George Pierce Baker - Definition and Overview

George Pierce Baker (1866 - 1935), American educator. He graduated in the Harvard class of 1887, and taught in the English Department at Harvard 1888-1924. He started his '47 workshop' class in playwrighting in 1906. He was instrumental in creating the Harvard Theatre Collection at Harvard Library. Unable to persuade Harvard to offer a degree in playwrighting, he moved to Yale University in 1925, where he helped found the Yale School of Drama. Among those he taught in his playwrighting class were Eugene O'Neill, George Abbott, Edward Sheldon, Sidney Howard, and Maurine Dallas Watkins.