The concept for the Alma College Athletic Hall of Fame was an outgrowth of a series of three lettermen dinners held at various locations in the late 1960s to rekindle alumni enthusiasm and enlist support for the development of adequate athletic and recreational facilities. The initial Hall of Fame event was staged at the former Olds Plaza Hotel in Lansing on May 25, 1971.
Alma was the first Michigan college or university and one of the first in the nation to establish a Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame's purpose as originally stated was noble:
"It is the intent of the Alma College Hall of Fame to celebrate the past, present and future of Alma College through the recognition of excellence in those who have made significant contributions to the Scots' athletic tradition."
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Mark Baker
Hall of Fame Athlete (2007)
Football, Wrestling, Track & Field
Class of 1986
Mark Baker took up the challenge of being a three-sport athlete at Alma College while tackling one of its toughest majors: physics.
A four year starter for the Scots, three on the O-line, Baker was the anchor of the football team that led the nation in total yards in 1984. He blocked for two of the running backs who still rank in the top five of the Alma College record books for rushing yards in a season. Baker was named three times to the All-MIAA team, including First Team awards in 1984 and 1985. During those same seasons, Baker also served as a captain of the football team, earned District IV All-Academic in 1984 and was named 1st Team All-American in 1985.
Baker was not only one of the most dominating, road grading blockers in the MIAA, he also was a stand-out performer in track and field. Baker earned another trio of All-MIAA awards for his excellence in the shot put and discus in 1984-86 and won the discus MIAA Championship twice in that time. In 1985, Baker set a mark of (156'3-1/2") in the discus, which was good enough to qualify him for Nationals and seat him third in the Alma College record books. Baker also holds the number 10 slot in the shot put with a distance of (46'8" in 1986).
To keep busy in the winter, Baker also participated in wrestling for the Scots.
Upon graduation, Baker attended the University of Michigan, where he completed a Master's of Science in civil engineering: hydraulics. Baker parlayed his degree into a 12-year career as an environmental engineer for various companies. During that time, Baker met and married Patsy Warner and moved to Eaton Rapids, Michigan, where they currently reside with their two children: Robert and Bailey. Seeking an alternative to the travel involved in environmental engineering, Baker returned to school to become a certified teacher and now teaches physics, calculus and probability and statistics at Eaton Rapids High School. Baker also spends time coaching kids soccer, high school track and field and for the first time this year is coaching football.
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