Committed to family, church and public service, Anne contributed to Hopkins County in many ways. Born in Norfolk, Virginia to Mary and Fenton Priest, Anne married James Galliday Baker, a Madisonville native, in 1944 and moved here in 1946.
Anne soon became active in the life of Madisonville and Hopkins County. The mother of three children, she became especially active in the Hopkins County Schools serving as a parent volunteer and holding various offices in Hopkins County PTA. In 1958 she played a key role in the “Save our Schools” drive that contributed to Hopkins County residents voting to increase tax support to improve the public schools. One of her more noteworthy achievements occurred in 1972 when she was selected Kentucky Mother of the Year.
Perhaps her most significant contribution to the community, however, is the role she played in forming and leading the Community Improvement Foundation beginning in 1970. Selected president in 1974, Anne was instrumental in raising over $500,000 as seed money to fund construction of the Fine Arts Center. Later, the Foundation raised an additional $600,000 to complete the project. The seed money was, at the time, the single largest contribution ever given to the University of Kentucky Community College System. In 1995, she made a personal gift to Madisonville Community College’s first ever major gifts campaign which helped fund both the north end parking project near the Center and provided the initial investment for the arts endowment. She also accepted a leadership role in the campaign serving as Community Gifts Chair.
The Center’s gallery which bears Anne’s name is a testament to her enthusiasm for the arts and her commitment to the quality of life for every Hopkins County resident.