RICHARD M. DALEY
MAYOR
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OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
April 13,2011
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith a resolution honoring the life and memory of William R. Baker, Chicago architect and designer.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
RESOLUTION
.WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber were deeply saddened to learn ofthe death on March 7, 2011, at age 83, of William R. "Bill" Baker, a renowned architect and designer; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Baker grew up in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood, then attended Morgan Park High School, graduated from the University of Illinois School of Architecture, and earned advanced degrees in planing and architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he studied under Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one ofthe pioneering masters of modern architecture; and
WHEREAS, In 1946, Mr. Baker answered the call to serve our Nation and joined the United States Army Air Forces, where he served with honor and chose his future profession while assisting military architects in Okinawa, Japan; and
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WHEREAS, Admired for his work on several municipal buildings, Mr. Baker, then with the firm of Lester B. Knight and Associates, was chief of design on the Cook County Administration Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue, a high-rise addition to the old courthouse; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Baker, who had a lifelong enthusiasm for art, helped in the commissioning of the Batcolumn Sculpture by Claes Oldenburg as part of his work on the Harold Washington Social Security Administration Building on Madison Street; and
WHEREAS, A prominent architect and designer, Mr. Baker contributed to Walter Netsch's designs for the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, designed the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine at Urbana-Champaign, and worked on large-scale civil engineering projects for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District; and
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WHEREAS, In his long and distinguished career, Mr. Baker worked for several well-known architectural firms, including Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, and Schmidt, Garden and Erikson; and
WHEREAS, Although Mr. Baker will be dearly missed, the impact of his remarkable designs and many good deeds will continue to inspire others, and his memory will live on in the hearts of those who were privileged to know him; and
WHEREAS, A truly exemplary human being, Mr. Baker will always be remembered for his dedication to art, architecture and design, his many contributions to the City of Chicago, and for his inspiration, strength of character, courage, generosity and care for his family and friends; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Baker is survived by his wife, Rita Corley-Baker; his nieces and nephew, Eileen Scholl, Rebecca Mann and Chuck Scholl; his five sisters-in-law, and a host of other family members and friends; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this thirteenth day of April, 2011, do hereby honor the life and memory of William R. Baker, and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family; and
. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of William R. Baker as a sign of our sympathy and good wishes.