Lenox D. Baker Papers, 1930-1979

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Summary

Creator:
Baker, Lenox D.
Abstract:
Lenox D. Baker graduated as part of Duke University School of Medicine's first graduating class in 1932. He came back to Duke in 1937 and became the chief of the Division of Orthopaedics, a position he held until 1967. He helped establish the North Carolina Cerebral Palsy Hospital and served as its medical director until 1972. Baker was also a founding member and later president of the North Carolina Orthopaedic Association. This collection contains personal, professional, and administrative materials in connection with Baker. Materials include correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, articles, and meeting and society records. Major subjects include his work as chief of Duke University's Division of Orthopaedics at Duke University, as well as his role in various clinics and his work at the Cerebral Palsy Hospital. Other subjects include politics and elections, including Baker's support for various candidates, the North Carolina Employ the Physically Handicapped Commission, and professional societies such as the North Carolina Orthopaedic Society, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Orthopaedic Association. Materials range in date from 1930 to 1979.
Extent:
14.5 Linear Feet (28 manuscript boxes, 1 flat box)
Language:
English
Collection ID:
MC.0004

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains personal, professional, and administrative materials collected and created by Baker. Materials include correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, articles, and meeting and society records. Major subjects include his work as chief of Duke University's Division of Orthopaedics at Duke University; his role in various clinics; his work at the Cerebral Palsy Hospital; politics and elections; and his involvement with various professional societies and commissions, including the North Carolina Employ the Physically Handicapped Commission. Materials date from 1930 to 1979.

Biographical / historical:

Lenox D. Baker was born in 1902 in DeKalb, Texas. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee in 1929 and graduated as part of Duke University School of Medicine's first graduating class in 1932. Baker married Virginia Flowers, the daughter of the President of Duke University, and returned to Duke in 1937 as an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and chief of the Division of Orthopaedics. In 1938, he established the Duke University Medical Center Orthopaedic and Affiliated Institutions Training Program. In addition to his academic achievements, Baker was the team physician for Duke sports activities for thirty years and was inaugurated into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions.
Baker also helped to establish the North Carolina Cerebral Palsy Hospital, which was originally located on Duke-owned property but was built with state funds. He served as medical director at the Cerebral Palsy Hospital until his retirement in 1972. Prior to his retirement, the hospital was renamed the Lenox Baker Children's Hospital in his honor. Baker was similarly involved in outlying state orthopaedic clinics and continued this involvement throughout his career. He was also active in numerous state and national organizations. He was a founder and president of the North Carolina Orthopaedic Association, a member and eventual president of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy, and was elected President of the American Orthopaedic Association in 1964.
Baker was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by Duke University and the Medical Center named him as an outstanding alumnus and teacher. He initiated the fund-raising for the Virginia Flowers Baker Distinguished Professor Chair, which was activated in 1988. After his retirement from Duke, Baker directed his energies toward the North Carolina State Health Department and became the secretary of the State Department of Human Resources.
Baker died in 1995.

Acquisition information:
Accession A2003.010 (gift, May 2003), Accession A2010.055 (transferred, September 2010)
Processing information:

Processed by Brian Goforth: August 2008; encoded by Brian Goforth: August 2008

Arrangement:
Organized into the following series: Administrative and Personal Papers, 1930-1979; Scrapbook, undated.
Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Duke University Medical Center Library's online catalog.

Contents

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Restrictions:

This collection may contain material with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals or IRB approval may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which Duke University assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Lenox D. Baker Papers, Duke University Medical Center Archives.