Dr. Lee O. Baker joined Western Michigan University in 1954. In his nearly three decades of service to WMU, Dr. Baker was a faculty member and chair of the Agriculture Department, and played numerous leadership roles in the Kalamazoo community. Dr. Baker and his wife, Myrtle Baker-Kerr, lived with their three children at the Gibbs House and property, owned by WMU. At the time, the property became a model for agriculture practices and was a real-life teaching lab for students in the WMU agriculture program. Dr. and Mrs. Baker were regular hosts to faculty, staff, and students at the Gibbs House for activities, holidays, and as participants in the farm work that was a part of their family's daily life.
Two scholarships have been created to honor Dr. and Mrs. Baker's numerous contributions to WMU. Thank you for considering making a gift to honor Dr. Baker and Mrs. Myrtle Baker-Kerr.
The Lee Baker Scholarship in Family and Consumer Sciences provides funding for undergraduate students with financial need majoring in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, where the agriculture program was formerly housed.
The Dr. Lee O. Baker Endowed Scholarship for Sustainability provides funding for students who are committed to permaculture and sustainable agriculture working on projects at the Gibbs House Permaculture Research and Demonstration Site.