Mark and Paula Hurd
“As a family, we are proud that the Welcome Center will bear our family’s name and continue our family’s Baylor legacy – a legacy that began with Mark and continues through us. A legacy that is committed to serving our community and supporting programs and institutions that aim to have an impact upon our world.”
-Paula Hurd
Mark and Paula Hurd planted family roots here at Baylor, establishing a transformational legacy. It's a Baylor legacy that began in 1975 when Mark Hurd came to Baylor as a student-athlete, proudly claiming his spot in That Good Old Baylor Line as a scholarship-member of the Men’s Tennis team. During his time at Baylor, he pursued community as passionately as he played, earning two varsity letters, serving as president of his fraternity and graduating in 1979 with his bachelor's in business administration.
"Baylor taught me a lot of important lessons: How to be an effective leader; the importance of building teams aligned to a common goal and the value of being part of a community," Mark said in 2012.
Mark began his career at NCR Corp., where his 25 years with the corporation culminated in his appointment as chief executive officer. He joined HP in 2005 as chief executive officer and president and was named chairman of the board of directors in 2006. In 2010, Mark became president, and later chief executive officer, of Oracle Corporation. He was a member of Oracle’s board of directors at the time of his death in October 2019.
Mark and Paula, a University of Texas at Austin alumna, married in 1990 and were soon blessed with two daughters, Kelly, BBA ’14, and Kathryn. Kelly followed her father’s footsteps to Baylor, and Paula was later honored as a Baylor Alumna By Choice.
The Hurds proudly maintained close ties to Baylor University through their service and philanthropy. Mark served on the Baylor Board of Regents from 2014 to 2019, and in 2020 Paula was named a member of the Baylor Board of Regents. Their philanthropic investments at Baylor also have been recognized with the naming of the Hurd Tennis Center, Hurd Tennis Building and the Mark and Paula Hurd Floor at the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mark (posthumously) and Paula were honored with the 2020 Baylor University Founders Medal, and Mark was celebrated with the 2012 Baylor Legacy Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008. He also received the Baylor Business Legend Award from the Houston Baylor Business Network.
Through their visionary giving, the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center has become a gathering place for the Baylor Family – a front door for the University to create moments of fellowship, deepening the roots that bind us to this institution. This Hurd Family legacy of welcoming new students, beckoning alumni home and creating community for our visitors will help the University to tell our story of global impact, made possible because of generosity from families like Mark and Paula Hurd.
Baylor University gratefully acknowledges the Hurd Family for their transformational support. May those who pass through these halls understand their place in That Good Old Baylor Line, learning of the legacy of impact from those who have come before them, that they may be inspired to follow in their footsteps of leadership and Christian impact in our world.
Drayton McLane
The McLane Family’s legacy of connection and support for Baylor University has truly shaped the face of this institution. As recognized leaders within the Baylor community, the McLane Family has used their philanthropy to create spaces where the entire Baylor Family can come together and celebrate the ties that bind them to this special place.
The McLane Family Alumni Center is another example of their commitment to a robust Baylor experience, as they have continued to seek out spaces on Baylor’s campus where alumni can feel at home. From McLane Stadium to the McLane Organ in Jones Concert Hall to the McLane Carillion at Pat Neff Hall, the McLanes have supported the iconic landmarks that beckon alumni home and foster a sense of belonging among the members of our Baylor Family.
The McLanes’ enduring relationship with Baylor University began when Drayton McLane (BBA ’58) came to campus as a student. Drayton and Elizabeth, his wife, later passed their love for Baylor to their sons, Drayton III (BBA ’96) and Denton (BBA ’99), and their respective families, who have continued the family legacy of philanthropy.