New business school moving forward, thanks to alumni and Waco residents

Last summer, Paul Foster, BBA ’79, and his wife, Alejandra, gave one of the largest gifts in Baylor history to support a new home for the Hankamer School of Business, the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. Preliminary groundwork is now underway where the facility will go up, at the intersection of 3rd Street and Bagby Avenue, near the McLane Student Life Center and the new East Village.

Over the past two months, five other large gifts have been announced that will also help support the business school’s new home:

• A $1.5 million gift from Paul and Carol McClinton will name the McClinton Family Auditorium, a 350-seat room for guest lectures, special events and the school’s largest classes.
• A $2.5 million gift from the Paul and Jane Meyer Family Foundation will establish the Paul and Jane Meyer Conference Center, providing space to host large events on topics shaping today’s business landscape.
• A $1 million gift from Steve and Penny Carlile will create the Steve and Penny Carlile Plaza, an attractive outdoor space that will welcome students, faculty, alumni and friends to the Foster campus.
• A $1 million gift from Ed and Denise Crenshaw will support the Ed and Denise Crenshaw Student Commons, an open and flexible space that will be able to accommodate study groups, student-faculty meetings and collaboration, career fairs and other such events.
• A $1 million gift from the Carlton Family Foundation will create the Carlton Family Foundation Dean’s Board Room, which will be located in the dean’s office suite and provide meeting space for up to 40 people.

Momentum for the project continues to attract supporters for the $100 million, 275,000-square-foot Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, which will provide a new home for Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. An 18-month construction schedule is slated be completed in time for Fall 2015 classes.

Sic ’em, Baylor supporters!