University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Baker, Frank E., 1877-1961.

Papers, 1932-1948.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection R

1.2 cubic ft. (3 archives boxes)

ABSTRACT: Papers of a Milwaukee educator and president of the Milwaukee Normal School, consisting of published articles, and unpublished manuscripts for articles, speeches, and book reviews. A pacifist, many of Baker's speeches before and during World War II deal with the impact of the war on higher education and students. Other speeches on social issues and education reflect Baker's liberal viewpoints.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Frank E. Baker, born in Clymer, New York, in 1877, graduated from Clarion State Normal School in Pennsylvania in 1895, and from Allegheny College in 1905. He received his master's degree from Harvard in 1909. In 1929, Allegheny College also awarded him an honorary doctorate.

While in college he had paid his way by playing semi-professional baseball, farming, and teaching. His first teaching job was in a one-room school in Erie County, Pennsylvania, and from this he became principal of a grade school and then several high schools. Between 1909 and 1911 he served as head of the science department at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, and then went into administrative work on the Normal School level.

Frank E. Baker came to Wisconsin in 1923 from a position as principal of the East Stroudsburg State Normal School in Pennsylvania, to become president of the Milwaukee Normal School. He remained as head of the Milwaukee institution during the years when it was known as Milwaukee State Teachers College, and later when it became the University of Wisconsin State College Milwaukee. From this last position he retired in 1947.

President Baker was widely known as an educator with very liberal views, and was a militant pacifist. He published many articles on education and frequently spoke at institutes and convocations. He was married twice, the second time to his former secretary, Ruth M. Geiser of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He had two sons, Robert F. and F. Richard. Mr. Baker died at his home at Mountain Home, North Carolina, in 1961.

Education:

Clarion Pennsylvania Normal School, graduated, 1895
Allegheny College, B. A., 1905
Harvard University, M. A., 1909
Allegheny College, M.A. (Honorary), 1915
Allegheny College, L.H.D. (Honorary), 1929

Professional Experience:

Teacher, One Room Rural School, Erie County, Pennsylvania, 1895-1896
Principal, Grade School, Spring Creek, Pennsylvania, 1896-1898
Principal, Union School, Clymer, N.Y., 1898-1900
Principal, Union School, Randolph, N.Y., 1900-1902
Vice President, Chamberlain Institute, Randolph, N.Y., 1903
Principal, High School, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 1905-1908
Science, Head, Preparatory. School, Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, 1909-1911
Principal, State Normal School, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, 1911-1920
Principal, State Normal School, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, 1920-1923
President, State Teachers College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1923-1946
Summer Lecturer, Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pennsylvania, 1923
Summer Lecturer, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 1934, 1937-1939
Visiting Professor, University of Illinois, 1940

Community and War Service:

World War I: Chairman Liberty Loan Campaign Committee, Edinboro, Pennsylvania
World War II: Milwaukee County Red Cross (awarded Presidential Citation), and Alien Enemy Hearing Board (awarded Attorney General Citation)
Advisor Institute of Propaganda Analysis
Public Land Commission, Milwaukee, 1927-1929
National Panel of Arbitrators - American Arbitration Association
Chairman Wisconsin Civil Liberties Committee
Education Policies Committee Affiliated with Federation of Labor

Professional Memberships:

American Association Teachers Colleges, President, 1933-1934
Progressive Education Association Executive Board, 1933-1934
Mid West Progressive Education Association, Vice President, 1938-1940
American Association Teacher Educating Institutions, 1941
National Council of Education
American Association for Advancement of Science
Economic League
Allegheny College Trustee, 1926-1929
John Dewey Society, Charter Member
National Education Association Policies Commission Advisory Committee
National Safety Council Committee on Teacher Education
American Federation of Teachers Education Policies Committee
Wisconsin Children's Home and Aid Society Vice Chairman

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Baker, Frank E., 1877-1961. Papers, 1932-1948. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection R. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTION:

Milwaukee State Teachers College. Office of the President. Records, 1925-1961. (UWM Archival Collection 109)

ACQUISITION: Presented by Mrs. Frank E. Baker of Mountain Home, North Carolina on May 31, 1932.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

Education, Higher--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
Liberalism--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.
Pacifists--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
World War, 1939-1945--Education and the war.
World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION R	BOX	FOLDER
A Functional Program of Teacher Education, 1941	1	56
A Grown-Up Looks Back at his Musical Education, undated	1	55
Academic Freedom, undated	1	1
Addams, Jane, undated	1	2
Adult Education, undated	1	3
America Should Act Now, 1933	1	4
An Elegy of Modern Business, undated	3	29
Are We Spending Too Much for Education?, 1940	1	5
Art and Democracy, 1937	1	6
Art and Our Economic Problems, 1934	1	7
Art Appreciation, 1932	1	8
Art Education in a Democracy, 1938	1	9
Atomic Energy Creates World Problems, undated	1	10
Baccalaureate: The Neroism of Service, undated	3	1
Background of Youth, undated	1	11
Basic Principles and Assumptions Underlying Programs for Preparation of Elementary Teachers, undated	1	12
Book Review, Meaning of Democracy by Russell & Briggs, undated	3	2
Book Review, Teacher in America by Jacques Barzun, undated	3	3
Can There Be Too Much Education in a Democracy?, undated	1	13
Changing Socials Aims in the Education of Teachers, 1941	1	14
Checks on Academic Freedom, undated	1	15
Children and Their World, undated	1	16
Civilization's Greatest Waste, undated	1	17
Commencement, America's Greatest Social Adventure, 1945	3	4
Commencement, Education and National Defense, 1941	3	5
Commencement, Educational Leadership, 1931	3	6
Commencement, Some Contemporary Problems of Teachers, 1944	3	7
Commencement, Some Intangibles of Teaching, 1946	3	8
Commencement, The Social World in Which We Live, 1940	3	9
Commencement, The World Will Be Different, 1942	3	10
Commencement, The Zest of Life, 1934	3	11
Commencement, What Shall I Say to the Graduates, 1933	3	12
Commencement, Youth Before, During, and After the War, 1943	3	13
Consolidation of Teacher Education Administration and Facilities in Wisconsin, 1934	1	18
Convocation, If Abraham Lincoln Were Alive Today, 1943	3	14
Convocation, The War and You, 1941	3	15
Convocation, Universal Military Conscription, 1945	3	16
County Normal and High School Training Classes, 1933	1	19
Democracy and School Administration, 1937	1	20
Democracy of the Future, 1938	1	21
Dewey, John, undated	1	22
Discipline? What Kind?, undated	1	23
Discussion, Functional Program of Teacher Education at Syracuse, 1941	3	17
Domestic Problems Facing America, undated	1	24
Dreams Realized or On the Way, undated	1	25
Education and National Defense, undated	2	58
Education and Social Reconstruction, 1937	1	26
Education and Some American Ideals, undated	1	27
Education and the Breakdown of Democracy, 1934	1	28
Education During and After the War, undated	2	59
Education for Intelligence, undated	1	29
Education for Peace, 1935	1	30
Education in the Arts at Work in the Modern Teachers College, 1940	1	31
Educational Leadership, undated	3	30
Educational Opportunity in the Milwaukee Schools, undated	1	32
Epitaph on Modern Business, 1938	1	33
Evaluation of Pre-Service Teaching, undated	1	34
Experiment in Teacher Training, undated	1	35
Experimental Attitude in Teacher Training Institution, 1932	1	36
Fads and Frills in Education, 1934	1	37
Farewell Message, 1946	1	38
Five Economic Guesses, undated	1	57
Free Libraries and Free People, undated	1	39
Functions of Education in American Democracy, undated	1	40
Goals of Education in American Democracy, 1936	1	41
Goals of Public Education in a Democracy, undated	1	42
Has Public Education Failed American Democracy?, undated	1	44
Has Public Education Failed in America?, undated	1	45
Has Public Education Fulfilled Its Function?, undated	1	43
High School Graduate and His World, 1937	1	46
Higher Education of American Youth at Social Expense, undated	1	47
How Can Teachers Be Trained for Proper Functions in a Democratic School?, undated	1	48
Human Nature Does Change, undated	1	49
Imperishables, undated	1	50
Integrated Professional Experiences, undated	1	51
Inter-Group Education in Teacher Education Institutions, 1944	1	52
Interpretation of the New Social and Economic Philosophy Through Education, 1934	1	53
Introduction to Civilization, undated	1	54
Inventory, undated	3	31
Kilpatrick, Dr. William H., undated	2	1
Kind of World We Seek, 1942	2	2
Labor Movement and Creative Democracy, 1937	2	55
Legislative, Brief on Request for Carnegie Corporation Grant, 1926-1931	3	18
Legislative, Notes on Address on Degree Bill, 1926-1931	3	18
Legislative, Reply to 1927 Legislature Ad-Interim Committee, 1926-1931	3	18
Legislative, Request for Gymnasium and Heating, 1926-1931	3	18
Major Issues in the Education of Teachers, undated	2	3
Meaning of American Democracy, undated	2	4
Meaning of Democratic Administration, undated	2	5
Milestones in Pre-Historic Civilization, undated	2	6
Miscellaneous, 1933	3	20
Miscellaneous Articles, 1926-1933	3	19
Money Value of Public School Education, undated	2	7
Moral Confusion and its Causes, undated	2	8
Moral Education in a New World, undated	2	9
Music Education, undated	2	10
Must We Lose Our Ideals?, undated	2	11
Nature of Thinking, undated	2	12
Negro Youth and the World Today, undated	2	13
New Schools For the New Age in Which We Live, undated	2	14
New World and the New Education, undated	2	15
Non-Materials and Unemployment, 1933	2	16
Old Adages, undated	2	17
One Thing the Graduate Must Do, undated	2	18
Origin of the Sense of Morality, undated	2	19
Peace Meeting, 1935	3	21
Place of Education in Our Economic System, undated	2	20
Precept and Experience Methods of Teaching, undated	2	22
Printed Articles and Reviews, 1932-1946	3	28
Problem of the Administrator on the College Level, undated	2	23
Programs and Flyers, 1931-1961	2	56
Public Education and the Promotion of Human Welfare, undated	2	24
Quality Production in Teacher Training Schools, undated	2	25
Racial Discrimination, undated	2	26
Reading Books for Leisure, undated	2	27
Recruitment and Placement of Graduates of Teacher Educating Institutions, undated	2	28
Recruitment and Selection of Candidates for Teaching, 1946	2	29
Recruitment of Teachers Competition We Must Face, 1944	2	30
Reflection on the Pearl Harbor Report, undated	2	31
Reply to: Passing of the Progressive Education Society by Truman Kelley, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, undated	3	22
Responsibilities of Education to Contemporary Society, 1940	2	32
Romance of Teaching, 1932	2	33
Schools and the American Ideal of Equal Opportunity, 1934	2	34
Snores, undated	2	35
Some Contemporary Problems of Teachers, undated	3	33
Some Economic and Cultural Values, undated	2	36
Some Economic Guesses, undated	2	37
Some Enrollment Figures, 1946	3	23
Sources of an Educational Philosophy, undated	2	38
Standards at State Teachers College, Milwaukee, undated	2	39
Standards of Good Classroom Teaching, undated	2	40
Status of Teacher Education in America, undated	2	41
Student Government, Commonwealth, 1924-1925	2	42
Task of Education in the Days Ahead, 1944	2	43
Teacher Education for International Cooperation, 1944	2	44
The Age in Which We Live, undated	2	57
The Liberal Arts College of the Future, undated	2	54
Trends in Education, undated	2	45
War and Education, 1942	2	46
What Shall We Do With the Five Millions?, undated	2	47
Who Owns an Idea?, undated	2	48
Why I Am a Liberal, undated	2	49
Workshop Technique Applied to English Composition, undated	2	50
World Will Be Different: Certainty of Change, undated	2	51
World Will Be Different: Citizenry More Heterogeneous Racially, 1942	2	52
World Will Be Different: Contracting Economy, 1942	2	52
World Will Be Different: Democratic Education Must Be Different, 1942	2	53
World Will Be Different: Greater Government Control, 1942	2	52
World Will Be Different: It Will Plan Its Economy, 1942	2	52
World Will Be Different: Nationalistic Spirit Weaker, 1942	2	52
World Will Be Different: Problems of Democracy Different, 1942	2	52
World Will Be Different: Technological Processes Extended, 1942	2	52
Written After Retirement: Communism, undated	3	24
Written After Retirement: Education for Differences, undated	3	25
Written After Retirement: Is Teaching a Profession, undated	3	26
Written After Retirement: Lasting Cure for Unemployment, undated	3	27
Yes, Human Nature Does Change, undated	3	32