June 12, 2017 WACO, Texas - With a lead gift from former baseball letterman Jim Daniel, Baylor has established the Dutch Schroeder Letterwinners Legacy Endowment fund to help financially strengthen the "B" Association in its efforts to serve former Baylor student-athletes.

Baylor Vice President and Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades said this endowment fund is another example of "how special the people are who make up this university."

"To honor the legacy of Dutch Schroeder -- a Baylor Legend -- with the creation of this fund will positively impact the `B' Association in perpetuity," Rhoades said. "Our letterwinners are a living testament to the excellence produced by Baylor, and we are so thankful for their continued support of Baylor Athletics through participation in this endowment."

The vision for the fund came from Dusty Sanderson, Board President for the "B" Association, who was looking for a way to solidify the future of the letterwinners organization "by honoring a Baylor legend through an endowment in his honor as a living legacy."

Daniel ('62), who played for Schroeder's first baseball team at Baylor, said his coach taught him "the importance of living an influential, godly life."

"Our beloved Baylor University has a significant part in my life and many of your lives as well," Daniel said. "By the literal grace of God, I was blessed to attend and play sports while I was there. With God's help, the university impacted my life greatly. A critical part of my life was being able to play baseball under the inspiration of a godly coach, Dutch Schroeder. He taught us more than baseball. He taught us the importance of living an influential, godly life.

"All Baylor athletes have a wonderful opportunity today to honor Dutch Schroeder for all he means to us and to our beloved university. The "B" Association is what it is and what it can become because of this inspirational man."

Schroeder ('49), a two-year baseball letterman at Baylor after returning from service in World War II, has maintained his loyalty through the years as a baseball coach, teacher, volunteer director of the "B" Association and one of Baylor Athletics' biggest fans. He was 198-165 in 12 years as the head baseball coach (1962-73) and led the Bears to the 1966 Southwest Conference championship.

"The "B" Association is all about service. And when you think about service, you think about Dutch Schroeder, because he was all about service," said Walter Abercrombie, Associate AD and Director of the "B" Association. "He did the job all those years without a salary. What is unknown about Dutch is just how many lives he impacted, because he did a lot of things behind the scenes."

As the "heart and soul" of the "B" Association, Schroeder made frequent trips to the hospital, visited the sick and "would step in and silently behind the scenes help people in financial need," Abercrombie said. "We feel like this endowment honors his life and his commitment to service."

The impetus behind Sanderson's vision and Daniel's lead gift to the endowment fund is to "enrich the financial future of the `B' Association, an organization that for years had to depend solely on membership dues," Abercrombie said.

If you would like to donate to the Dutch Schroeder Letterwinners Legacy Endowment fund, you can send checks to Baylor Athletics, Attn: Nick Florence, 1500 University Parks Drive, Waco, Texas, 76706.