Baylor University Receives $2 Million for Chair in Religious Freedom

Baylor University Receives $2 Million for Chair in Religious Freedom
DECEMBER 30, 2014

Baylor University has announced a $2 million gift from Jerry and Susie Wilson of Dallas to establish an endowed chair in its Institute for Studies of Religion.

The Jerry and Susie Wilson Chair in Religious Freedom will lead the university's efforts to strengthen and affirm congressional support of the preservation, protection, and defense of religious freedom. To that end, the holder of the chair will collaborate on projects involving international religious freedom and will work to facilitate the understanding of Christianity in regard to social issues such as women's rights, the rights of refugees, human trafficking, and other forms of human suffering.

Jerry C. Wilson is a retired senior executive and former owner of Titan Specialties Ltd., a manufacturer of oilfield perforating products. Susie Johnston Wilson earned bachelor's and master's of arts degrees in music education from Texas Tech University, where she met her husband.

"Susie and Jerry Wilson are simply two of the most committed and generous Christians I have ever met," said Byron R. Johnson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences and director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor. "The Wilsons are keenly aware that religious freedom is one of the most important issues of our time, and we are grateful their generosity will allow us to play a critical role in advancing religious liberty."