James A. Baker collection

James Adolph Baker, M.D. rose to the rank of Major in the National Guard of the Medical Corps, US Army. He served in WWII in the East Indies, Papua, Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea and Leyte as Medical Officer: General Duty, in the SWPA (South West Pacific Area) infantry division as Battalion [Bn.] Surgeon.

He completed 1 year and 2 months in continental service at Brooke General Hospital, Fort Sam Houston, Texas in surgical service and in orthopedic service at Madigan General Hospital at Fort Lewis, Washington, as well as 2 years and 5 months in Foreign Service. He was awarded 6 Bronze Stars and a WWII Victory Medal. Dr. Baker’s National Guard service was terminated in 1954.

Born in Gaston, Oregon on June 4, 1906, he had a brother, Russel L. Baker and sister, Fern Catherine Glover. About his younger years, Dr. Baker writes: “Summer vacations were spent at various jobs such as; logging camps; saw mills; farms; during high school I worked part time in a drugstore; the summer of 1929, I spent in Alaska, working for the Fair Banks Exploration Company, a large gold dredging outfit; during my four years medical school vacations, I spent as the night shipping clerk for the Gridley Dairy Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My last two years of medial school I spent the evenings operating the switchboard at the Deaconess Hospital, Milwaukee, Wisconsin”. He later married Laura Lee Baker and resided at 1414 SW 6th Avenue, Aberdeen, Washington.

James Baker received a B.A. from Pacific University, 1925-1929. He also attended the University of Oregon, during the school year 1929-1930, but did not receive a degree. He matriculated in 1930 at Marquette University, School of Medicine in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he received his M.D., graduating, in 1934. He served at New York Polyclinic Hospital, New York, N.Y., as rotating intern from 1934-1936, and was surgical chief resident, 1937-1940.

Dr. Baker entered general practice in 1940 in Aberdeen, Washington, as a physician and surgeon and had a very busy industrial practice. He was on the staff of Grays Harbor Community Hospital, Aberdeen, Washington and St. Joseph Hospital, also in Washington State. He was also a contract physician and surgeon for the US Public Health Service.

Dr. Baker served as Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, 1939 and also held memberships in the American Medical Association, Grays Harbor Medical Society, the Association of Military Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.