Custody of Archive Entrusted to Museum for Cataloguing and Support of Baker’s 75th Anniversary Celebration in 2015
PITTSBURGH, PA – March 24, 2014 – Michael Baker International (Baker International) of Moon Township, Pa., and the Beaver Area Heritage Museum, located in Beaver, Pa., have announced a joint effort to collect, transfer and catalogue the entirety of Baker International’s historic materials collection.
Baker International has entrusted custody of its historic archive to the award-winning museum in preparation for the cataloging process and in support of the company’s 75th Anniversary, which it will celebrate in 2015.
Baker International CEO Kurt Bergman said, “This important archive project helps preserve the significant tradition and legacy of Baker International as a company, and celebrates the true entrepreneurial spirit of the Company’s founder and his impact on both the engineering industry and the local region. We are honored to be part of achieving this milestone, and proud to be working with the Museum in creating a living archive.”
Company founder Michael Baker, Jr. (1912-1977), of Beaver, PA
The collection consists of thousands of print photographs, photographic negatives, and 35mm slide photographs; 8mm and 16mm film on reels; project-specific microfiche dating to 1955; and internal and external company publications such as newsletters, magazines and technical journals. It also includes historical records as well as reprints of industry trade articles that feature the company, highlight a company project, or celebrate employee achievements. Collection features include personal effects of the company’s late Founder Michael Baker Jr., including his office desk, large globe, photo portrait, books from his personal library, and many other materials. Long-term plans for the cataloged collection include online Internet accessibility intended to serve academia and research.
Mark Miner, museum chair and a former Baker public relations executive said, “This effort represents an extraordinary opportunity to preserve a unique collection of technical expertise and document the signature accomplishments of both the Founder and the Baker organization which has deep roots in the Beaver County community. The project will help the museum expand its primary mission to educate students and others about our region’s rich history, and will attract researchers and scholars to experience our remarkable collections and facilities.”
Mildred Sefton, the museum’s director of collections, and Charles Snitger, former museum chair and retired Baker architect will manage the collection archive project, with added support from a team of Baker retirees dedicated to preserving Baker’s legacy for future generations.
About Michael Baker International
Michael Baker International, (Baker), is a leading provider of engineering, development, intelligence and technology solutions with global reach and mobility. With more than 6,000 employees in offices across the United States and internationally, Baker is consistently ranked by Engineering News-Record among the top 8 percent of the 500 largest U.S. design firms. Baker’s Engineering and Development division provides planning, architecture, engineering, construction services, asset management and asset renewal for a broad range of infrastructure in both the private and public sectors. Baker’s Technology and Intelligence division provides human intelligence operational support, analysis and training, management consulting and competitive intelligence, emerging technologies consulting, software and application development, and enterprise solutions to meet our clients’ most important mission objectives across the broad spectrum of counterterrorism, threat finance, cyber security and network operations and other priority missions. Learn more at www.mbakerintl.com.
About Beaver Area Heritage Museum
Created in 1998 through the renovation of a freight station formerly owned by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE), the Beaver Area Heritage Museum was named “Best Local History Museum” in the nation by the prestigious American Association of State and Local History and has been featured in People Magazine. It houses a collection of more than 108,000 archival objects, including 80,000 archaeological remnants from the Revolutionary War’s Fort McIntosh; a 50-year bound collection of original Beaver County Times newspapers; and tens of thousands of objects relating to the people, places and events of the community. The museum is part of a heritage campus including a reconstructed 1802-log house and the 8,500-sq.-ft. former P&LE passenger station, which is undergoing a $2.3 million renovation to create a multi-use cultural and events center. Learn more at www.beaverheritage.org.