Q: Hey kids, what do your school, seashells, diplomas, and tigers all have in common?
A: Dr. Fred Baker!
Dr. Fred Baker is who our school is named after. He helped make San Diego a special place. He helped start important places like the San Diego Zoo, San Diego State University, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He also served on the San Diego City Council and school boards.
Dr. Baker loved seashells. He studied them so much that he became famous for it! A scientist who studies shells is called a conchologist. His shell collection can still be seen at the San Diego Natural History Museum.
He was born in 1854 and studied at Cornell University. He traveled all over the world, studying nature in places like Mexico, South America, Asia, and Hawaii. He later became a doctor and moved to San Diego with his wife, Dr. Charlotte Baker, who was also a doctor at a time when very few women were.
Dr. Baker discovered new animal species, helped grow San Diego, and left a legacy that is still part of our city today