Fred Eugene Baker

              Fred Eugene Baker


FRED E. BAKER: Lecturer
MR. BAKER is endowed by nature with a good physique, a resonant voice and a ready tongue.  He is fitted by temperament with a keen appreciation of the praiseworthy, the beautiful and the humorous in life; an eager student of men and books; acquiring readily the gist of things, Mr. Baker naturally finds the lecture platform a field of usefulness.  Having a hobby, in which he takes great delight, he is able to arouse interest and maintain it, in those subjects which he offers to the public.

As a specialist in the myths and legends of all ages and all peoples, Mr. Baker has spent many years of study to enable him to bring forth things both new and old with which to entertain, instruct and inspire his hearers.


Press and Personal Mention

Butler, O.—The Lucky Number was the subject Mr. Baker had selected for the evening's talk, it being along the line of life looked upon by many people as a game of chance, or the lucky and unlucky circumstances occurring day after day as time carries us along toward the end of life.
Mr. Baker is a most pleasant and able speaker, thoroughly understood the subject of his discourse in which he pictured out the fallacies of people who depend on luck to carry them along in life rather than make an honest effort in hard work and study.
Everybody present enjoyed the discourse very much and were not slow to show their appreciation in round after round of applause.—

Reporter.


Fostoria, O.—F. Eugene Baker entertained a good sized audience at the opera house, Tuesday night, as the third number on the lecture course.  His subject was The Lucky Number, and in the hour and a half that he talked, he convinced his hearers that he thoroughly understood his subject.  Mr. Baker is not an orator as the term is usually applied, but he is more.  He is a speaker with a happy, pleasing personality, and captures his hearers with his first sentence, and he manages to keep in touch with them till the finish.  Oratory alone seldom does that.  Mr. Baker did not come and manage to be here just long enough to talk and go.  But he spent nearly a day with us.  He got acquainted and made many friends who sincerely hope to hear him in all of his lectures.—
Times.




LECTURE SUBJECTS

The Lucky Number
A STUDY of luck, chance and the fatality of numbers, from a psychological point of view.

An attempt to find the number which, if played in the game of life, will insure the truest success.

Popularly treated and interspersed with fun, fact and fancy; closing with an eloquent tribute to the truth of the Latin maxim:

Omnia faber suae fortunae est.  Sallust.



Giants and Dwarfs

THE Megosauran Age.
Extremes in Nature.
Some Notable Giants and Other Big Things.
The Real Liliputians.
When Will the Limit of Tall Construction Be Reached?
Bigness not Greatness.
What Constitutes Greatness.
Some False Views.
Great and Near Great.
When Will the Limit of Tall Manhood be reached?
Development Intensive or Extensive.



Dreams and Dreamers
THE phenomena of sleep and dreams examined and explained; with hints at the meaning of dreams, and some valuable suggestions on the art of inducing sleep.

Those whom the world has called visionary dreamers are rapidly brought into view, and their lifework analyzed.

Many strange and humorous incidents are recounted.



A Land of Enchantments
A LADDIN'S lamp rubbed up to reveal a beautiful country where many travel and but few see things.

Following an enthusiastic guide into regions not yet fully explored, and abounding in riches untold.  He who loses himself here, finds himself.

Replete with happy references to life, literature and ancient lore.

For Commencements Only






Contributions to Lyceum Literature

What a Lecture Is
SOME people look upon a lecture as the exploitation of some man's hobby, others as a warmed-over sermon with a few near jokes added, still others as the juiceless narration of some dry-as-dust facts or statistics designed to fortify a hair-brained theory of the universe, and not a few as the effort of a would-be idol to maintain himself on the pedestal of his own egotism and thus secure the homage and applause of the public.  That the Lyceum platform has been used for such ends cannot be denied, but such impostors have not been able to hold their position long, while the man with a message, the man with a passion for service, the man who knows and yet has faith in humanity, the man possessing a personality that radiates hopefulness and courage, will be sought and he will be properly rewarded if he lends his time and strength to the uplift of mankind.

There is still great power in the spoken word.


PRESS COMMENTS

Bear Lake, Mich.—Notwithstanding the storm that was raging at the time, the lecture on The Lucky Number, given by Fred E. Baker at the K. O. T. M. hall was well attended and was greatly enjoyed by all present.  Mr. Baker has evidently made an exhaustive study of superstitions pertaining to luck and chance and heartily ridiculed them all.  He held that the only way to win success in life was to fit one's self to do thorough and valuable work and to do it with energy and perseverance.—
Beacon.


Brownstown, Ind.—The second number on the lecture course here this season was Fred. E. Baker, lecturer.  His subject was The Lucky Number, which was both entertaining and instructive.  He spoke for almost two hours and held his audience from start to finish.  It was a good, sound, practical argument in which lucky and unlucky numbers, good and bad omens and all foolish superstitions were literally shot to pieces.  Those who were not present certainly missed a treat in the lecture line.—
Banner.


Almond, N. Y.—Fred E. Baker's lecture was bright and interesting, while thoughtful and instructive.—
D. F. Benedict.




The Message and the Man
WHAT a lecturer brings to a town is something more than an hour's entertainment.  There may not be much that is new in the material of the lecture, though there usually is; there may be nothing spectacular in its delivery and there need not be; the lecturer's style may not meet all the requirements for classical literature but if it has a note of cheerfulness running through it, if it rings true to the higher call of duty, if it carries over from the soul of the speaker to the soul of the individual in the audience an impulse toward the realization of that person's true self, it was not delivered in vain.


PRESS COMMENTS

Corwith, Iowa.—Our people were given a rare treat last Saturday evening in the lecture of Fred E. Baker on The Lucky Number.  It was the first appearance of Mr. Baker before a Corwith audience, but it was only a few minutes before the speaker had won the confidence and individual attention of his large assemblage of auditors.  His appearance is pleasant and free, his delivery good, his diction pure and pronunciation superb.  He talks in language so plain that the unlettered can comprehend and in words with which the most highly educated can find no fault.  He handled his subject in a masterly way and his instruction should sink deeply into the minds of those who have been inclined to look upon this as a world of chance and so-called luck.  We hope to have Mr. Baker with us again.  All our people have the most kindly words for him.—
Hustler.

Berea, O.—In behalf of the students of Baldwin University, I want to express to you, Mr. Baker, our satisfaction and gratitude for your magnificent lecture which you gave us recently.  The lessons which you impart in your lecture have found a very ready response, not only in the thoughts, but in the general conduct of those who heard you.  The old truths are always new when presented in the vigorous and forceful manner in which you utter them.  We assure you that there will always be a most hearty welcome for you at Baldwin University.—Geo. B. Rogers, President Baldwin University.

Pittsburg, Pa.—Fred E. Baker's lecture, The Lucky Number, is strong, and pleased our people very much.—E. H. Clinedinst.




HE HAS LECTURED SINCE 1905

20 TIMES IN NEW YORK
25 TIMES IN PENNSYLVANIA
400 TIMES IN OHIO
30 TIMES IN MICHIGAN
10 TIMES IN INDIANA
30 TIMES IN IOWA
AND SEVERAL TIMES IN ILLINOIS AND KENTUCKY



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