Giving Profiles

Michael Golden ’67

Occupation:
Publisher, International Herald Tribune

His Gift:
Bryce Harris Faculty Improvement Fund to support faculty improvement and development.

Why did you choose to honor Bryce Harris?
I had Bryce as a math teacher for three years. He was a phenomenal teacher who made a huge difference in my education and in my life. I was not a great student, and he gave me a new way of looking at the world. He built my confidence about the way I could think. And what I learned from him really stuck. When I went back for my MBA in 1984, I got through my courses on what I had learned from Bryce Harris.

How did you decide on this particular fund?
This was all about honoring Bryce Harris and the difference he made in my life. When I decided that I wanted to make a donation, I asked him, “What would you choose if you were giving a gift to Baylor?” He chose a way for teachers to have experiences outside of the normal teaching environment, to get them inspired. You should ask him just why he chose this fund. My feeling was that if he was happy, I was happy. (Bryce Harris, who indeed was happy with Michael’s effort, said of the fund, “Professional development opportunities meant a lot to me when I was teaching. The trips introduced me to math teachers across the country. It had been 25 to 30 years since Cartter Lupton ’18 established a fund like this. Michael’s gift got it started again.”)

What do you hope is accomplished with the establishment of this fund?
I agree with Bryce that teacher development is really important. It provides a benefit to teachers, staff, and students. When teachers have experiences outside their normal teaching environment, it gets them inspired.

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