Jay and Jenny Allison Honored as 2014 Baylor Parents of the Year

September 22, 2014

(L to R) - Judy Maggard, director of the Baylor Parents Network; Jenny Allison; Jay Allison; and Tommye Lou Davis, chief of staff to the president and vice president for constituent engagement. (Robert Rogers/Baylor Marketing & Communications)

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WACO, Texas (Sept. 22, 2014) – Jay and Jenny Reid Allison of Frisco, Texas, were honored as Baylor University's 2014 Parents of the Year during the University's annual Family Weekend celebration Sept. 19-20.

Baylor President and Chancellor Ken Starr and Parents Network director Judy Maggard presented the Parents of the Year award to the Allisons during a Leadership and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Sept. 19 at McLane Stadium, the new on-campus home of the Baylor football team. The Allisons also were recognized Sept. 20 during a performance of the annual variety show After Dark.

As Baylor parents, the Allisons have hosted numerous Baylor Student send-off parties at their home and serve as a resource for Baylor parents in their hometown and beyond. But their family's enduring Baylor legacy extends beyond 60 years as more than 30 Reid-Allison family members have attended Baylor.

Both Baylor graduates, Jay earned his bachelor of business administration degree in 1978, a master's degree in economics in 1980 and his law degree in 1981, while Jenny earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in education in 1978 and 1980 respectively.

Their four children also are proud Baylor Bears: Jency, B.S.Ed. '08, M.S.Ed. '09, Logan, B.S.Ed. '13, Lucas, B.A. '14, and Aubrey, a junior majoring in marketing and entrepreneurship.

"Their love for the Lord, their family and Baylor is evident in the way they live their lives each and every day," Maggard said. "Aubrey, their Baylor junior, says it best: 'My parents taught us humility and gratefulness, and to enjoy the smallest moments in life. They taught me to enjoy every new day, as it truly is a gift from God.' We are grateful to the Allisons for their loyalty and service to Baylor and for their faithfulness and support of the Parents Network."

Jay – a three-year football letterman who was on Baylor's 1974 Southwest Conference Championship team that played in the 1975 Cotton Bowl – is chairman and CEO of Comstock Resources Inc. He also serves as a member of the Baylor Board of Regents. Jenny is past President of the Baylor Women's Council of Dallas and currently serves on the Dean's Board of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

Jenny is past President and Woman of Distinction of the Baylor Women's Council of Dallas and currently serves on the Dean's Board of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing. The Allisons are an active and integral part of the Frisco community, where their passion for Christian education led to the creation of Legacy Christian Academy, which now has an enrollment of more than 800 students.

At Baylor, the Allisons' generosity has greatly advanced the University's mission and left a lasting legacy across campus. Their visionary giving includes the lead gift for the Jay and Jenny Allison Indoor Football Practice Facility and the Basketball Hall of Honor in the Lt. Jack Whetsel Jr. Basketball Practice Facility, as well as support for the construction of McLane Stadium and the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation. Baylor students also have long found a friend in the Allisons through their support of endowed student scholarships in the athletic department and the Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

While students at Baylor, the Allisons were involved in numerous activities. Jenny participated in Student Government, Student Foundation, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Pi Beta Phi Sorority. In addition to playing football, Jay was a member of Kappa Omega Tau.

The Baylor Parents Network gives parents the opportunity to connect with the University and other Baylor parents and offers a vital link to their student's college experience. Chapters are located throughout the country, which bring Baylor parents together in support of Baylor students and families through activities such as Send-Off Parties and 1st Call to Prayer. For more information about the Baylor Parents Network, visit www.baylor.edu/parents or contact the office at 888-287-5557 or parentsnetwork@baylor.edu.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 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 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.