Baker University - Wildcat Yearbook (Baldwin City, KS)

Page 10 text:

BAKERS FIRST PRESEDENTS ftop row - left to rightj W. A. Quayle, Fourteenth Pres., Joseph Denison, Eleventh Pres., W. H. Sweet, Twelfth Pres. E. J. Rice, Sixth Pres., J. A. Simpson, Seventh Pres. frow 2 - left to rightj H. A. Gobin, Thirteenth Pres., S. S. Weatherby Tenth Pres., W. R. Davis, First Pres., J. W. Horner, Fifth Pres., R. L. Harford, Ninth Pres., Crow 3 - left to rightl L. H Murlin, Fifteenth Pres., Patterson McNutt, Eighth Pres., L. L. Hartman, Third Pres., J. W. Locke, Fourth Pres., G. W Paddock, Second Pres. lf ffl . he A: V. Jcma ... -' , 2 'Ji Pg, Q ' 'Iliff A R' i .f ' f ,rw-...k Q K fr ' 'H ,Q v. .t x Parmenter Lake The Long Walk

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DOCTOR WERTER RENICK DAVIS The First President of Baker, 1353-1362 Dr. Davis was born in Circleville, Ohio, in 1815, educated at Kenyon College, with a degree of M. D., from the Ohio Medical college, member of the Ohio Methodist Conference in 1835, preacher in West Vir- ginia and later at Dayton and Sandusky, Ohio. Ac- claimed as one of the eloquent preachers of Ohio, Dr. Davis was well prepared to take his place in the new land in the west. At 38, he was transferred to St. Louis, and after a few years he was elected to the chair of natural science in McKendree college, Illinois. When the trustees of the new college at Baldwin were looking for a man of ability, they invited Dr. Davis to be the first president. He arrived September 1, 1858, the day of a memorable camp meeting in the grove south of town. He was at once elected agent for the Kansas Educational Association, and his work was to raise money for the new college. This double duty he carried willingly. In the college, he taught the natural sciences and his wife taught piano and organ. After four years as president in those pioneer days, Dr. Davis resigned to devote all his time to preaching. He was made presiding elder of the Baldwin district, but in a short time he enlisted in the army. After the war he returned to the Kansas Conference and spent his last thirty years in preaching. Twice he was pressed into service as president of the college when some dis- couraged leader gave up. Fourteen years as a presiding elder, three times delegate to the general conference, elected as delegate to the Ecumenical Conference at London, and serving as pastor of the Baldwin church for three years in the prosperous days of 1882-1885, Dr. Davis was honored and loved by all Kansans. He lived to see the college which he started become a strong educational force in the land. He lived to see his son, Harry Thomas Davis, enter the ministry, and become the president of Baker. The funeral services of Dr. Davis were held in the college chapel June 21, 1893, soon after commencement.

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fA 'ln ,, less. 'PJ' V I L.v,i- ' ,, N wer? +L g. Q ages 1 A A A Baker 5 Flftle-th Anniversary The Banquet of the Golden Jubilee Celebration was held on the third floor of Taylor Hall in 1908. W gk wi. X . ,r,,r :sw L.iL ,?. A ggelmegvan 1 -wt We--,,fa.,a3 'Mm' ri 'L 'uv-..Y..giv1N'v'e iw i As. , Q A ..,, + .' M, .,., . .,i.,l. The settings and decorations in the main platform of Taylor Hall for Baker's Fiftieth Anniversary. 7