Kenneth F. Baker
Kenneth Frank Baker (June 3, 1908 – April 16, 1996) was an American plant disease researcher (phytopathologist). He worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, then spent several years studying pineapple diseases in Hawaii before joining the University of California, Los Angeles, where he stayed for more than two decades and later moved to UC Berkeley. He retired in 1975 and became a courtesy professor emeritus at Oregon State University while continuing his work with the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Baker earned his bachelor's degree and PhD from Washington State University. His PhD thesis investigated blue-mold decay of apples caused by Penicillium expansum. He was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1950 and of the American Phytopathological Society in 1969. He served as editor of the Annual Review of Phytopathology from 1972 to 1977 and helped shape the journal from its early editorial years starting in 1963. He also led the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology as president in 1979–1980. His 1957 publication on healthy container-grown plants is said to have revolutionized the nursery industry. Baker was inducted into the Horticultural Hall of Fame in 1976.
Personal life: He married three times—Dorothy Blackman in 1936, Katharine Cummings in 1944 (widowed 1992), and Kathryn Brock Hoffman Baker in 1992, remaining married to her until his death. He passed away in Albany, Oregon, at the age of 87.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:42 (CET).