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|name=Champion Lee "Champ Leroy" Baker, Sr.(Civic and political figure <br> in Alexandria, Louisiana)|image=Champ Leroy Baker.jpg

'''Champion Lee Baker, Sr.''', known as '''Champ Leroy Baker, Sr.''' (March 9, 1919 &ndash; December 23, 1985),<ref name=bakergenialexandriamemorialgardens>{{cite web|url=https://www.genifindagrave.com/peoplememorial/Champ58012490/champ-Bakerleroy-Sr/6000000001112314388|title=Champ Leroy Baker, Sr.|publisher=Geni.com|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref><ref name=alexandriamemorialgardens>{{cite web|url=https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=58012490baker|title=Capt. Champion Lee "Champ" Baker, Sr.|publisher=Old.findagraveFindagrave.com|accessdate=July 14October 9, 20182020}}</ref> was a civic and political figure in from [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], [[Louisiana]].

One of eight children of Richard Baker (1876-1936), a painter originally from Holland, [[Michigan]], and the former Maud LaDell Johnson (1884-1981),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Richard-Baker/6000000001112075033|title=Richard Baker genealogy|publisher=Geni.com|accessdate=July 14was, like his mother, 2018}}</ref> Baker was born in the small town of Boyce in northern Rapides Parish, where his mother had also been born. His official first name "ChampionChamp" was derived from that of his maternal grandfather, Champion Pennington Johnson (1849-19961896), a native of Harmony, [[North Carolina]]., whom Baker never knew. He used the name "Champ Leroy Baker"; hence, the "Champ" is derived from "Champion".

Baker attended Bolton High School in Alexandria. In 1940, he enlisted for military service and became a captain in the [[United States Army]] during [[World War II]]. He met his wife, the former Astrid Hile (December 17, 1920 &ndash; August 18, 2010), a native of [[Tallinn]], the capital and largest city of the [[Baltic Sea]] state of [[Estonia]]. Mrs. Baker was the younger of two daughters of Gustave Hile, originally Hiielje (1888-1954) and the former Pauline Elisabeth Lindstrom, originally Linzmann (1894-1972)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Pauline-Hiie-Ije/6000000008849557657|title=Pauline Elisabeth Hile|publisher=Geni.com|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref> She was an Army nurse for the Fourth Service Command at Finney General Hospital in Thomasville, in southern [[Georgia]].<ref name=mrsbaker>{{cite web|url=https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57345487|title=Astrid Hile Baker|publisher=Old.findagrave.com|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref> Upon his return to civilian life, Baker became a steadfast advocate for veterans' causes. For thirty years, Mrs. Baker was a caseworker for the Louisiana state government. The Bakers had three children, Susanne Carol Nall (born July 21, 1944) and husband Malcolm Howell Nall (born November 4, 1948) of Woodworth, south of Alexandria; Dr. Champ Baker, Jr. (born August 3, 1946), an orthopedic and sports medical doctor in Columbus, Georgia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-champ-baker-x8mw4|title=Dr. Champ Baker, Jr. - Healthgrades|publisher=Healthgrades.com|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref> who is married to the former Sue Anne Owens (born December 30, 1945), and Russell King Baker (born February 19, 1949), and spouse, the former Kathryn "Kathie" Pearce (born June 22, 1959), of Lorena in McLennan County, south of [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], [[Texas]]. One of their ten grandchildren is , Dr. Champ (Lee) Baker, III (born January 21, 1976), is a sports doctor affiliated with the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Georgia.<ref name=mrsbaker/>.

Baker was the long-term director of the Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning & Development District at 3514 Parliament Drive in Alexandria, a quasi-government multi-purpose body which among other functions prepares land-use guidelines and distributes law enforcement grants for eight Central Louisiana parishes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/214412737/|title="New Federal Aid Explained to Law Enforcement Heads"|publisher=The ''[[Alexandria Town Talk]]''|date=January 30, 1969|page=6|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref>One of the Kisatchie board members, [[Brian Duke]], was a Rapides Parish police juror and former jury president.

In 1977, Baker, a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], ran for [[mayor]] of Alexandria in the first election under the mayor-council charter, which replaced the former commission city government. He ran Baker finished thirdwith 2,082 votes, but outgoing Mayor [[John K. Snyder]] ran strongly enough to enter second and hence entered a runoff contest with [[Carroll Edwin Lanier (1926-2012)]], who from 1969 to 1973 was had been the finance and utilities commissioner under the previous government. In this same election cycle, [[W. A. "Dub" Carruth]], a prominent house and apartment developer, won an at-large seat on the new Alexandria City Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thetowntalk/obituary.aspx?n=w-a-carruth-dub&pid=189576482&fhid=11989|title=W. A. "Dub" Carruth obituary|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|date=July 13, 2018|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref> A native of Ashley County, [[Arkansas]], Lanier defeated Snyder, 68-32 percent. Five years later, Snyder turned the tables on Lanier to gain a second non-consecutive term as mayor in 1982. Then in 1986, Snyder was unseated by long-term mayor Edward Gordon "[[Ned" Randolph, Jr. (1942-2016)]]. In addition to Baker, other losing candidates in the 1977 race were Dr. [[real estate]] [[business]]man Charles Elbert "Charlie" Hickman (1933-2012); Democrat Judith Ward-Steinman Karst, the then wife of former Mayor Charles Edward Karst (19311941-19922020),outgoing Finance the daughter of Alexandria attorney and Utilities Commissioner Arnold Jack Rosenthal (1923[[radio]] station owner [[Irving Ward-2010)Steinman]], and former state Representative Larry Parker.(1922-1996)later Judith Karst Campbell of [[rural]] Hiawassee in Towns County in far northeastern [[Georgia]], thereafter in [[North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.thetowntalkmylife.com/article/20121205/NEWS01/212050317/Formerjudy-Alexandria-Mayor-Carroll-Lanier-dies-86?|author=Cynthia D. Jardoncampbell/jkc0019|title=Former Alexandria Mayor Carroll Lanier dies at 86Judith Karst Campbell|publisher=The Alexandria Town Talk|date=December 5, 2012Mylife.com|accessdate=July 1430, 2018}}</ref> Judy Karst was then married to former Mayor [[Ed Karst|Charles Edward Karst]]; the two remaining candidates were outgoing Fina,''December 5, 2012.</ref>

Baker subsequently joined the second Snyder administration as the utilities director, in which capacity he had warned that the city needed greater sources of energy to power the municipal-owen owned electric power system. Baker said that he remains "skittish" in regard to the "unreliable" Rodemacher No. 2 [[coal]]-fired plant near his native Boyce owned by the [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]]-based Central Louisiana Electric Company, which Baker claimed is "unreliable". Snyder announced that the city would by March 1984 have a suitable three-year contract with a company in [[Colorado]].When a CLECO spokesman claimed that Baker was "blatantly inaccurate and totally inappropriate" about the Rodemacher plant, Baker replied that he was "blatantly accurate and totally appropriate." While he downplayed getting into a shouting match with CLECO, Baker said, "The corporate power squalls when its skin is pricked. … I have been reticent to discuss details of my negotiation for gas supplies for the city of Alexandria as it would have caused me to divulge the confidences of several suppliers."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/216161339/|title="Snyder: Cheaper Gas on the Way"|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|date=January 13, 1984|author=Jim Liggett|page=A2|accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref>

Baker died of a stroke at the age of sixty-six at Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria.<ref name=bakergeni/> He and his wife are interred at Alexandria Memorial Gardens.<ref name=alexandriamemorialgardens/>