Oberlin College Athletics

Art Baker, a member of the Class of 1911, earned two varsity letters in track and field. Baker was Oberlin's greatest distance runner at the time. He entered the Big Ten Track Meet at the University of Illinois in 1910 on his own and in the process set the Big Ten, 2-mile record, lapping the field. Baker went on to train for the National Championships in order to qualify for the Olympics and fulfill his life-long dream. Baker finished third in the competition, after straining his heart in a meet at Ohio State and training only three times prior to the championships. Even with a weak heart, Baker qualified for the Olympics. He was not far behind Abe Kiviat and O.F. Hedlund, who finished first and second. His dreams were quickly shattered, however, when it was determined that Baker was not an amateur athlete, but a professional. He was considered a professional because he had taught physical education classes at Oberlin for $25 a month. Baker commented on his situation by saying, "I was caught and others weren't. But I feel innocent because I was never told that teaching gym would keep me out of the Olympics. And so many amateur rules are still broken." After Oberlin, Baker went on to become an executive for the Boy Scouts of America. He held the position for 33 years, before retiring in 1949. He also coached at Adrian High School for two years and served as the physical education director at a Michigan YMCA for three years. Baker passed away on December 31, 1976. He was married to the former Mary Ellen Hull, a member of the Class of 1910, on June 23, 1914. The couple had two children , Robert Austin Baker, a member of the Oberlin Class of 1939 (died serving his country in 1942), and Lois Virginia Muehl, a member of the Oberlin Class of 1941.