Wayland mourns longtime benefactor and former trustee Sally Shaw

PLAINVIEW, TX — Wayland Baptist University mourns the passing of Sally Ruth Shaw, a longtime benefactor and former member and secretary of the university’s Board of Trustees. Shaw died July 18, 2026, at age 98.

“Sally Shaw’s love for Wayland could be seen through both her generous giving and her willingness to serve,” said Donna Hedgepath, president. “She believed deeply in the university’s Christian mission and in creating opportunities for students. Her influence will continue through the students who benefit from her generosity and through the example of faithful service she leaves behind.”

Shaw joined Wayland’s Board of Trustees in 1997 and later served multiple terms as secretary. Her husband, the late Kelton Shaw, also served as a Wayland trustee.

Together, the couple established the Kelton and Sally Shaw Endowed Scholarship, providing lasting financial support for Wayland students. The Association of Former Students honored them with the Distinguished Benefactor Alumni Award in 1990.

In 2014, Wayland presented Shaw with one of the university’s inaugural President’s Awards, the highest honor bestowed upon a Wayland donor. The award recognized her sustained generosity, loyalty and service to the university.

Her affection for Wayland was also evident during the university’s centennial celebration. Shaw submitted the winning $9,000 bid for Kenneth Wyatt’s painting “House Call,” which depicts Wayland founder Dr. James Henry Wayland visiting a family home. After purchasing the painting, she donated it back to the university so it could remain on campus.

“Sally understood that giving is about more than meeting an immediate need,” Hedgepath said. “She invested in Wayland’s future, and generations of students will continue to benefit from that commitment. We are deeply grateful for her friendship and support, and we extend our prayers to her family.”

Shaw’s Wayland legacy continues through the endowed scholarship bearing her family’s name, the university initiatives she supported and the students whose lives have been changed by her generosity.