Stephen W. Baird (1983) - Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame

Stephen W. Baird

Induction:
1983
Class:
1972

Steve Baird, one of Bucknell's finest tennis players ever, captained the 1972 team and played on squads that had a combined 38-3 dual-match record and won Middle Atlantic Conference University Division championships in 1970 and 1971. Baird had a 13-1 record while playing at second singles as a sophomore and was undefeated in 25 matches over the next two years in the No. 1 position. In addition to his 38-1 dual-match record in singles, which included the loss of only seven sets, he was 31-2 in doubles. Baird won the MAC Fall Championship in his senior year and was a singles semifinalist and doubles finalist at the 1972 Eastern Championships. He was the co-recipient of the Christy Mathewson Award with swimmer Peter O'Keefe as the top Bison athlete in their class. A graduate of The Gunnery School prior to coming to Bucknell, Baird went on to become a 10-time national champion in platform tennis. Along with partner Rich Maier, he became the first player to four consecutive National Doubles Championships (1980-83), and the two went on to win nine titles together. Baird later became president of the American Platform Tennis Association.
(Bucknell Hall of Fame Class of 1983)