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 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 950
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is proud to
 1-4     recognize Paul Baker for his lifetime of superb contributions
 1-5     to education, the arts, and especially Baylor University; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Baylor University is celebrating 100 years of
 1-7     theatre beginning on June 15, 2001, and the university will
 1-8     honor Mr. Baker for his guidance in the development of the
 1-9     internationally recognized Baylor Theatre Department; and
1-10           WHEREAS, In 1901, a Dramatic Club for Baylor University
1-11     students was formed; they began presenting intermittent
1-12     theatrical performances in 1902; and
1-13           WHEREAS, The Little Theatre Club was founded at Baylor in
1-14     1925 under the auspices of Miss Sara Lowrey; the new organization
1-15     gave performances in different buildings on the campus; and
1-16           WHEREAS, Paul Baker, a Yale University graduate, came to
1-17     Baylor University in 1933 to begin building a theatre department;
1-18     he sought ways to awaken and inspire the creativity of all
1-19     students; and
1-20           WHEREAS, His idea was that the elements of theatre arts
1-21     can be powerful stimuli for all forms of creative thinking;
 2-1     these thought processes can apply to everything from the arts to
 2-2     philosophy to business; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Having reached many people with these ideas,
 2-4     Mr. Baker affected every student on campus with his message,
 2-5     because each student had to take his course, 106, Integration
 2-6     of Abilities; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, Paul Baker was involved in the Baylor Children's
 2-8     Theatre, where he sought to teach each child how to unlock his
 2-9     own unique working and thinking abilities; the ideas nurtured
2-10     and supported each child; the Creative Art Center of Waco is
2-11     founded on the teachings of Mr. Baker; and
2-12           WHEREAS, From 1934 to 1963, Mr. Baker worked at Baylor,
2-13     diligently building a theatre department there; his concept of
2-14     theatre attracted a faculty of worldwide stature, and they built
2-15     a theatre of universal prominence; and
2-16           WHEREAS, Paul Baker and his faculty transferred their ideas
2-17     to Trinity University in San Antonio in the fall of 1963; he
2-18     and his staff expanded all aspects of his ideas, and Mr. Baker
2-19     semi-retired to his ranch in Waelder; however, he was still
2-20     vitally interested in the education of children, and he and his
2-21     wife, Kitty Baker, began to work with the children in the Waelder
2-22     school district; and
2-23           WHEREAS, After one year of working with Mr. Baker's concepts,
 3-1     every student tested beyond their grade level; those who could
 3-2     hardly write a sentence before could now write compound sentences
 3-3     and compositions; a video was made about the Waelder project, and
 3-4     Mr. Baker based his book, Making Sense of the Five Senses, on
 3-5     this experience; and
 3-6           WHEREAS, Now near his 90th birthday, Paul Baker is
 3-7     returning to Baylor University Campus to celebrate the time when
 3-8     his innumerable contributions to the Baylor Theatre Department
 3-9     brought it international attention; now, therefore, be it
3-10           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
3-11     77th Legislature, hereby commend and applaud the lifework of
3-12     Paul Baker and congratulate him on his special gifts; and, be
3-13     it further
3-14           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
3-15     Paul Baker as an expression of the highest regard of the
3-16     Texas Senate.
3-17                                                                  Sibley
3-18                                  ______________________________________
3-19                                          President of the Senate
3-20                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-21                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-22                                  on May 7, 2001.
3-23                                  ______________________________________
3-24                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-25                                  ______________________________________
3-26                                           Member, Texas Senate