Baker University,
Kansas

Baker University is a university located in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

 

Baker University is made up of three schools. The College of Arts and Sciences at the campus in Baldwin City, Kansas is for students pursuing undergraduate degrees in any of over forty areas of study. The School of Professional and Graduate Studies (SPGS) serves working adults at campuses in Lee's Summit, Missouri and Overland Park, Topeka, Lawrence, and Wichita, Kansas. The School of Nursing, which is operated in partnership with Stormont-Vail HealthCare in Topeka, offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
Enrollment in all three schools has grown to a total student population of about 3,200. There are more than 900 students on the Baldwin City campus, approximately 2,500 in SPGS programs, and 140 at the School of Nursing.

Baker’s academic reputation is strong. U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review consistently rank the University as a top school in the Midwest. In addition, Baker has been recognized for its value by Money magazine and Barron's Best Buys in College Education. Four Rhodes Scholars, one winner of the Pulitzer in journalism, two Barry M. Goldwater Scholars and one Jack Kent Cooke Scholar have graduated from Baker. There are 16,000 living alumni.

Athletics
The schools athletic teams are called the Wildcats, and have only one official color, orange. The 17 sports compete in the NAIA, Region V, and the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Baker University has a proud history, including a 22-9 victory against the University of Kansas in the first intercollegiate football game to take place in Kansas. Additionally, Baker has over 100 All-Americans and nearly 100 conference titles. Women's sports began at Baker in 1978.
Emil S. Liston, Alumnus, Athletic Director, and Basketball Coach helped create the NAIA and the first national basketball tournament. Baker's stadium is now named in his honor.

Charlie Richard, the late former Football Coach is honored in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his success at Baker. He has the highest winning percentage of an NAIA football coach, and led the Wildcats to the playoffs 10 times during his 14 year tenure.

Facilities: Located inside the Charlie Richard Outdoor Sports Facility is Liston Stadium, built in the 1930s, is home to football, track, and select soccer matches. Soccer plays the majority of its matches at North Park. Also in the complex are A.B. Cavaness Field, and Sauder Field, home to the softball and baseball teams.

Volleyball and basketball compete in the George F. Collins Jr. Center, which is also home to the Athletic Hall of Fame. The Cross Country team makes its home at the Baldwin City Muncipal Golf Course.

The entire Charlie Richard Outdoor Sports Facility underwent dramatic improvements between 2002 and 2006. Upgrades included new artificial turf, a new track, the addition of stadium seats and the Tom Hedrick Press Box, lights for baseball and softball, among other things.

Training facilities and the weightroom are located in Mabee Memorial Hall, as is the old Gym. They were last renovated in 1995, and offer indoor practice space for the cheer and dance squad as well as the baseball and softball teams.

University Website

Notable alumni and teachers
Phog Allen - Collegiate basketball coach at Baker College.
Joseph Little Bristow - US Senator from Kansas in 1909-1915.
Don Wendell Holter - American Bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1972.
Mike McCarthy - Green Bay Packers head coach (2006 - ....)
Homer A. McCrerey - Commissioned US Naval Academy officer and bioneering oceanographer
William Alfred Quayle - American bishop of the Methodist Church, elected in 1908.
John Clark Ridpath - American educator, historian, and editor.

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