Hall of Fame
In recognition of her contributions to athletics as an administrator, coach and former director of women’s athletics, Gwen Baker has been elected an honorary member of the Shippensburg University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Baker was a member of Shippensburg’s physical education department from 1961 and was named director of women’s athletics in 1971, positions she held until her retirement in 1981.
As director of women’s athletics, Baker guided the expansion in women’s sports which took place at Shippensburg in the 1970s. In 1971 Shippensburg fielded three teams for women: basketball, field hockey and tennis. At the time of her retirement six more teams were added, raising the number of women’s teams to today’s total of nine.
In addition to extra teams, Baker expanded the individual programs to include tougher and longer schedules and scholarship aid for female athletes. She helped make Shippensburg’s athletic teams competitive with other teams in the Pennsylvania Conference and in the nation.
Beginning in the 1961-62 academic year, Baker served as head basketball coach for 19 seasons. Her overall record of 151-64 included three undefeated teams and two teams that only lost one game. She finished her career with a winning percentage of .702.
Baker’s 1962 team was 8-0. The 1966 team went 10-0 as did the 1969 team. The 1968 and 1969 teams defeated both Penn State and Maryland during those seasons and the 1968-70 teams compiled a school record 24-game winning streak.
Perhaps her best team was the 1978 squad which went 13-3 in the regular season but lost two games in the AIAW tournament. That was the only Shippensburg team to go on to post season national competition.
Baker also served a stint as tennis coach for three seasons. From 1963 to 1965 her teams compiled an 8-7 record.
In retirement, Baker continued to be active in the Shippensburg community and at the University. A native of Slippery Rock, she earned a B.S. degree from Slippery Rock University, and an M.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh. She has done additional graduate work at Penn State, Indiana, and Colorado State. She coached and taught at Bellevue High School in Pittsburgh before coming to Shippensburg in 1961.
