Harry R. Baker Family Memorial Art Scholarship
Harry Baker
The Harry R. Baker Family Memorial Scholarship was created to honor the life of Harry Baker. Baker was born in 1933 and passed away at the age of 90 in 2023 at his home in Omaha, AR. Throughout his life Harry was a prolific supporter of scholarships around the nation and the Midwest, including Arkansas State University and the University of Missouri. This is the first arts-oriented scholarship funded by the Baker family.
Harry Baker was born in Springfield, MO and attended Greenwood Laboratory School as a youth. He got his start as a mechanic in the war in Korea where he fixed trucks and jeeps as well as big tools and machinery. After returning from the war, he earned his degree from the University of Missouri majoring in engineering and mechanical design. He was a vice president at General Electric, an executive-vice president at Marathon Electric, and he was the CEO of Emerson Electric in Wausau, Wisconsin. Harry also served as a judge at Disney World in Orlando at the Robotics competitions for several years.
Aside from his career as an engineer, Baker’s family described him as a ‘motorhead’ who loved cars. He owned several different classic cars including a 1951 Kaiser Traveler (an American sports car of which only 397 were made) and a 1957 Kaiser Darrin, which was one of the first sporty cars. Also, he restored a 1966 Jeep. All three were recently accepted for display at the car museum in Branson.
The family, including wife Joanna, originally of Swifton, Arkansas, can be described as an art loving family in that they have made extensive donations to the Leigh Yakey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. The Baker’s also enjoy their collection of signed and numbered art prints from the prestigious annual Duck Stamp Art Competition, which then is produced as postage stamps.
The family’s love of art extends beyond funding art museums and collecting art. Of their two daughters, Teresa Gonzales was talented in art but was encouraged to become a doctor instead. Daughter Patrice Bovo earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Missouri State in Springfield, MO and a master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and also taught art. She fondly recalled going into her father’s garage as a little girl where her would have “14 pans filled with different motor part soaking in gasoline.”
The Harrison Art League is the sponsoring organization for the Harry R. Baker Family Memorial Art Scholarship where daughter Patrice Bovo is a member. The League wishes to thank the Baker Family for their generous philanthropy in supporting art students from our community for this year and many years to come.
