TEXAS TIDBITS

Posted: 2/17/06

Texas Tidbits

Baylor’s endowment ranks high. Baylor University, with a $750 million endowment, ranks 77th among U.S. colleges and universities with the largest endowments, according to a survey released by the National Association of College and Uni-versity Business Officers. Baylor’s endowment increased more than 11 percent in 2005, up from $672 million in 2004. Baylor’s investment return rate of 14.2 percent on its endowment for fiscal year 2005 ranked the university in the top 6 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities—44th out of nearly 750 institutions.

Baylor’s Success Center receives $3 million gift. Paul Foster, president and chief executive officer of Western Refining in El Paso, has given $3 million to Baylor University for its Success Center. The center will house six departments—academic advisement, academic support services, career counseling, career services, student-athlete services and the office of access and learning accommodation—to allow students convenient access to services. Foster received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baylor in 1979.

Hispanic Evangelism Conference scheduled. “Proclaiming … Reaching … Teaching … the Good News” is the theme of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Hispanic Evangelism Conference, Feb. 24-25 at First Baptist Church in Arlington. The event features Mario Gonzales, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in El Paso; Javier Elizondo, Baptist University of the Americas vice president of academic affairs; and Victor Rodriguez, pastor of South San Filadelfia Baptist Church in San Antonio. The conference starts Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. and ends Feb. 25 at 1. p.m. The conference also includes a concert by Hombres de Valor from Orlando, Fla., Feb. 24. A track for students begins Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. with a pizza party in the youth building of First Baptist Church. The student track continues Feb. 25. For more information, contact Frank Palos at (214) 828-5266 or Frank.Palos@bgct.org.

Hardin-Simmons names university chaplain. Hardin-Simmons University has named Kelly Pigott as its first university chaplain—a newly created position intended to manage the school’s chapel program and provide pastoral care for its students, faculty and staff. Pigott graduated from Samford University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His wife, Susan, is professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Hardin-Simmons’ Logsdon School of Theology. They have two children—Nathaniel David and Eliana Marie.

Social justice center at HPU nears completion. Howard Payne University is completing restoration of its historic Coggin Academy Building, new home of the Bettie and Robert Girling Center for Social Justice. The center will house an undergraduate multidisciplinary program involving the departments of social work, sociology, criminal justice and legal studies. It will include a simulated courtroom featuring 19th century fixtures from the Brown County Courthouse.

Historical society meeting set. At the spring meeting of the Texas Baptist Historical Society, Andrew Hogue of Baylor University will present a paper exploring the political and religious impact since 1988 of Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Michael Parrish of Baylor University will respond to the presentation. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the Texas State Historical Association at 2:30 p.m., March 2, in the Trinity A Room of the Renaissance Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd. in Austin. For more information, contact Alan Lefever at (972)331-2235 or alan.lefever@bgct.org.