The Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center is a high-impact addition to the campus landscape. Baylor University's campus draws approximately 60,000 prospective students, families, alumni and other guests each year, and the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center serves as the front door – for many, the first impression of our beloved institution.
The Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center functions as an entry point for those planning to explore more deeply Baylor's academic programs, musical and theatrical performances, social activities, alumni activities, athletic events, graduation ceremonies and more. Convenient parking and an on-campus shuttle service provides a comfortable and easy means for navigating campus.
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WACO, Texas (Sept. 8, 2023) – Baylor University today dedicated the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center – the new front door to the University’s Waco campus – during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house commemorating the spectacular building’s official opening. The dedication recognized the Hurd Welcome Center’s namesake and lead donors, Paula Hurd and her late husband, Mark Hurd, and their daughters, Kelly, B.B.A. ’14, and Kathryn.

After years of planning and construction, the Hurd Welcome Center is a reality at last, now open to welcome Bears of all ages — prospective students visiting Baylor, alumni returning to campus, and faculty/staff and students looking for a place to meet or study.

This fall, Baylor University will open the doors of the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the newest addition to its growing Waco campus. Many spaces, rooms and balconies of this show-stopping building carry with them the names of the alumni, parents and friends whose generous support of the Give Light Capital Fund fueled the construction and design of the many capital priorities of the Give Light Campaign.