Baker University is set to begin production this spring on a short digital documentary highlighting the efforts and accomplishments of former professor William Charles Bauer.

Bauer was a Baker professor in the early 1900s and is known for being the man to electrify the Baker campus and eventually all of Baldwin City.

“He seemed like such an interesting character because he was an inventor and kind of took this on and really got involved with the community,” Director of Marketing Joanne Tolkoff said.

The university received a grant to budget the film from the Kansas Humanities Council after submitting the topic for consideration.

“The idea came about from a paper that (senior) Tracy (Light) wrote in HI 226, which is a laboratory course in historical methods,” Assistant Professor of History John Richards said. “In that class, students have to research an original historical topic using primary source material.”

Light said she wrote the paper her sophomore year and had not thought about it since then. A few years later the idea resurfaced.

“I didn’t think about it for two years, and then during the beginning of this year there were a couple topics up for grabs to do this documentary and receive a grant for it,” Light said. “Richards knew that I had written this paper, and he suggested it and they looked further into it.”

The essay won not only the attention of the committee, but also the grant. <br/>"John (Richards), of course because of his work with Tracy, brought up the William Bauer project and her research paper, and it seemed like there was so much information that we already had that it would serve as a great basis for the documentary," Tolkoff said."John (Richards), of course because of his work with Tracy, brought up the William Bauer project and her research paper, and it seemed like there was so much information that we already had that it would serve as a great basis for the documentary," Tolkoff said.
“John (Richards), of course because of his work with Tracy, brought up the William Bauer project and her research paper, and it seemed like there was so much information that we already had that it would serve as a great basis for the documentary,” Tolkoff said.

Tolkoff said other topics considered included William Quayle and Liston Stadium. However, it was Bauer and his work that won the spot.

“I think the story should be told because it was brought about by a professor that taught at Baker and cared so much about his school,” Light said. “It’s a story that has been kept very well-hidden for a while, and it is kind of nice to know how our school was electrified before the city was.”

Light is serving as the principal researcher for the film, taking information from primary sources held in both the Kansas archives and the archives at Baker.

Susan Emel, professor of mass media and communication, will then take the material and build a script for the film.

“Susan Emel is going to be taking all the research material and similar to the way she writes a speech choir script, we are going to work together,” Tolkoff said. “Then the speech choir is going to provide the narration and maybe, possibly, some on-camera work, but for the most part, they are going to be our voice.”

Production for the documentary, titled “Bauer, Baker and Baldwin City: Electrifying a Small Town’s Identity,” is scheduled to begin this spring.