McMurry University is deeply saddened by the passing of alumna, long-time donor, and friend, Mary Esther Paquet Bynum ’52. Mary Esther was a devoted alumna, who spent a lifetime sharing her time, talents, and resources with her beloved alma mater.
Mary Esther earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from McMurry and later pursued a Master of Education from North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). A skilled educator, she pioneered distance learning and taught Spanish on television in the early 1960s in Richardson, Texas.
Mary Esther and her husband, Dr. Raymon Bynum ’50, were college sweethearts while he was a member of the McMurry football squad in the late 1940s and, after graduating, they remained close to the university. They were married for 59 years before Ramon’s death in 2009.
Mary Esther and Raymon were named as part of the McMurry100, a group of individuals who made a significant impact on McMurry during its first 100 years, during the university’s centennial celebration.
Mary Esther received the Bob & Clara Brown Award for her exceptional support of McMurry athletics and was inducted to the McMurry Athletics Hall of Honor in 2015. She was charter member of the Trailblazer Society, a giving society founded in 2018 that recognizes individuals with lifetime giving of $100,000 or more.
Four scholarships have been established by Mary Esther, including the Raymon L. Bynum Sr. Endowed Scholarship, the Mary Esther Bynum Endowed Scholarship, the Jack and Bettie Holden Endowed Scholarship, and the Hershel and Georgia Kimbrell Endowed Scholarship.
Along with giving to the university financially, she was generous with her time and frequently attended university events and football games into her 90s. She was elected president of the McMurry Alumni Association in 1995 and was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003.
