Robert C. Baker
Encyclopedia
Robert C. Baker was an inventor and Cornell University professor who invented the chicken nugget
as well as many other poultry related inventions. Due to his contributions to the poultry sciences, he is a member of the American Poultry Hall of Fame.
native, Baker earned a bachelor's degree
from Cornell University
in 1943 and then went on to major in Pomology
at the university's College of Agriculture. For his graduate work, Baker took his master's degree
at Penn State University and his doctorate at Purdue University
. Baker was a member of the Alpha Zeta
fraternity.
in 1997.
Accredited to him are more than 40 poultry
, turkey
and cold cut
innovations, making him the "George Washington Carver
of poultry". In addition to creating the chicken nugget, he is also responsible for a revolutionary way to bind breading to chicken, co-invented the machine responsible for deboning chicken and created the chicken and turkey hot dogs and turkey ham
.
McDonald's
is often falsely credited with the invention of the chicken nugget. In fact Baker published his chicken nugget recipe in the 1950s as unpatented academic work, while McDonald's patented its recipe for Chicken McNuggets
in 1979 and started selling the product in 1980.
Baker's famous recipe for Cornell Chicken was actually innovated while Baker was at Penn State but never gained appreciation until he joined the faculty of Cornell.
have a song titled "Nugget Man" on their album Gumbo Pants, which pays tribute to the late inventor and his most popular invention, the Chicken Nugget. The song humorously explores the career of Baker, lists a few of his other inventions, details the formula for Chicken Nuggets, and the impact of this invention.
In the TV series The Wire
, three of the street drug dealer characters discuss who may have invented the chicken nugget and what fortune it may have brought him, with D'Angelo Barksdale
, the Crew Chief, pointing out that any such person would have been unlikely to have received any great reward but rather the heads of McDonalds were more likely to have been the main beneficiaries.
Chicken nugget
A chicken nugget is a molded piece of chicken product, breaded or battered, then fried or baked. Fast food restaurants typically deep fry their nuggets in vegetable oil, such as coconut oil....
as well as many other poultry related inventions. Due to his contributions to the poultry sciences, he is a member of the American Poultry Hall of Fame.
Education
A Lansing, New YorkLansing, New York
Lansing, New York can refer to:*Lansing , New York, a town in Tompkins County.*Lansing , New York, a village in the town of Lansing....
native, Baker earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1943 and then went on to major in Pomology
Pomology
Pomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
at the university's College of Agriculture. For his graduate work, Baker took his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at Penn State University and his doctorate at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. Baker was a member of the Alpha Zeta
Alpha Zeta
Alpha Zeta is a professional fraternity for students and industry professionals in the agriculture and natural resources fields. Founded in 1897 at The Ohio State University, Alpha Zeta is the first and oldest collegiate society for agriculture...
fraternity.
Career and Innovations
Robert Baker traveled the world innovating how people eat and view chicken. He spent his entire academic life at Cornell University (1957-1989), and published some 290 research papers. In 1970 he founded the university's Institute of Food Science and Marketing. Baker was elected a fellow of the Institute of Food TechnologistsInstitute of Food Technologists
The Institute of Food Technologists or IFT is an international, non-profit professional organization for the advancement of food science and technology. It is the largest of food science organizations in the world, encompassing 22,000 members worldwide as of 2006. It is referred to as "THE Society...
in 1997.
Accredited to him are more than 40 poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
, turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and cold cut
Cold cut
Cold cuts are cheeses or precooked or cured meat, often sausages or meat loaves, that are sliced and usually served cold on sandwiches or on party trays. They can be bought pre-sliced in vacuum packs at a supermarket or grocery store, or they can be purchased at a delicatessen or deli counter,...
innovations, making him the "George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
of poultry". In addition to creating the chicken nugget, he is also responsible for a revolutionary way to bind breading to chicken, co-invented the machine responsible for deboning chicken and created the chicken and turkey hot dogs and turkey ham
Turkey ham
Turkey ham is a processed food made primarily from cooked or cured turkey meat and water, formed into the shape of a ham and often sold pre-sliced. In the United Kingdom, Bernard Matthews is a major producer of turkey ham. Trammi is another name for turkey ham.-External links:* * *...
.
McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
is often falsely credited with the invention of the chicken nugget. In fact Baker published his chicken nugget recipe in the 1950s as unpatented academic work, while McDonald's patented its recipe for Chicken McNuggets
Chicken McNuggets
Chicken McNuggets are a product offered by international fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's and are one of the most popular trademarked items on the McDonald's menu....
in 1979 and started selling the product in 1980.
Baker's famous recipe for Cornell Chicken was actually innovated while Baker was at Penn State but never gained appreciation until he joined the faculty of Cornell.
Pop culture
Comedic singers Paul and StormPaul and Storm
Paul and Storm are an Arlington, Virginia-based comedic musical duo consisting of Paul Sabourin and Greg "Storm" DiCostanzo. They had formerly been members of the a cappella group Da Vinci’s Notebook....
have a song titled "Nugget Man" on their album Gumbo Pants, which pays tribute to the late inventor and his most popular invention, the Chicken Nugget. The song humorously explores the career of Baker, lists a few of his other inventions, details the formula for Chicken Nuggets, and the impact of this invention.
In the TV series The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, three of the street drug dealer characters discuss who may have invented the chicken nugget and what fortune it may have brought him, with D'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo Barksdale
D'Angelo "D" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Baltimore...
, the Crew Chief, pointing out that any such person would have been unlikely to have received any great reward but rather the heads of McDonalds were more likely to have been the main beneficiaries.
External Links
- Cornell University Obituary
- Cornell Sun Obituary
- "In Memoriam: Robert C. Baker." Food Technology. December 2006. p. 97.
- The San Diego Union Tribute Obituary
- Recipe for Baker's famous Cornell Chicken
- "Nugget man" tribute song by Paul and Storm