Baker University facts for kids
 |
|
| Type | Private university |
|---|---|
| Established | 1858 |
|
Religious affiliation
|
United Methodist Church |
| President | Hoot Gibson (acting) |
| Students | 1,945 (Fall 2023) |
| Undergraduates | 1,457 (Fall 2023) |
| Postgraduates | 488 (Fall 2023) |
| Location |
,
Kansas
,
United States
|
| Campus | 10 acres (0.040 km2) |
| Colors | Orange |
| Nickname | Wildcats |
|
Sporting affiliations
|
NAIA – HAAC |
 |
|
Baker University is a private university located in Baldwin City, Kansas. It was started in 1858 and was the very first four-year university in Kansas. The university is connected with the United Methodist Church.
Baker University has different schools for various subjects. The main campus in Baldwin City has the College of Arts and Sciences. It also has undergraduate classes for the School of Education. Other parts of the university, like the School of Professional and Graduate Studies, help students who are not traditional college-aged. These classes are offered in Overland Park, Kansas, and online.
The School of Nursing works with Stormont Vail Health in Topeka. It offers degrees for nurses. More than 3,000 students attend Baker University in total. About 900 students study at the main campus in Baldwin City.
Contents
University History
Baker University was founded in 1858. It was named after Osman Cleander Baker, who was a bishop and scholar. This school is the oldest university in Kansas that has been open continuously. It was the first four-year university in the state. Money to start the school came from local people and donors from the East Coast.
Baker's first president was Werter R. Davis. He was a minister and also served 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.
Sports and Teams
The sports teams at Baker University are called the Wildcats. The university is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). They are a founding member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). They have been in this conference since 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, and football. Women's sports include basketball, softball, and volleyball. 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, leadership, and good sportsmanship. Women have been playing sports at Baker since 1978.
Team Colors
Baker University has only one official color: cadmium orange. There is only one other school in the United States that has orange as its only official color. That school is Syracuse University.
Campus Life
Student Housing
Baker University has three dorms and two apartment buildings for students. These are places where students can live on campus. 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 dorm is the New Living Center. It can house 190 students in 48 rooms. The New Living Center is the biggest dorm on campus. It has three stories and six sections.
Student Groups
Greek life at Baker University started in 1865. Seven students created a Phi Gamma Delta group. More students joined later, but that group did not last long at Baker. Today, there are several fraternities and sororities on campus for students to join.
Notable People
Many interesting people have studied or worked at Baker University.
Alumni
- Beulah Armstrong (1895–1965) – A mathematician from America.
- James Percy Ault – A scientist who studied the Earth and oceans. He was also a ship captain.
- Andrew Cherng – He helped start the restaurant chain Panda Express.
- Mike McCarthy – He is a football coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He won the Super Bowl XLV as a coach.
- Candice Millard – She graduated in 1989. She is a writer and journalist. She used to write for National Geographic magazine.
- Vidal Nuño – A baseball pitcher who played for teams like the New York Yankees.
- Tanner Purdum – A long snapper for the New York Jets football team.
- Patrick Tubach – He graduated in 1996. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on visual effects.
Faculty
- Phog Allen – A famous college basketball coach. He coached at Baker University and other schools.
- Emil S. Liston – A basketball coach and sports leader.
- John Clark Ridpath – An educator and historian.
- William M. Runyan – A preacher and songwriter.
