Guide to the Peter G. Baker Papers

Peter Garret Baker was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1896. After graduating from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 1920 he attended Western Theological Seminary from 1920-1921. From 1921 to 1923 he attended New Brunswick Theological Seminary. While in Seminary, he organized a congregation of the Reformed Church at Lake View Heights, New Jersey, and served as their first pastor after his ordination in 1923.

He married Irene Haigh in 1924. That same year the Bakers were sent as educational missionaries to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, where they remained for twenty-seven years. The Bakers were two of the founders of the Faculdade de Filosofia e Letras of the University of Bahia and Dr. Baker was also appointed Catedratico of the chairs of English and of American Literature, a position he held until 1951. He also received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Hope College in 1951.

In 1927, the Bakers founded the Protestant Colegio Dois de Juhlo, which offered primary, secondary and college courses. Dr. Baker was director of this institution for twenty-four years. In 1951, the Bakers left Bahia and Dr. Baker became President of Mackenzie Institute, Sao Paul, Brazil. Mackenzie Institute was the largest educational institution founded by Americans outside of the United States. In 1952, the upper schools of Mackenzie were officially formed into a university by decree of the Federal Government and Dr. Baker served as President of the entire institution from 1952 until he retired in 1960.