Baylor Announces $30M Moody Foundation Gift Naming School of Education

Announcement marks largest gift in Baylor School of Education’s 107-year history

WACO, Texas (Jan. 23, 2026) – Baylor University today announced a $30 million gift from the Moody Foundation of Galveston, Texas, to the University’s School of Education, supporting scholarships, expanding faculty research and providing resources to grow academic programs. In recognition of their transformational gift and enduring commitment to the University, the School of Education will be renamed the Moody School of Education. Today’s announcement recognizes the largest single gift to Baylor’s School of Education in the academic unit’s 107-year history.

“This is a historic day for Baylor University, and we celebrate the Moody Foundation’s profound commitment to transforming education in Texas. Their generosity strengthens the essential work that begins with preparing outstanding leaders – teachers, principals, superintendents, clinicians and educational researchers who help every student thrive,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “For more than 100 years, Baylor’s School of Education has formed world-class educators and experts who serve as advocates and catalysts for research-driven innovation in teaching, curriculum and leadership. From our earliest days, Baylor has equipped men and women called to serve as educators, and this transformational gift ensures the continued expansion of that mission. It enables Baylor to take bold steps in shaping statewide and national conversations around making education more accessible for everyone and advancing the quality of education across primary, secondary and postsecondary levels.”

The Moody Foundation’s gift will provide enduring support for the Moody School of Education at Baylor University through the following endowments:
• W.L. Moody II Endowed Scholarship Fund will support students pursuing careers that serve P12 education populations through need-based scholarships and funding for school-based internships.
• Russell Moody Endowment for Disability and Flourishing will provide resources to expand research and innovative programming that improve the lives of people with disabilities and develop new academic pathways that equip a range of professionals to better serve individuals with disabilities.
• Frances Anne Moody Endowed Professorship for School Psychology will fund a faculty position focused on research addressing mental health in school-aged children.
• Ross Rankin Moody Endowment for Developing Talent and Potential will support efforts to identify and serve students with high academic potential from low-income areas and to provide early math intervention for young learners in high-need communities.
• Elizabeth Lee Moody Endowment for School Leadership will provide funding to deepen the Moody School of Education’s engagement with Texas educators through professional development and sustained collaborations with current and aspiring school leaders and their schools.

“This historic gift underscores the Moody Foundation’s deep commitment to education and student success across Texas,” said Frances Moody-Dahlberg, President and CEO of the Moody Foundation. “Baylor University’s Moody School of Education will play a critical role in preparing educators and advancing research, improving learning outcomes for all students. We are proud to support this work and to help expand Baylor’s impact across classrooms, schools and communities statewide.”

Today’s announced gift to Baylor is part of the Moody Foundation’s $1 billion pledge to transform education in Texas by 2035. By focusing on early learning and postsecondary success through grants to institutions and nonprofits, the pledge is exemplified by major gifts and initiatives like the “M-Pact” Fund to support student experiences. This historic commitment builds on the Moody Foundation’s past giving, aiming to create long-term opportunities and address educational needs across the state.

“We celebrate the Moody Foundation’s commitment to education and their support of universities to effect transformational change and advancement for early learning and postsecondary success,” said Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., Baylor University Provost. “Their generous gift to Baylor is a testament to the depth and breadth of their commitment to supporting Texans and seeing our communities flourish. We are honored to share in this good work, and we celebrate this gift, which will fund the research that will enrich our schools, the scholarships that will support generations of teachers, and the countless children who will see their lives shaped through Baylor teachers and researchers inspired by this gift.”

Baylor’s Moody School of Education is one of the University’s oldest academic units, established in 1919 at the same time as the College of Arts & Sciences. Pedagogy or the “art of teaching” was one of the first classes taught at Baylor in 1889. The Baylor Normal Department was established in 1891, serving students who sought a teaching certification. Today, the School is composed of four academic units – the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, the Department of Educational Leadership, the Department of Educational Psychology, and Professional Online Learning. These departments offer a range of education degrees for undergraduate and graduate populations, including online graduate programs designed for working professionals from a range of industries.

“We are profoundly grateful to the Moody Foundation for this significant gift,” said Shanna HaganBurke, Ph.D., dean of the Moody School of Education at Baylor. “Our academic programs and applied research initiatives closely align with the Moody Foundation’s vision and help advance Moody’s goals. This transformative gift will strengthen and expand both our mission and theirs. I am also deeply appreciative of what this means for future Baylor students, as it will open doors for so many to pursue careers in education – the profession that makes all others possible.”

The Moody Foundation was established by W.L. Moody Jr. and Libbie Shearn Moody in 1942 to share their good fortune and make a difference in the lives of the people of Texas. Since then, the Foundation has pledged and awarded more than $2.5 billion in grants throughout the state to organizations that have educated, healed, nurtured and inspired generations of Texans. The Moody Foundation continues with a board of three trustees: Frances Moody-Dahlberg, Ross Moody and Elizabeth Moody.

In 1964, the Moody Foundation provided the lead naming gift for Baylor’s Moody Memorial Library and continued supporting library initiatives in the subsequent decades. In 2017, the Moody Foundation provided a gift for key renovations in celebration of Moody Library’s 50th anniversary as Baylor’s main campus library.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.

ABOUT BAYLOR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
For more than 100 years, the School of Education has advanced Baylor’s mission across the globe while preparing students for a range of careers focused on education, leadership, and human development. With more than 70 full-time faculty members, the school’s growing research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation. Likewise, the School of Education’s graduate programs have attained national recognition for their exemplary preparation of research scholars, educational leaders, innovators and clinicians. Visit the School of Education website to learn more.