This feature was first published in Journeys Summer 2020.
This article was written by communications writer Kinjal Shah.

Student. Teacher. Coach. Mentor. Friend. Legend. Jim Baker (Class of 1966) is the ultimate Eagle!

The Legacy
Jim Baker was two when he moved to Singapore with his missionary father and mother. With two older brothers and a younger sister (born in Singapore), he grew up immersed in the local culture. He joined SAS as a second grader on the day it opened its doors in 1956 and graduated a decade later. He returned to SAS in 1971 for three years but left to teach in the Middle East. After an international teaching stint, he couldn't keep away and found his way back to SAS in 1982 with his wife, Junia, and taught high school history, both US and Malaysia/Singapore, and economics until he retired in 2014. Their son Randy (Class of 1992) also graduated from SAS. The Bakers now live in Penang, Malaysia.

A man of many talents, Baker helped conceptualize Interim Semester, developed the debate team, taught students history, trained volunteers how to judge competitions, won the Singapore national basketball tournament in 1973, and coached basketball, track and field, and volleyball. Baker’s unique perspective on culture, people, and places has left his mark on every facet of SAS as it exists today.

According to Coppell, “Everyone who knew Baker from 1956, when he joined SAS as a student, to his retirement as a teacher in 2014, has a story to share. I strongly believe that someone whose incredible influence on the school will probably never be surpassed should be remembered with a legacy that strongly represents his true importance to Singapore American School.”

On the Shoulders of Giants
Shannon Salter Burghardt (Class of 1988), who became an educator herself, was used to impressing her teachers without much effort, but Baker was her Mount Everest. “He knew what I could do, and showed me his care by never letting me rest on my laurels...and I was indignant! Mr. Baker was what I aspire to be today—the teacher who students hate to disappoint, and whose respect is something they cherish when they earn it. I saw him more hours in a day than I saw my parents. I occasionally have the opportunity to chat with him on social media or see him at summer reunions, and I’ll admit that even though I’m pushing 50 now, I still hope to have his respect.”

It wasn’t just students who hung on his every word: “I miss hanging out with Jim Baker. Today’s world desperately needs a large dose of Baker’s realism,” says Brian Donalson, former SAS teacher.

Lindsay Stevenson (Class of 2001) had undiagnosed narcolepsy in high school. “I can remember trying so hard to stay awake in Mr. Baker’s class. Every time I’d start to nod off, he’d raise his voice a bit and keep going. He would never admonish me or single me out, and when he saw my head raised, he’d just carry on. We never talked about it. I am still grateful to him for gently keeping me in the class,” she says.

Real-life lessons were frequent in Baker’s classes. Serenity Delaney Dillaway (Class of 2002) remembers Baker offering extra credit to any student over 18 who registered to vote. “It wasn't easy getting that done overseas. He was the first teacher I had who helped us connect what we learned about history to our ability to help shape it through voting.”

“Many people don't know this but I have always felt a sense of stewardship at SAS because of Baker’s legacy. When it came to AP US History, I needed to maintain the standards that he set, not merely those of the College Board. Additionally, it meant a great deal that Baker passed the torch of the debate program to me. He quietly left the theater the night we won the IASAS debate championship in my first season as coach, commenting to a fellow teacher that it was my big night and I deserved to enjoy the spotlight. Former superintendent Brent Mutsch understood and would say that he was standing on the shoulders of giants when he came to SAS and I would agree wholeheartedly with that. Jim Baker is one of those giants,” muses Devin Kay, high school social studies teacher.

Camp Castaway
Baker Island. Babi Besar. Camp Castaway. All names for the legendary island that was both a summer camp for children and a holiday home for the Bakers and their friends. Sneaking past his bungalow, climbing coconut trees, hauling ice across the island to the giant permanent coolers, fogging the beach for gnats and other beach bugs, and weekend trips with other teachers and their families...Baker Island created many fond memories of time spent with friends and family.

“So many weekends our family would go up to Baker’s place on Babi Besar off Mersing with other teachers and their families—Bakers, Imperis, Fenskes, Dodges, Adams, Donohues, and more! Our two sons grew up going to the island on long weekends with the Bakers,” says former SAS teacher Rick Silverman.

“I played volleyball and ran track for Baker. He had a big influence on me in high school. In our senior year about eight of us went to Baker Island for spring break. The girls slept in the kampong and the guys on slings between the coconut trees. He related well to his students and trusted us in a way that made us feel like adults, but kept us accountable. One of my favorite teachers,” David Stanton (Class of 1983) writes, sharing fond memories from an era gone by.

Coach Baker
Kindness. Empathy. Spirit. He had it all! But most of all, it was dedication toward his students that places him high in the hearts and minds of all who know him. For Hubert Pan (Class of 1998) “The 1996–97 school year at SAS was one of excitement and transition, marking the first year of the combined Woodlands campus. Missing from this new scene was the familiar presence of Jim Baker, off on a sabbatical. I was one of three returning juniors [on the debate team] who had never been to a Cultural Convention. We teamed up with a novice senior and asked a new teacher who had never coached before to serve as our debate coach. Ironically, it was an election year and this teacher took us on a field trip to an election event, where we ran into Baker. It was one of those moments of teenage whirlwind considerations resulting in an impulsive decision: ‘Can he coach if he’s on sabbatical? Are we just throwing this new teacher who graciously offered to coach us under the bus?’ But we asked, and he agreed.”

Pan goes on to recollect how without a classroom at the new campus, Baker held debate practices at his condominium, with the old Kings Road SAS podium set up in the living room. “With the power of the podium and his pointed guidance, Baker prepared us extremely well. In hindsight, our most challenging debates were practices against each other. IASAS Cultural Convention seemed easy in comparison, and we managed to win gold two years in a row. I’ll always be thankful for the generosity that he showed in opening up his home and spending time during his sabbatical to help us achieve our goals as students.”

Nicole DeFord (Class of 2004) says, “Mr. Baker is one of the best teachers and coaches I ever had. He distilled things down in a way that made things interesting and fascinating no matter the topic. He treated us like adults and expected a lot from us. That's what made it so valuable when you got a compliment—you knew it meant so much more. I know it could seem like he was overly tough, but I think we all knew how much he cared. We all wanted to make him proud and be the best, because he pushed us and believed we could.”

On the track, Michael Murfree (Class of 2000) fondly recollects Coach Baker’s vocal support: “His was the lone voice calling out at the 200 meter mark during a five kilometer run. As a runner, you would hear cheers and encouragement passing the stands but the 200 meter mark was always silent…except for Coach Baker yelling words of encouragement. To this day, ‘Murfree, kick kick kick!’ still rings in my ears.”

“Baker was an incredible teacher, debate coach, and track coach,” says Rick Silverman. “I would announce the home track meets at SAS and accompany Baker and the other coaches as admin-in-charge (AIC) for IASAS track meets outside of Singapore. Baker has been a good friend over the years and we hope to visit him in Penang later this year.”

Jim Baker did not just prepare students for college; he prepared students for life. Former faculty member and close friend of the Bakers Bob Dodge sums it up nicely when he says, “We watched a lot of friends come and go together. He was a great friend through thick and thin, and we saw both. At times, we shared a common wall, which would shake when he let loose with one of his explosive sneezes. Often the students he taught in AP US took AP European History the following year, and it was easy to see they had been taught by Baker. They knew how to read, write essays, and take notes. They had been challenged to think.”

Journeys, our print publication, shares current, in-depth stories written by and for members of our school community. It is mailed to current families, faculty, staff, and alumni in December and June. If you are interested in contributing an article to Journeys, email communications@sas.edu.sg. Read more articles here.