Bob Baker (basketball)

Born in Union Township, Indiana, Baker was a standout athlete growing up.[1] He attended Union High School from 1933 to 1937 where he was an all-county basketball player.[6] He then attended Franklin College from 1937 to 1941 and played for the school's football and basketball teams.[7] While in college he was also a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity.[7] Outside of school, Baker joined a powerhouse semi-professional industrial basketball league team, Stewart-Warner, in 1939.[7] Baker helped Stewart-Warner win the national industrial championship in 1939–40.[6][8]

Baker served in the Army during World War II as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division, where he saw combat in Europe.[1] After his military discharge he took a job as a sales representative by the Skelgas division of the Skelly Oil Company, a position he would hold until his premature death.[7] He did continue playing basketball both professionally and semi-professionally. Baker had a six-game stint for the Indianapolis Kautskys where he averaged 2.5 points per game.[2] He also played for the semi-pro team Indianapolis Secos in 1946–47.[9]

On November 28, 1950, Baker was playing in an industrial league game at Franklin Gymnasium in Frankfort, Indiana.[1] He began to feel ill during the third quarter and sat out the remainder of the contest.[1] That night, he died of a heart attack in his home at age 31.[1]