Richard Terrill Baker papers, 1938 -- 1941
Collection context
- Creator:
- Baker, Richard Terrill, 1913-1981
- Abstract:
- UTS Alumnus of 1941, Methodist Deacon, journalist, editor and war correspondent, Columbia University Professor of Journalism. The collection contains UTS Course lecture notes, term papers and examinations.
- Extent:
- 3 boxes (3 boxes; 1.25 linear feet)
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains detailed course, lecture, and discussion notes as well as syllabi, course outlines, reading lists, papers, and examinations compiled by Richard Baker while completing his B.D. degree at Union Theological Seminary from 1938 to 1941.
- Biographical / historical:
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Richard Terrill [Dick] Baker was born in Coggan, Iowa, on March 27, 1913, and graduated from Cornell College (Iowa) in 1934. Combining journalism and religion, he studied for one year at the Garrett Biblical Institute in Evanston, Illinois, became assistant editor of the Northwestern Christian Advocate in Chicago (1935-36), and obtained a Masters from the School of Journalism at Columbia University from 1936-1937. Under a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, he visited 32 countries in the Far East, Africa and the Middle East.
Baker attended Union Theological Seminary from 1938-1941 and received his B.D. magna cum laude. In 1940 he was ordained in Iowa as a deacon and in 1941 as a minister in the Methodist church. Baker was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity by Cornell College (Iowa) in 1946. From 1940-1946 he was the assistant editor of World Outlook. When the Chinese Nationalist Government established a joint journalism school with Columbia University, he served in China as one of five faculty members and acting dean from 1943-1945.
For the following two years he wrote as a war correspondent for the Religious News Services and World Outlook. In 1947, at the age of 34, he became an associate professor at the Columbia University School of Journalism, and was full professor from 1952 to 1981. In 1950 he served as religious journalism advisor to West Germany on behalf of the U.S. State Department. From 1953-1954 he took a year's absence from teaching to work as a reporter for the New York Times.
In 1961 Baker was appointed Associate Dean of the School of Journalism and became Acting Dean from 1968 -1970. In 1976, he was elected secretary of the Pulitzer Prize Board. Richard Terrill Baker died at his home in Manhattan on September 4, 1981.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is open for research.
The following boxes are located offsite: Box 1-3. Please note that requests for use of boxes held in offsite storage must be made three business days in advance.
- Terms of access:
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Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
- Preferred citation:
-
Item Description, UTS1: Richard Terrill Baker Papers, [1938-1941], box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers must book an appointment at least 5 business days in advance to view special collections material in the reading room. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to one item per hour of appointment time.
- Contact:
- burke@library.columbia.edu