William O. Baker *39

William O. Baker *39, a prominent scientist and emeritus trustee, died Oct. 31, 2005, in Chatham, N.J., of heart failure. He was 90.

Baker grew up on a Chesapeake Bay farm, where his mother's deft chemical control of turkey parasites was an early lesson in the fascinations of science. After graduating from Washington College, Baker earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton. He joined Bell Labs in 1939, rising from research scientist to vice president of research to president from 1973 to 1979, and chairman of the board from 1979 to 1980.

During World War II, Baker's work contributed to the development of synthetic rubber. His subsequent research in new materials and organic solid-state chemistry, much of it patented, earned him the Priestley Medal, the highest award given by the American Chemical Society, and the National Medal of Science.

Baker advised several U.S. presidents on scientific issues, including Cold War information-gathering technology. He later played an important role in higher education as member of the New Jersey Board of Higher Education, chairman of the board of Rockefeller University, and as a Princeton graduate alumni trustee and charter trustee. Princeton awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1993.

Baker's wife, Frances, predeceased him in 1999. He is survived by his son, Joseph.