2008 Woodie Awards
Finance and administration loses vice chancellor after 42 years at UA
Jack Willems
Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: News
When Earlene Baker started her first job at the UA, her starting salary was $2,700 a year, and she thought it was good money.
"Most people make more than that a month now, but that was a good salary at that time," she said.
Baker has been working for the UA since 1966, but that will come to an end when she retires Jan. 31. She is the assistant vice chancellor of Finance and Administration, approving contracts for Razorback Foundation requests, property purchases, new building renovations and funding for university departments ranging from the Transit and Parking Department to the UA Police Department, she said.
"Any big decisions they make come through our office," Baker said. She enjoys her job because it allows her to know things that are happening on campus, she said.
Baker moved from California to Fayetteville when her husband moved to this area to start a feed mill, she said. After a year, they needed financial help, so Baker applied for a job at the university and began work as an assistant to the dean of Continuing Education, she said.
In 1967, Baker applied for her current job, when the vice chancellor of Finance and Administration was Fred Vorsanger. Since then, she has worked for Jim Isch, who has served as vice president of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, Win Thompson, who has served as the president of the University of Central Arkansas, Farris Womack, who has served as the vice president of Michigan University, Tom Dorre and Gerry Bomotti, she said. Now Baker works under Don Pederson, the current vice-chancellor.
"I have been in this building since 1969, and that was before most of our current students were born," Baker said.
When Baker began working at the UA, the administration building did not exist, she said. Baker remembers that administration used to be based in Vol Walker Hall, Old Main contained a bookstore and "the football field was very small at that time," she said.
In the 1960s, all of the appointments for the UA medical school, UA-Little Rock and UA-Pine Bluff were made in Fayetteville, and they were handled by the Office of Finance and Administration, Baker said. All of the work done by the Board of Trustees came through that same office, which also handled the university's plane, she said.
"We did it all by typewriter since that was before computers," she said.
Three of Baker's children have attended the UA. Aaron now works for the Secret Service, Amber graduated with a degree in elementary education and Adam is a UA senior, she said.
Baker's first husband moved to Fayetteville passed away eight years ago. She married Ken Prince last year, she said.
"I'm going to a house we built in Oklahoma City Feb. 1," she said. "I have to leave Fayetteville, which is not something I want to do, but I have kids here so I should visit often enough."
In retirement, Baker wants to remain active in the United Way while taking time to see her grandson Luke in Washington D.C., play golf and visit her sister and mother in Jacksonville, Fla., more often, she said.
"Most people make more than that a month now, but that was a good salary at that time," she said.
Baker has been working for the UA since 1966, but that will come to an end when she retires Jan. 31. She is the assistant vice chancellor of Finance and Administration, approving contracts for Razorback Foundation requests, property purchases, new building renovations and funding for university departments ranging from the Transit and Parking Department to the UA Police Department, she said.
"Any big decisions they make come through our office," Baker said. She enjoys her job because it allows her to know things that are happening on campus, she said.
Baker moved from California to Fayetteville when her husband moved to this area to start a feed mill, she said. After a year, they needed financial help, so Baker applied for a job at the university and began work as an assistant to the dean of Continuing Education, she said.
In 1967, Baker applied for her current job, when the vice chancellor of Finance and Administration was Fred Vorsanger. Since then, she has worked for Jim Isch, who has served as vice president of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, Win Thompson, who has served as the president of the University of Central Arkansas, Farris Womack, who has served as the vice president of Michigan University, Tom Dorre and Gerry Bomotti, she said. Now Baker works under Don Pederson, the current vice-chancellor.
"I have been in this building since 1969, and that was before most of our current students were born," Baker said.
When Baker began working at the UA, the administration building did not exist, she said. Baker remembers that administration used to be based in Vol Walker Hall, Old Main contained a bookstore and "the football field was very small at that time," she said.
In the 1960s, all of the appointments for the UA medical school, UA-Little Rock and UA-Pine Bluff were made in Fayetteville, and they were handled by the Office of Finance and Administration, Baker said. All of the work done by the Board of Trustees came through that same office, which also handled the university's plane, she said.
"We did it all by typewriter since that was before computers," she said.
Three of Baker's children have attended the UA. Aaron now works for the Secret Service, Amber graduated with a degree in elementary education and Adam is a UA senior, she said.
Baker's first husband moved to Fayetteville passed away eight years ago. She married Ken Prince last year, she said.
"I'm going to a house we built in Oklahoma City Feb. 1," she said. "I have to leave Fayetteville, which is not something I want to do, but I have kids here so I should visit often enough."
In retirement, Baker wants to remain active in the United Way while taking time to see her grandson Luke in Washington D.C., play golf and visit her sister and mother in Jacksonville, Fla., more often, she said.
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