Residential Colleges of Rice University - Baker College

James Addison Baker College was the first residential building on campus. Baker college is named in honor of Captain James A. Baker, friend and attorney of William Marsh Rice, and first chair of the Rice Board of Governors. He served as the Rice Institute's first chairman on the Board of Trustees from June 24, 1891, until his death in 1941. He is known for having helped unravel the conspiracy surrounding the murder of the millionaire, who was chloroformed by his butler, Charles F. Jones, on September 23, 1900. The suspicious death of the Rice founder was concocted by Albert T. Patrick, a New York attorney, who forged a will naming himself the primary beneficiary to the large fortune, enlisting the Butler's help. Captain Baker, however, began an intensive investigation into the death of his employer, discovering the forgery, and returning the foundation to what would become Rice University.

As part of the university's original housing unit for male students, a dormitory, library, and dining room were built by Cram, Goodhue, & Ferguson of Boston, Massachusetts on campus, at the cost of $137,544.52. The now-Baker commons served as the university's central dining hall for 43 years, with beautiful engraved oak beams and the high vaulted ceilings of Elizabethan design. East Hall, which contained dormitories and is now referred to as the "Old Wing" of Baker, was completed soon afterwards. These buildings remained virtually unchanged until the residential college system was instated in 1957. The neoclassical architecture of the former East Hall was joined by a new two-story brick-colored wing, the design of which was shared with equivalent new sections being constructed at Will Rice and Hanszen colleges, in preparation for becoming residential colleges. A house for Baker's Master was also added. Baker was thus established as one of the five original colleges at Rice in the fall of 1957. In 1973, Baker and Hanszen became the first co-ed colleges at Rice. To include upperclass women, a lottery was held for Jones and Brown women to transfer into Baker.

Baker's colors are traditionally red, silver, and black, and the college associates itself with the devil and hell in its Beer Bike themes and college cheers, with the most popular cheer being "Baker, hell yeah!". The crest was selected, by popular vote, in 1958. The main design is derived from the family crest of Captain Baker's mother, with the owls across the shield indicating the connection to Rice University, and is inscribed with a phrase from Epictetus, which says "ifficulties are things that show what men are." Every year, Baker throws two public parties, Baker Blues, which is traditionally held on parents' weekend in the fall semester, and the Baker prom party, held in the spring. Some of the biggest social traditions include Baker Faire, Bakershake, the annual Christmas Tree brought home by the freshmen after their camping trip, coffeehouse, and of course Baker 13.

In 2009, construction began on a new residential wing. A portion of the former New Section was renovated and turned over to Lovett College. Baker's new wing is located between the Old Section and the Inner Loop road, and brought with it renovations to Baker's kitchen and the college coordinator's office. It was officially opened back to Baker students in the fall semester of 2010, who returned after a year of co-living with students from Duncan College.