Baker University

Infobox University
name = Baker University


established = 1858
type = Private
president = Dr. Patricia N. Long
affiliations = United Methodist Church
city = Baldwin City
state = Kansas
country = United States
campus =
students = 3,200
faculty =
website = http://www.bakeru.edu/

Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Arts and Sciences and the undergraduate courses in the School of Education (SOE) are located at the campus in Baldwin City, Kansas. These schools provide education for students pursuing undergraduate degrees in any of over forty areas of study. The School of Professional and Graduate Studies (SPGS) and the graduate branch of the SOE serve 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 four 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 and SOE programs, and 140 at the School of Nursing.

Ranking

U.S. News and World Report has ranked Baker University as a third tier liberal arts college and the top private university in Kansas. The Princeton Review consistently ranks the University as a top school in the Midwest within its peer group. 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.Fact|date=July 2008 There are 16,000 living alumni.

Athletics

The school's athletic teams, the Wildcats, have only one official color: orange. The 17 sports compete in the NAIA, Region V, and the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Baker University history includes 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.Fact|date=July 2008 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, Liston Stadium, built in the 1930s, is home to football, track, and select soccer matches. The majority of soccer matches are played 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 Municipal 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, and other improvements.
Training facilities and the weight room are located in Mabee Memorial Hall, as is the old gym. Last renovated in 1995, they offer indoor practice space for the cheer and dance squad as well as the baseball and softball teams.

Notable alumni and teachers

*Phog Allen - Collegiate basketball coach at Baker University.
*Curt Eddy - Hollywood Records Executive
*Kevin Mahogany - Jazz Singer.
*Joseph Little Bristow - US Senator from Kansas, 1909-1915.
*Don Wendell Holter - American Bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1972.
*Mike McCarthy - Green Bay Packers head coach, appointed in 2006.
*Kurt Manske - Notable Technologist and Private Economist. Founder of [http://www.citizenshosting.com/ Citizenshosting.com]
*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.
*Bennett J. Sims - Sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta consecrated as Diocesan Bishop in 1972.
*Walter Anderson - Co-founder of White Castle and inventor of the hamburger bun.
*Emil S. Liston - basketball coach (1930-1945) and administrator. Inductee to Basketball Hall of Fame and creator of the NAIA college basketball tournament.

External links

* [http://www.bakeru.edu/ Baker University Website]