January 4, 2024
East Texas Baptist University will host the Good Samaritan Award and ETBU Scholarship Banquet on Tuesday, February 27, at 6:00 pm at the Great Commission Center on ETBU’s campus. The event will be a celebration of community service and academic excellence, featuring the Thomas Whitfield Davidson Foundation as the honoree. The Honorable Dr. Rodney Gilstrap, Chair of the Thomas Whitfield Davidson Foundation, will accept the award and deliver the keynote address.
Inspired by the parable in Luke 10:25-37, East Texas Baptist University bestows the Good Samaritan Award upon individuals and organizations that exemplify the spirit of the second greatest commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Honorees are selected and recognized with the Good Samaritan Award for their display of servant leadership in the community and beyond.
ETBU President J Blair Blackburn expressed the university's commitment to instilling these values in its students, stating, “As an institution, we are dedicated to preparing students to follow the admirable example set by the T. Whitfield Davidson Foundation in 'loving your neighbor as yourself.' We seek your support for the Good Samaritan Award and ETBU Scholarship Banquet as we pay tribute to the Trustees of the T. Whitfield Davidson Foundation, under the exceptional leadership of Chairman Rodney Gilstrap.”
The T. Whitfield Davidson Foundation, established through the legacy of former Chief Judge of the Northern District of Texas and Marshall native, Judge Thomas Whitfield Davidson, has consistently demonstrated generous support for non-profit organizations in Marshall and Harrison County. ETBU expresses deep gratitude to the foundation, which has played a pivotal role in advancing the mission of providing Christ-centered education for generations. Thousands of ETBU students have benefited from the foundation's support over the years, making it fitting to honor the vision and benevolence of the Davidson Foundation by raising scholarship funds to assist current and future ETBU students.
Davidson Foundation Chair, the Honorable Dr. Rodney Gilstrap, Chief Judge of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas, was nominated by President Barack Obama to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and began his service on the bench in 2011. He was appointed chief judge of the court in 2018, and he still serves today. Judge Gilstrap's duty station is in Marshall, and he is responsible for cases in both the Marshall and Texarkana Divisions of the Eastern District. At ETBU’s Fall 2023 Commencement, Chief Judge Dr. Gilstrap was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws.
The Good Samaritan Award has been bestowed upon six people since it was introduced in 2018. Previous recipients are Misty Scott and J.C. Hughes (2018), George Carter and Gloria Moon (2019), and Bonnie Strauss and Vernia Calhoun (2022).
Join East Texas Baptist University in recognizing and celebrating the impactful contributions of the T. Whitfield Davidson Foundation and Chairman Rodney Gilstrap at this year's Good Samaritan Award and ETBU Scholarship Banquet. Your support ensures the continuation of a legacy dedicated to "loving your neighbor as yourself" and fostering a community of compassion and academic achievement.
“The Good Samaritan Award and ETBU Scholarship Banquet gives attendees the unique opportunity to honor esteemed community members while also providing academic scholarship, Christian leadership scholarship, and need-based scholarship support for ETBU students,” Vice President for Advancement and Administrative Affairs Scott Bryant said. “We look forward to celebrating the impact of the T. Whitfield Davidson Foundation on February 27.”
Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available to the public. For more information and to register, please visit www.etbu.edu/GoodSamaritan or contact the ETBU Office of Advancement at 903.923.2071.