April 15, 2026
East Texas Baptist University has received a transformational $12 million legacy gift from the estate of longtime supporters Lee and Willie Feagin.
The bequest of $12,000,000 is a gift to the University’s endowment and will provide ongoing support for the institution for generations to come. Lee and Willie Feagin were Baptist philanthropists from Tyler County, Texas, who prior to their deaths, established a trust to support the endowment of East Texas Baptist University. The testamentary gift is the largest in the institution's history.
“Mr. and Mrs. Feagin established the trust to support ETBU’s endowment in 1953,” ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn said. “While the gift from the Feagin estate is designated for the University’s endowment and cannot be used for our ongoing Restoring Feagin Hall campaign, in God’s perfect timing, ETBU received the estate gift in the year that the University is raising funds to honor the Feagin family’s legacy at ETBU.”
Feagin Hall, built in 1950, served men studying at ETBC and ETBU for over six decades, shaping the lives of generations of Tigers. Though Feagin Hall has been offline since 2014, following the opening of Steve and Penny Carlile Hall, it remains a cherished symbol of the University's heritage. Feagin Hall is more than bricks and mortar. It is a symbol of faith, fellowship, and formation in the lives of countless Tigers. Restoring Feagin Hall ensures that generations of men will have not only a place to live, but a community where their faith, character, and calling are strengthened. The recent gift from the Feagin estate supports ETBU's endowment, while the ongoing campaign to restore Feagin Hall honors the Feagin family's benevolence to the University by preserving and revitalizing this historic building for future ETBU students and continued enrollment growth.
“Mr. and Mrs. Feagin were great supporters of ETBU during their lives and cemented their impact at the institution through this generous legacy gift to the University endowment,” Vice President for Executive Affairs Scott Bryan said. “The University endowment provides vital ongoing support that sustains and supports the Christ-centered mission of East Texas Baptist University. We thank God for the Feagin’s decision to invest in the Kingdom work at ETBU.”
To learn more about the Restoring Feagin Hall campaign, visit www.ETBU.edu/RestoringFeagin. If you would like to speak to someone about the Restoring Feagin Hall campaign in honor of Lee and Willie Feagin’s commitment to Christian education through ETBU, please call Dr. Scott Bryant at 903.923.2069 or email advancement@etbu.edu.