Baylor University Names Mark and Paula Hurd as 2019-2020 Founders Medal Recipients

Established in 1969, the Founders Medal is one of the most distinguished awards given by Baylor and is reserved for men and women whose service and contributions have been unusually significant to the life and future of the University.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to recognize Mark and Paula Hurd — two remarkable members of the Baylor Family — and their many significant contributions to the betterment of Baylor and society,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “Their bold vision for strengthening Baylor’s mission as a preeminent Christian research institution has inspired many others to come alongside the University to improve the lives of our students and help us set a standard for excellence.”

Mark Hurd was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Oracle Corporation and a member of Oracle’s board of directors, and was also serving as vice chair of the Baylor Board of Regents at the time of his death on October 2019. He attended Baylor on a tennis scholarship, lettering for two years in the sport, and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Paula Hurd earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984. They married in 1990 and have two daughters, Kelly, BBA ’14, and Kathryn.

Mark Hurd began his service on the Baylor University Board of Regents in 2014 and was elected vice chair of the Board in 2017. He has been recognized for his contributions to the University and its tennis program with a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008 and for his philanthropic and personal involvement with the University with a Baylor Legacy Award in 2012. Mark also received the Baylor Business Legend Award from the Houston Baylor Business Network.

In November 2018, Mark and Paula gave a lead gift to launch the public phase of Give Light, a $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign for the future of Baylor and for which the Hurds served as campaign co-chairs. Their gift, one of the largest in Baylor history, will create a new entry point to the University — the Mark and Paula Hurd Center. Throughout the years, the Hurds have also invested significantly in the growth of the Baylor Tennis program. In 2011, the University’s tennis complex was named the Hurd Tennis Center, which was ranked by Tennis Magazine as the No. 1 college tennis facility in the United States.

Past recipients of the Founders Medal include such philanthropists and University supporters as Drayton McLane Jr., Jane Meyer, Mary Russell McCall, Ted and Sue Getterman and Baylor Presidents Samuel Palmer Brooks, W.R. White, Abner V. McCall and Herbert H. Reynolds. A full list of past recipients is available at baylor.edu/about.