Barbara Baker

Barbara Alice Billings Baker (August 6, 1931 - October 26, 2012) was an American educator known for being the founder and former CEO of Challenger School, a private school based in Utah.
Early life
Baker was born on August 6, 1931 in Perry, Utah to parents Thelma Hannah Bate and Harper Henry Billings. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance.
Career
Before founding Challenger School, Baker taught the primary grades in the Alpine, Santa Clara, and several other school districts. In 1963, Baker founded Challenger School with the help of her husband. The school first started off as a small preschool, before expanding and growing to become a Preschool, Elementary, and Middle school with over 10,000 students enrolled. She focused on the principle of giving children a solid foundation before moving onto more difficult concepts.
Personal life
Baker was also particularly known for being the creator of several political ads supporting Morgan Philpot for Congress against his opponent Jim Matheson under the alias B. Alice Baker. These minute long radio ads supported Philpot for Congress and criticized Matheson. She has raised many eyebrows, due to the fact that she spent over 50,000 dollars funding these advertisements. She was named by a news source a "kind old woman". Philpot himself has stated that he appreciates the support, while Matheson stated that he wasn't worried about the impact of the ads. When asked on why she created these ads, she stated "I felt it was my duty". Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland criticized the advertisement, stating that these ads show Philpot linking as a far-right candidate. Baker has also been criticized for failing to file required federal reports disclosing the amount of money she spent on the advertisements.
On October 26, 2012, Baker died after a long battle with cancer.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu