Thursday evening, Emporia State University lost one of its own with the death of John “Doc” Baxter, former athletic trainer. Baxter spent nearly half a century at ESU serving as an athletic trainer, a colleague and a friend to many.
“John was a staple at HPER for many, many years and I know that not many of the current students here knew him, but I know they heard of him,” said Kent Weiser, athletic director.
After his arrival in 1966, Baxter began his legacy, which continues even after his retirement in 2012.
“John was a role model and mentor for everyone he worked with,” said Mark Padfield, former graduate student and president of the Kansas Athletic Trainers Association. “Doc did more for our profession, both in Kansas and out, than many people realize. He was more than just a superlative AT.”
Even those who were not afforded the experience of being taught by Baxter recognize the influence he had on the university.
“When I arrived at ESU, Doc had already retired,” said Dustin Englinger, head athletic trainer. “I think his legacy at ESU is spoken by having the athletic training rooms named after him. This honor for him was well deserved.”
Former colleagues remember Baxter as a devoted member of the university as well as a man with passion.
“He was a teacher and mentor in and out of the classroom. He pushed students to their limits to help them find out how good they really can be,” said Matthew Howe, associate professor of healthy physical education and recreation.
Baxter did these things because it was just his nature, according to Weiser.
“He is someone that everyone looked up to. That was one of the remarkable things about him was his ability to relate to anyone, even across generations of students and trainers,” Weiser said.
In his time at ESU, Baxter received many awards. He was also inducted into the ESU Athletics Hall of Honor, Emporia State HPER Hall of Honor, the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame and the Kansas Athletic Trainers’ Society Hall of Fame.
“Doc had a heart of gold wrapped in a mile of barbed wire. He was intensely loyal to those that he cared for, and there were very few people that he met that didn’t fit into that category,” Padfield said, “The world is less without him.”
