Longtime EMI Dean Kent Baker Passes On

Kent Baker, 81, Rockville, MD, who retired last September as dean of TRSA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI), passed away on Jan. 22 after a brief illness.

Baker (pictured above with EMI students) was also a long-tenured professor at American University (AU), where he built a distinguished record over nearly half a century as a scholar, educator, and author on personal finance and related issues.

“All of us at TRSA and the EMI community of students, alumni and faculty are in mourning for our friend and colleague, Kent Baker,” said TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci. “His skills and vision as a teacher and administrator fueled the success of EMI for 49 years. While he retired last year, his inspiration will live on for generations of EMI students to come.”

In an article in this month’s Textile Services magazine, alumni and EMI faculty colleagues commented on Baker’s impact on them and the program as a Year I instructor since 1976 and dean since 1981. “I first attended EMI back in 2002, and looking back now, I can honestly say those years were some of the most impactful of my career,” says Eric Smith, VP of marketing for TEXO (formerly Alliant, Infinite Laundry and LinenMaster), Irving, TX. “And at the heart of that experience was Kent Baker. Kent’s Year I course wasn’t just the start of EMI. It set a tone. From the first few hours of his class, it was clear this wasn’t your typical training. Through role-playing, games and some uncomfortable scenarios, he challenged us to think differently, to speak up, to listen, and maybe most importantly, to laugh at ourselves. That was part of his magic. He knew how to teach serious lessons without ever taking himself too seriously.”

Faculty colleague Joe Currier, 82, a consultant and psychologist whose work for EMI stretches back almost to its founding in 1965, said he appreciated Baker’s approach to the program right from the start. “I met Kent then, and I admired the man over the years for his dedication, his intelligence,” said Currier, in the article titled “H. Kent Baker – A Gifted Educator and ‘Insightful Gentleman’” (pg. 44, January’s Textile Services magazine). “He’s got a sense of humor that he can not only get you to listen and pay attention and learn, but also you enjoy his presence. He’s just brilliant. And that’s what kept the students coming back to him, as he really reached through to them.”

Similar words of praise came from Baker’s university colleagues, who admired his skills and his recent gifts to the AU School of Education and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “Over the course of five decades, Kent touched the lives of countless students and colleagues, shaping their successes and leaving a lasting mark on our university,” said AU Provost Vicky Wilkins. “Kent had a remarkable ability to see potential in others, even in students whose talents or promise might have been overlooked, and he was willing to invest deeply in their success.”

In February 2025, Baker, who received two doctorates and a master’s degree from AU, made the largest single commitment to AU from an individual in honor of his late wife, Linda, herself a two-degree graduate of AU. In recognition of the AU School of Education, it was named the Linda A. and H. Kent Baker School of Education, according to a news release. Linda predeceased Kent in March 2024.

Kent showed a similar generosity toward the University of Maryland, where he earned three master’s degrees. In 2025, Kent made a significant gift to the Smith School of Business to establish the H. Kent Baker Center for Behavioral Finance. This is only the second named center of its kind in the United States, according to a news release.

As a University Professor of Finance at AU, Kent’s scholarly output included writing: 47 books, 222 peer-reviewed journal articles and 38 book chapters. He was recognized in The Journal of Finance Literature among the top 1% of most-prolific authors in finance in the past 50 years. Stanford University ranked him among the top 2% of scientists worldwide in 2024.

Some called Kent a “renaissance man,” and he showcased diverse skills, including work as a professional musician, playing piano, guitar and other instruments. What was his secret? EMI Faculty colleague Jim Underwood, a leadership consultant and – like Currier – an instructor for Year III EMI, summarized Baker’s approach as follows: “I would describe him as a man of the four ‘C’s. And what I mean by that is character, competence, curiosity and compassion.”

Friends and colleagues may click here to send condolence messages to Kent’s family in care of Going Home Cremation & Funeral Care.