Baker University facts for kids
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|
| Type | Private university |
|---|---|
| Established | 1858 |
|
Religious affiliation
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United Methodist Church |
| President | Lynne Murray |
| Students | 3,076 (Fall 2014) |
| Undergraduates | 1,897 (Fall 2014) |
| Postgraduates | 1,179 (Fall 2014) |
| Location |
,
,
United States
|
| Campus | 10 acres (0.040 km2) |
| Colors | Orange |
| Nickname | Wildcats |
|
Sporting affiliations
|
NAIA – HAAC |
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|
Baker University is a private university located in Baldwin City, Kansas. It was started in 1858, making it the very first four-year university in Kansas. The university is connected to the United Methodist Church.
Baker University has four main parts, called schools. The College of Arts and Sciences and the first-degree courses in the School of Education are on the campus in Baldwin City, Kansas. The School of Professional and Graduate Studies and the advanced degree part of the School of Education help adult students at campuses in Overland Park, Kansas, and online. There's also a School of Nursing, which works with Stormont Vail Health in Topeka. This school offers degrees for nurses. More than 3,000 students attend Baker University, with about 900 students studying on the Baldwin City campus.
Contents
History
Baker University was founded in 1858. It was named after Osman Cleander Baker, who was a scholar and bishop in the Methodist church. This school is the oldest university in Kansas that has been open without stopping. It was the first four-year university in the state. Money to start the school came from local people and donors from other parts of the country.
Baker's first president was Werter R. Davis, a minister and a soldier in the Civil War. He was president from 1858 to 1862. The first building on campus is now called the Old Castle Museum. It holds a museum about the university and Baldwin City. A special building, the Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel, was moved stone by stone from a village in England. It was put back together at Baker in 1996 to be a spiritual place for the university.
Athletics
The sports teams at Baker University are called the Wildcats. The university is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). It was one of the first members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) when it started in 1971. Before that, the Wildcats played in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).
Baker has 26 different sports teams for students. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. Women's sports include basketball, softball, volleyball, and flag football. There are also co-ed sports like cheerleading, dance, and eSports.
Baker was one of the first NAIA schools to join the Champions of Character program. This program teaches important values like respect, being a leader, honesty, good sportsmanship, and responsibility. Women have been playing sports at Baker since 1978.
Colors
Baker University has only one official color: cadmium orange. The only other school in the country with orange as its only official color is Syracuse University.
Residential Life
Baker University has places for students to live on campus. There are three residence halls and two apartment buildings. Gessner Hall has suite-style rooms for 152 male students. It was built in 1966 and updated in 2012. Irwin Hall has suite-style rooms for 150 female students. The newest residence hall is the New Living Center. It houses 190 students in 48 rooms. The New Living Center is the biggest dorm on campus, with three floors.
Fraternities and Sororities
Greek life at Baker University started in 1865. Seven students created a Phi Gamma Delta house. More students joined later, but that group didn't last long at Baker. Today, there are several fraternities and sororities on campus for students to join.
Notable People
Alumni
- Beulah Armstrong (1895–1965), an American mathematician.
- Andrew Cherng – the person who started Panda Express restaurants.
- Mike McCarthy – a head coach for the Dallas Cowboys football team. He won the Super Bowl XLV as a coach.
- Candice Millard, Class of 1989, a writer and journalist who worked for National Geographic. She has written three books.
- Vidal Nuño – a pitcher who played baseball for teams like the New York Yankees.
- Tanner Purdum – a long snapper for the New York Jets football team since 2010.
- Dewey Short, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri.
- Patrick Tubach, Class of 1996, was nominated for an Academy Award for best visual effects for "Star Trek Into Darkness."
Faculty
- Phog Allen – a college basketball coach who coached at Baker University and the University of Kansas.
- William M. Runyan – a preacher and songwriter.
