Mary Alice Baker isn’t above proselytizing. For her, communication is the heart of every discipline. Where there are people, there is a need to effectively share ideas, and the sooner her students see that fact as immutable truth, the sooner they can acquire a skill set for future success.
A 15-year speech and competitive debate coach, Baker has devoted 35 years to the field of communication. In the third year of her career, she was selected Outstanding Young Speech Teacher of Oklahoma. Her principal encouraged her to attend the conference of the Central States Communication Association in Chicago. That wider view opened the door to graduate school and a long, lively and illustrious career.
Baker is the 2005 University Professor, Lamar’s highest honor bestowed on faculty. She has earned numerous teaching and service awards, including recognition by the Texas Forensics Association. She has published widely and lent her expertise to the Texas Teachers Retirement System as a trustee.
Baker has published a widely used public speaking workbook, now in its fifth edition. “For communication students, I urge them to learn something about all of our fields: advertising, broadcasting, public relations, persuasion, journalism, etc. Then they are ready to go in whatever direction opportunity beckons.”
One of the courses Baker is most widely known for on campus is interviewing, which she has taught to hundreds of students over the years. Now, two of her former students get to put her in the hot seat.
Brian Richardson, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of organizational communication, University of North Texas
“When I began my doctorate program at the University of Texas at
Austin, I was intimidated by my peers because they had graduated
from big-name schools, but I quickly learned Dr. Baker was well regarded
and nationally respected in the communication studies discipline. Many
of the professors in my doctorate program knew her, which helped me build rapport with them. Could I have made it without her training? I don't know, but I’m sure glad I didn’t have to find out!”
BR: As you think about your career, what is your greatest source of pride?
MAB: My students. Many have indicated that taking my interviewing class was the “best course I had in college.”
That’s a real reward for a teacher. I hear from lots of former students and take pride in their success.
BR: What is the biggest misconception people have about speech ommunication as an academic discipline?
MAB: During my first year of teaching in Oklahoma City, an administrator from the central office said to me: “We learn to talk at the age of 2. Why do we need a course in speech?” I guess ever since then, I have been on a lifetime mission to educate the public that what we teach and do has real substance. Words are very important. Why and how they are spoken is just as important as the words themselves.
BR: What advice would you offer to communication
professionals trying to succeed in a career?
MAB: Do an internship if they are still in college. Get some hands-on experience. It’s tough to get a job if you have no experience,
and it’s hard to get experience without a job. I would also advise a professional to first know their craft very well, to network, to find a
good mentor, and to go the extra mile.
BR: If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?
MAB: Wonder Woman without a doubt! She was my favorite comic book character as a child. She was just as strong as the guys. Besides that, she had a great costume and a great figure.
Marion Phillips, New York City
Minister and former member of President George W. Bush’s and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s administrations
“Mary Alice is a special person – my enrolling at Lamar made her my professor; her concern about me made her a friend!”
MP: Tell us about your passion for teaching?
MAB: How “passionate” I am depends on the calendar. Near final exams when I have loads of term papers to grade, I would have to say my zeal is not at its best. When the fall semester rolls around, however, I get excited.
MP: Being a country girl from Oklahoma–tell us how you gained your global perspective?
MAB: I never really thought of myself as country girl, even when I was a child living in teacherages, while my folks taught in two room rural schools. Initially, my “global perspective” would have to have come from my
parents. Every evening, it was, “Quiet. Listen! The news is on.” I was just a
young child during World War II. Each evening, I vividly remember my father listening to the “War News” on a battery radio that squealed with
interference. During college, I remember having an extended argument with my advisor over my desire to take Russian history. He asked me why I wanted to take a course that I did not need. I told him that when the
Russians took over (remember this was during the late 1950s at the height of the Cold War), I wanted to know something about them. I sat on the front row in that class and enjoyed every minute.
MP: What makes you such a special person and professor?
MAB: Talk about a loaded, leading question! The premise of your question is a highly questionable one that depends on your selective perception. To the extent that there is any validity to the question, it is mainly because I had great parents who were outstanding teachers and instilled in me the importance of teaching. I’ve also worked with great people over the years who were good role models and mentors. I love my field and strongly believe a student needs to become proficient in communication
so he or she can succeed in life.
Marcia Painter Davis attorney and former student
Workmen’s Compensation Court, Oklahoma City
MD: If you could choose a career other than teaching, what would it be?
MAB: Development, hospitality, administration, law, politics, marketing
or finance. Each of these holds some appeal. My whole career, I have recruited folks for debate teams, to become a major, to join an organization, so probably some kind of marketing would suit my abilities. I love politics, enjoy the detail that law requires, and as a TRS trustee have been very stimulated by learning about the investment world.
Kayla Bower attorney and former student
Labor, Oklahoma City
KB: How did your start in teaching at the high-school level impact your later
teaching at the university level?
MAB: Some of my best “war stories” come from those early years. Starting my teaching at the secondary level was very good boot training for a rookie teacher. Teaching seven or eight periods a day, fire drills, sponsoring several clubs, etc., can be a real grind. Talk about multi-tasking! I learned my craft, and I learned how little I knew. I look back at those years as a very exciting time. When one of our majors decides to become at teacher, I try to share all I can with them. What they are doing is so important. You really do touch students’ lives in a meaningful way.
KB: What do you plan to accomplish in the next 10 years?
MAB: I plan to make orthopedic surgeons very rich. If they are successful, I plan to do some more traveling. I have 250,000 frequent-flyer miles to use. I would love to go back to Italy. I also hope to do some part-time teaching. Being around college students does help you maintain a youthful attitude.
