Maxine Baker (politician)
Maxine Baker (July 26, 1898 – January 28, 1994) was an American politician. She served as a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1963 to 1972, representing Miami-Dade County, Florida. She is the namesake of the Baker Act, also known as the Florida Mental Health Act.[1]
Maxine Baker | |
|---|---|
 Maxine Baker (center) in 1965. | |
| Born | Maxine R. Eldridge July 26, 1898 Berwyn, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 1994 (aged 95) Orange City, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Radcliffe College |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | John A. Baker |
Baker was on Florida Governor LeRoy Collins's Special Constitutional Advisory Committee (SPAC) in 1958 as a prominent Dade County representative of the League of Women Voters. Many in Florida wanted to finally revise the old Florida Constitution of 1885. She was a progressive force in advocating for county home rule, reapportionment, and particularly for desegregation of public schools. These changes eventually were incorporated into the 1968 revised Florida Constitution.[2]
References
- "A Guide to the Maxine E. Baker Papers". George A. Smathers Libraries. University of Florida. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- Adkins, Mary (2016). Making Modern Florida. University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-5251-9.