Paul Raymond Baker

Paul R. Baker, 97, died peacefully at home on June 16, 2025. A scholar, professor, and world traveler on one hand, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather on the other, he lived an extraordinary life that spanned two coasts.
He was born in Everett, Washington, a lumber-milling town on Puget Sound, on September 28, 1927, to Loren and Alma Baker. A gifted student, he graduated valedictorian from Everett High School in 1945. That same year he showed his bent toward history by winning second-place honors in a national history contest – a win celebrated in front of the Washington State Legislature.
The following fall, he entered Stanford. It was here that he truly found himself, making life-long friends in the bargain. He received his BA degree with distinction in 1949 and was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. He then spent a post-graduate year at Stanford, focusing on American history. Interestingly, he lived in the home of Lewis Terman, developer of the Stanford-Binet IQ test. However, the following year he transferred to Columbia University to study under the Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Richard Hofstadter. Although he completed his MA at Columbia in 1951, it was Hofstadter who encouraged him to go on to Harvard for a PhD in American Civilization.
Despite being destined for Harvard, Baker took a several-years' hiatus, working as a staff editor at the Encyclopedia Americana, while scrimping and saving to fund a seven-month, "grand tour" of Europe that included two transatlantic ship crossings. It was a dream fulfilled, and the first of a whole spate of extensive trips, not only to Europe, but also to Asia, Central America, and Africa.
He always joked that it was a huge step down from being a transatlantic traveler to a fledgling student at Harvard – especially in the cafeteria. Nonetheless, he settled in. Before receiving his PhD in 1960, he was appointed a resident tutor at Leverett House, where he developed a passion for teaching and mentoring. He was also awarded a Kennedy Travel Fellowship, allowing him to spend nine months researching Americans in Italy in the early 19th century. This led to the completion of his dissertation and to his first book, The Fortunate Pilgrims: Americans in Italy 1800-1860, published in 1964.
Eager to return to the West Coast, he accepted a position at Cal Tech. While he loved living in Pasadena, he was aware that a student interested in history did not belong at Cal Tech. So, he was receptive when NYU came calling. NYU's graduate degree program in American studies was floundering due to a lack of funding and direction. Therefore, Baker was being recruited, not only to teach, but also to revitalize the program. After joining the NYU faculty in 1965, that is precisely what he did, making it once again a preeminent program, attracting first-rate students who went on to prestigious careers. For this achievement he won the Mary C. Turpie Prize for "outstanding teaching, advisement, and program development in American studies" in 1994.
His return to the East Coast proved fortuitous in other ways. For it was in New York that he met his future wife, Elizabeth Kemp Baker. Their marriage endured for over 53 years. Shortly after they married, they chose to move to Glen Ridge, NJ, to start a family. That goal was realized with the birth of their daughter, Alice Elizabeth. A series of beloved cats, and later dogs, filled out the family circle. But the move to Glen Ridge also rekindled Baker's passion for late 19th century architecture. In 1976, when historic preservation became a craze, the couple bought a house built in 1889 from which virtually all Victorian features had been stripped. It took decades, but its restoration was a labor of love. Baker also contributed articles to a bicentennial heritage book, celebrating the borough's Victorian architecture.
Not surprisingly, it was at this point that Baker began the researching and writing of the first of two major biographies of late 19th century American architects. Entitled Richard Morris Hunt, it was published in 1980. Hunt, the preeminent architect of the Gilded Age, is best known for his work on Biltmore, America's largest house, as well as several Newport mansions, including the Breakers. The writing of Baker's next book, Stanny: the Gilded Life of Stanford White, was facilitated by a National Endowment of the Humanities Fellowship, awarded in 1982. Unquestionably, White was a more challenging subject, due to his salacious lifestyle and scandalous death. But in his review of the book, architect and author Robert A.M. Stern wrote, "Paul Baker has crafted a superb, intimate portrait set with perfect exactitude amidst the social and political complexities of fin-de-siecle America."
Baker also received acclaim for a book he edited, entitled The Atomic Bomb: The Great Decision, a full-ranging compilation of essays by major historians on the moral and political implications of the decision to use the bomb. It was originally published in 1970 and reprinted in 1976. The book garnered fan mail from -- and later friendship with – McGeorge Bundy, a close advisor to presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Besides these stand-alone books, Baker wrote countless articles, book segments, and book reviews. He also became a sought-after lecturer. For his prodigious and significant scholarship, he received an author award from the NJ Literature Hall of Fame in 1992.
Despite these formidable achievements, Baker tended to be self-effacing. According to one of his students, he was "legendary for his humility." Certainly, he always found the time to cultivate personal relationships with his students, inspiring their curiosity and nurturing their interests. Indeed, he saw his success as a teacher and mentor as paramount. One of the most moving essays he ever wrote was a reflection on the art of great teaching.
Perhaps not surprisingly, there was also a very domestic side of Baker. He did most of the cooking for his family. And he took a leading role in caring for his in-laws when they became infirm. Moreover, he was always supportive of his wife, daughter, and grandchildren, Shea, Natalie and Gavin Roberts. He celebrated their achievements and empathized with their heartbreaks. He, too, was devastated by the death of his son-in-law, Charles "Rob" Roberts, in May 2020.
In 2015, Baker suffered a horrific fall in which his neck was shattered. This led to lifesaving surgery at NYU Langone, during which 17 screws were required to fuse his neck and spine. Although he was able to stand and walk until his death, he was extremely frail. Over the last years of his life, the world traveler became a house-bound invalid. Yet he never complained. When asked how he was, he invariably responded, "Same as always."