“Dr. Baker’s foresight has made it possible for prospective physicians, nurses and family nurse practitioners to be attuned to the medical needs of rural Kansans. I trust that Dr. Baker would be proud of what his vision is accomplishing.”
— Thomas Dechant, LaCrosse, Kan.
J.H. Baker Trust
The J.H. Baker Trust, LaCrosse, Kan., gave $36,000 for the KU Medical Center’s Rural Primary Care and Research Program to provide a stipend for medical students who spend six weeks working with rural Kansas physicians; and $5,000 to support scholarships for western Kansas residents who enroll in KU School of Nursing’s online RN BSN program and/or the master’s-level degree/family nurse practitioner programs. Dr. Baker practiced in the western Kansas town of LaCrosse for 61 years, starting in 1915. He delivered more than 5,000 babies, established the county’s first private hospital and helped found the county’s first public hospital. He died in 1976, having established a trust whose beneficiaries include KU Endowment. The trustee is Thomas Dechant, of LaCrosse; Dr. Baker delivered both him and his mother. Since 1981, the J.H. Baker trust has provided more than $744,000 to KU Endowment.