Hollis seibe baker
Hollis S. Baker (b.1888 d.1966) was a trailblazer and "Renaissance Man" of the furniture industry. He was artist, connoisseur, salesman, administrator, and leader. Upon graduation from the University of Michigan, he entered his father's company, Baker Furniture, and remained with it all his working life. He was its head from 1925 until his death in 1966 and presided over its spectacular success and growth over that period.
His company's leadership in design excellence and maintenance of the highest quality standards came directly from his insistence. Through his own products, he raised the performance levels of the entire industry.
From his own research, he learned more about the history of furniture design and construction than anyone else of this era. His knowledge, experience, and acquisitiveness resulted in a major collection of exemplary pieces now housed in his Baker Museum in Holland, Michigan, and the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
Virtually his whole life was devoted to furniture. He was dedicated to design, serving as president and trustee of the Grand Rapids Art Museum and trustee of the Parsons School of Furniture Design in New York. He was instrumental in the founding of American Institute of Decorators (now the American Society of Interior Designers).