Dr. Donald G. Baker, professor emeritus at Long Island University, passed away on October 12, 2025, after a lengthy illness.  Following his time in the U.S. Army and several years on the faculty at Skidmore College, Dr. Baker served as Professor of Political Science at the Southampton and C.W. Post campuses of Long Island University (LIU) for nearly 50 years.

A prolific scholar, Dr. Baker published three books and over fifty articles in his field of race/ethnic relations with a particular focus on Africa.  His academic appointments included research fellowships at Victoria University (New Zealand), Yale University, St. Antony's Graduate College at Oxford University, the University of Zimbabwe, and the University of Rhodesia. Dr. Baker also served as Professor and Director of the New York State Graduate Legislative Internship Program in Albany, as well as serving as a consultant to the Peace Corps. In recognition of his lifetime of scholarly work, Prof. Baker was selected by a jury of distinguished scholars to receive the Trustees Award for Scholarly Achievement from Long Island University in 2002.

Dr. Baker leaves his wife of 45 years, Dr. Barbara Sands, his daughter, Dr. Catherine Baker, and his son-in-law, Zachary Thompson, as well as in-laws Kathryn Sands, John Sands, and Audrey Sands. He is survived by three of his eight siblings, including Glenda Dunn.
Visiting will be Thursday from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm   Cremation will take place on Friday