Thane Baker
Encyclopedia
Walter Thane Baker (born October 4, 1931 in Elkhart, Kansas
) is a former American
athlete and winner of the gold medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne, Australia, with a new world record of 39.5 seconds. At those Olympics Baker also won a silver medal in the 100-meter and a bronze in the 200-meter. At the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki
, he won a silver medal in the 200-meter.
Baker was born in Elkhart, Kansas
. In 1953, as a Kansas State University
student, Baker won the NCAA
championship in the 220 yards (201.2 m), and in 1956 he won the AAU
championships in 200 m. Baker also won numerous conference titles at Kansas State, and was a four-time All American.
Before the Melbourne
Olympics
, Baker equaled Jesse Owens
's long-standing 100 m world record
time of 10.2 seconds, and also twice equaled the 200 m world record of 20.6. He tied the world record in the 100 yd in 9.3 seconds, twice tied the world record in 60 yd indoor events at 6.1 seconds, and set the world record in the 300 yd at 29.4 seconds. He co-held several world records in relays.
After turning forty, Baker participated in the Masters Track and Field program and held numerous world records
in the 100 yd, 100 m, 220 y, 200 m, and several relays in the age groups categories of 40-44, 45-49, and 50-54 years of age.
Baker is enshrined in the USATF Masters Hall of Fame
and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
. He is also in the Kansas State University Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas State High School Activities Hall of Fame. In 1978, he was named a "Silver Athletics Top Ten" for Personal Achievement.
He began as a track meet "starter" in 1959 and has started NCAA National Championships and National Federation Championships. The year 2010 was his forty-fourth year of serving at the Texas Relays. He is still active as starter.
He also has the track named after him in his home town of Elkhart, Kansas.
He retired in 1983 as a Colonel from the United States Air Force after serving thirty years of active and reserve status. Additionally, in 1992, he retired from Mobil Research and Development after thirty-nine years of employment.
His civic involvement included serving as President of a Rotary Club chapter, a member of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Board of Directors, the United States Olympians Board of Directors, and volunteered on other boards and associations. He has also served in various capacities supporting the churches where he worshiped.
Elkhart, Kansas
Elkhart is a city in and the county seat of Morton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,205.-Geography:Elkhart is located at...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete and winner of the gold medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne, Australia, with a new world record of 39.5 seconds. At those Olympics Baker also won a silver medal in the 100-meter and a bronze in the 200-meter. At the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, he won a silver medal in the 200-meter.
Baker was born in Elkhart, Kansas
Elkhart, Kansas
Elkhart is a city in and the county seat of Morton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,205.-Geography:Elkhart is located at...
. In 1953, as a Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
student, Baker won the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
championship in the 220 yards (201.2 m), and in 1956 he won the AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
championships in 200 m. Baker also won numerous conference titles at Kansas State, and was a four-time All American.
Before the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Baker equaled Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
's long-standing 100 m world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
time of 10.2 seconds, and also twice equaled the 200 m world record of 20.6. He tied the world record in the 100 yd in 9.3 seconds, twice tied the world record in 60 yd indoor events at 6.1 seconds, and set the world record in the 300 yd at 29.4 seconds. He co-held several world records in relays.
After turning forty, Baker participated in the Masters Track and Field program and held numerous world records
Masters Athletics World Records
These are the current world records in the various age groups of Masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...
in the 100 yd, 100 m, 220 y, 200 m, and several relays in the age groups categories of 40-44, 45-49, and 50-54 years of age.
Baker is enshrined in the USATF Masters Hall of Fame
USATF Masters Hall of Fame
The USA Masters Hall of Fame is the Masters section of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. It is intended to select worthy athletes from the various divisions of Masters athletics involved in the sports of track and field, road running and race walking...
and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in Wichita, Kansas, dedicated to preserving the history of sports in the state of Kansas. The museum provides exhibits, archives, facilities, services, and activities to honor those individuals and teams whose achievements in sports brought...
. He is also in the Kansas State University Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas State High School Activities Hall of Fame. In 1978, he was named a "Silver Athletics Top Ten" for Personal Achievement.
He began as a track meet "starter" in 1959 and has started NCAA National Championships and National Federation Championships. The year 2010 was his forty-fourth year of serving at the Texas Relays. He is still active as starter.
He also has the track named after him in his home town of Elkhart, Kansas.
He retired in 1983 as a Colonel from the United States Air Force after serving thirty years of active and reserve status. Additionally, in 1992, he retired from Mobil Research and Development after thirty-nine years of employment.
His civic involvement included serving as President of a Rotary Club chapter, a member of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Board of Directors, the United States Olympians Board of Directors, and volunteered on other boards and associations. He has also served in various capacities supporting the churches where he worshiped.