’,” Judge Starr said last year, remarking on the many fundraising accomplishments that have occurred in recent years:

    • The President’s Scholarship Initiative — The first major initiative of President Starr’s tenure came from speaking with students who described their dreams for the university. Judge Starr challenged Baylor Nation to raise $100 million in three years, and the response was so overwhelming that the goal was met and exceeded four months ahead of schedule.
    • Baylor’s most successful fundraising years ever — Between February 2012 and February 2014, Baylor Nation gave a staggering $345.3 million dollars to the university, supporting facilities such as McLane Stadium and the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, scholarships (through the President’s Scholarship Initiative) and other needs. In all, the Baylor family gave $178 million to academics and $167 million to athletics during the record stretch.
    • Major gifts — The two largest gifts by living alumni in Baylor history served to launch two transformative facilities. In March 2012, a significant lead gift by Drayton McLane, BBA ’58, and other members of the McLane family spurred construction of McLane Stadium. That support held the record for Baylor’s largest gift ever from a living alumnus until June 2013, when Paul Foster, BBA ’79, gave the lead gift for what would become the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. Numerous other generous donors have joined Foster and McLane in helping change the face of the Baylor campus for generations to come.
    • The Baylor family gets involved — Major gifts grab the headlines, but it’s also noteworthy just how many members of the Baylor family have pitched in to support the university we love. Between 2012 and 2014, approximately 18,000 people made their first gift to Baylor, an outpouring Judge Starr called “truly significant.” Even faculty and staff have gotten involved; over the past year, more than 1,200 Baylor employees — almost half of all faculty and staff — gave back to the university, raising $1.2 million for various needs across campus.

    The unprecedented momentum Baylor is experiencing has led to countless other gifts by thousands of generous members of the Baylor family. The transformational gift by Matt, BA ’12, and Carl Lindner to establish an endowment for the Department of Film and Digital Media and the upcoming Fifth Street renovation with its Rosenbalm Fountain are two of the latest examples of donors turning Baylor dreams into a reality.

    It’s been an incredible five-year run under Judge Starr’s leadership at Baylor, and the momentum continues as we work together to meet the goals of Pro Futuris. We can only imagine what exciting new projects will become reality in the years to come.

    Sic ’em, President Starr!

    [This piece is in honor of our summer-long celebration of President Ken Starr’s five years of service to Baylor University — something we regard as serious #FiveStarr excellence. We’ll be tracking #FiveStarr on Twitter and Instagram for your best Judge Starr memories.]