Gerald Barker
Graduation Year: 1936
Induction Class of 1989
Sports: Football, Basketball, Tennis, Track
Barker earned letters in football (1932-35), basketball (1932-36), tennis (1933-34), and track (1935) for the Braves.
On the football field, Barker helped the Braves to a record of 13-18-1 including back-to-back KS Conference championships (1932, 1933). He earned First Team All-KS Conference honors at quarterback in 1934.
Barker was a four-time First Team All-KS Conference performer. He helped lead OU to a four year record of 33-41, a KS Conference Championship in 1934-35, and a trip to the AAU National Tournament in 1932-33. As a member of the OU track and field team Barker earned All-KS Conference honors in the discus.
He served in the Pacific during World War II, surviving the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Barker was also served on the Topeka Board of Education and was part of the Brown v. Board decision in 1954. He served until 1956 when Barker accepted the new position as assistant vice president of university relations at Washburn University. Baker held that position until he retired in 1976.