Baker University

'''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]]. 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 [[North Kansas City, Missouri]] [[Overland Park, Kansas]], [[Topeka, Kansas]], [[Lawrence, Kansas]], 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 nearly 4,000. There are more than 900 students on the Baldwin City campus, approximately 2,700 in SPGS and SOE programs, and 170 at the School of Nursing. A recent survey by the Kansas City Business Journal listed Baker University's MBA program as the most popular in the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. [[Image:Parmenter Hall.JPG|thumb|Parmenter Hall, the most recognizable building on Baker's main campus.]] == Ranking == [[U.S. News and World Report]] has most recently listed Baker University as the top-ranked Kansas university in the Best Regional Universities (Midwest) category. 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)|Money]] magazine and [[Barron's Magazine|Barron's]] Best Buys in College Education. Four [[Rhodes Scholars]], one winner of the [[Pulitzer Prize|Pulitzer]] in journalism, two Barry M. Goldwater Scholars, and one Jack Kent Cooke Scholar have graduated from Baker.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} == Athletics == The school's athletic teams, the Wildcats, have only one official color: orange. The 17 sports compete in the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|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, Women's sports began at Baker in 1978. [[Emil Liston|Emil S. Liston]], former Baker basketball, football and baseball 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 [[College Football Hall of Fame]] for his success at Baker. ===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. Training facilities and the weight room are located in Mabee Memorial Hall, as is the old gym. ==Notable alumni and teachers== *[[Phog Allen]] - Collegiate basketball coach at Baker University, the [[University of Central Missouri]] and the [[University of Kansas]]. *[[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 (American football)|Mike McCarthy]] - [[Green Bay Packers]] head coach, appointed in 2006. Winning coach of [[Super Bowl XLV]]. *[[Homer A. McCrerey]] - Commissioned [[US Naval Academy#Notable Graduates|US Naval Academy]] officer and [[bioneer]]ing [[oceanographer]]. *[[William Alfred Quayle]] - American bishop of the Methodist Church, elected in 1908. *[[John Clark Ridpath]] - American educator, historian, and editor. *[[Bennett Jones Sims|Bennett J. Sims]] - Sixth bishop of the [[Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta]] consecrated as Diocesan [[Bishop]] in 1972. *[[Emil S. Liston]] - basketball coach (1930-1945) and administrator. Inductee to [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] and creator of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] college basketball tournament. *[[Mike Gardner (football coach)|Mike Gardner]] - head football coach at [[Tabor College (Kansas)|Tabor College]] and [[Malone University]] == External links == * [http://www.bakeru.edu/ Baker University Website] * [http://www.bakerwildcats.com Baker athletics] {{Colleges and universities in Kansas}} {{MethodistColleges}} {{Heart of America Athletic Conference}} {{coord missing|Kansas}}