Daniel Baker College

Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and named for early Texas circuit-riding minister Daniel Baker (1791-1857), this institution was founded in 1888 by the Rev. Brainard Taylor McClelland (1845-1901). The college officially was chartered on April 5, 1889. McClelland, under whose leadership Brownwood's First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1876, served as the college's first president. His wife, Susan Mary Smith McClelland, was a member of the college faculty and assumed a leadership role for two years following her husband's death. Land for the college campus was donated by brothers Samuel R. and Modie J. Coggin. The first class of Daniel Baker graduates, consisting of eight students, received diplomas in May 1895. In addition to academic instruction, the college also featured an active sports program, with football, baseball, track, and basketball teams. Plagued with financial problems throughout its history, the college was briefly affiliated with the Methodist and Episcopal denominations. Finally, in 1953, it was consolidated with Howard Payne College, a Baptist school also located in Brownwood. (1992)

Daniel Baker College is a historical marker in Brownwood, Brown County, dedicated in 1992. It is one of 54 historical markers documented in Brown County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 74 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.7109, -98.9778 near Brownwood. The nearest cataloged historic site is McClelland Library (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Dr. Mollie W. Armstrong, Malone, John Wesley, Home, and Brownwood Harvey House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5049001165. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.