Monday, August 31, 2015
As the new school year approaches the 365 Project will feature the stories of the elementary, middle and high schools in Troy, including how the buildings were named.
Stuart K. Baker was born on a farm in Ovid, Michigan on May 19, 1901. His lifelong career as an educator began as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Clinton County. He moved to Troy Township in 1929 to work as the head of the Big Beaver District. During the Depression he was responsible for establishing a high school in Big Beaver, which graduated its first class in 1938.
In the 1940s Baker spearheaded efforts to consolidate all Troy schools into one district. Following voter approval of this initiative in 1948, he was appointed the first superintendent of the Troy School District. School services were expanded during Mr. Baker’s tenure to include bus transportation and new classes in home economics, physical education, and industrial arts. He also oversaw the construction of many new schools and the expansion of school financing. Mr. Baker retired in 1977.
Upon his death in 1979 at the age of 78, then Superintendent Don R. Shader remarked, “We will miss him. He made his contribution and provided services to the community. We are most grateful for that service.”
Photo: Stuart Kenneth Baker
Sources:
Troy Historic Village obituary files
Pathways of History Through Troy, Lois Lance, 1976
To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TroyHistoricVillage. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.
