Remembering Edward J. Baca: A Hometown Boy Serves With Distinction
Posted Friday, August 31, 2012 - by Paul Milan, Historical Society, for the Cibola County Beacon
When I first entered Grants grade school one of the largest sixth graders was a boy by the name of Ed Baca.
Eddie was larger than most of the youngsters and was always seen with a group of children following him to play whatever sport was in season. Eddie was like a coach to his followers.
And when he was not playing in the schoolyard, you would see him with a group playing in some backyard.
When I entered junior high, which was at the high school, it gave me an opportunity to mingle with the big guys. Eddie had already established himself as an athlete in basketball and football, as well as an all-around-student in his studies and student government.
Junior high also made us eligible to join the local C.Y.O. (Catholic Youth Organization), giving us an opportunity to socialize with all of the older students. Eddie treated us with respect and as the teenagers say today, he would “hang out” with us. Many of the older teenagers did not relish hanging around the younger ones.
Eddie had his critics. They said that he was big for high school but not big enough for college, but could not control his temper, and was too slow.
The word got around to other schools about Eddie’s temper, and the players would try to get him thrown out of the game. During a football game in Gallup the Gallup players ganged up on him, he lost his temper and was thrown out of game during the first half.
At the beginning of the second half, the Gallup fans and the players chanted that they wanted Eddie back in the game, they wanted to gang up on him, and as a result their star player was carried out with a broken leg.
Eddie played baseball for the first time his senior year.
The senior Tony Mace was known to have a history in major league baseball. The word was that recruiters would call Tony looking for talent, and he told them about Baca.
Eddie was offered a spot at the summer camp of the Detroit Tigers minor team, which Eddie turned down.
When we questioned his sanity, he said, “My goal is to get a degree, and baseball is not going to get me there.”
Eddie was one of the first to work for Anaconda that summer - saving money to buy a car for $100, which lost its brakes going down the hill in Albuquerque. He was able to stop by running into an advertising sign.
When Eddie came home for Christmas, he said that he did not go out for basketball because he saw how tall the players were. The coach saw him playing intramurals and invited him to come out for a trial, Eddie was warming the bench at a game in Flagstaff, Ariz., and the coach sent him in. Eddie played on the first five games for the next four years.
His college career included “Who’s Who in American Universities,” the Student Senate, the Dean’s List, Football All Conference, Captain of Football and Basketball, and he earned a total of sixteen letters, which included baseball and track.
When I mentioned to Eddie that by his own admission he was too slow for track, he said, “I found out that I could throw the javelin almost across the football field.”
When Eddie graduated, he applied for a coaching job in Grants. The school superintendent told him that it wouldn’t be a good idea to hire a hometown person because it would look like favoritism.
Eddie accepted a coaching job with Gallup Cathedral. After a few years he was the head coach at Socorro. While teaching he earned a Masters (degree) from the University of New Mexico, finishing all the class work for his Ph.D.
He was offered a position as an overseas representative, American Association of Health, P.E., and Recreation, in Caracas, Venezuela, to establish a Peace Corps program throughout the whole country.
Because of his success in Venezuela he was recruited by the Peace Corps to be the Deputy Country Director of the Peace Corps in Lima, Peru, in one year Eddie was promoted to Country Director.
Once his Peace Corps’ term was completed, the U.S. Office of Education in Seattle, Wash., recruited him as a Compensatory Education Specialist. His territory covered Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
I had not seen Eddie in 17 years.
I was working for the Regional Director for the Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) in Dallas, Texas. When I walked into the office one morning, there was Eddie waiting to see my boss.
Eddie was the finalist for the Regional Commissioner of the U.S. Office of Education, giving us the opportunity to renew our friendship. He served with distinction being the only U.S. Office of Education Regional Director to survive the changes within the administration.
His employees would tell me that Eddie was firm, but never lost his temper no matter what.
Eddie told me that his only regret was not discovering golf and tennis at an early age.
He had three girls and would say that if he had boys, he would tell them to play tennis and golf. Football and basketball sports are short-lived except for the professionals.
“You end up with a bad back and knees,” he said.
Eddie was the top tennis player in the federal government and won many tournaments.
When Eddie retired he took a part-time job so that he could play golf every day, which he said he could play by himself, He had to find a partner to play tennis.
Eddie had envisioned going back to Grants one day.
A school board member called him and asked him to apply for superintendent of Grants High, which he did.
Later he was told that they had decided to hire within the school system - a hometown boy. Eddie would laugh, saying that he could find jobs all around the world but not in Grants.
Editor’s Note: Paul Milan, a longtime Cibola County resident, is a member of the Cibola County Historical Society.
Eddie was larger than most of the youngsters and was always seen with a group of children following him to play whatever sport was in season. Eddie was like a coach to his followers.
And when he was not playing in the schoolyard, you would see him with a group playing in some backyard.
When I entered junior high, which was at the high school, it gave me an opportunity to mingle with the big guys. Eddie had already established himself as an athlete in basketball and football, as well as an all-around-student in his studies and student government.
Junior high also made us eligible to join the local C.Y.O. (Catholic Youth Organization), giving us an opportunity to socialize with all of the older students. Eddie treated us with respect and as the teenagers say today, he would “hang out” with us. Many of the older teenagers did not relish hanging around the younger ones.
Eddie had his critics. They said that he was big for high school but not big enough for college, but could not control his temper, and was too slow.
The word got around to other schools about Eddie’s temper, and the players would try to get him thrown out of the game. During a football game in Gallup the Gallup players ganged up on him, he lost his temper and was thrown out of game during the first half.
At the beginning of the second half, the Gallup fans and the players chanted that they wanted Eddie back in the game, they wanted to gang up on him, and as a result their star player was carried out with a broken leg.
Eddie played baseball for the first time his senior year.
The senior Tony Mace was known to have a history in major league baseball. The word was that recruiters would call Tony looking for talent, and he told them about Baca.
Eddie was offered a spot at the summer camp of the Detroit Tigers minor team, which Eddie turned down.
When we questioned his sanity, he said, “My goal is to get a degree, and baseball is not going to get me there.”
Eddie was one of the first to work for Anaconda that summer - saving money to buy a car for $100, which lost its brakes going down the hill in Albuquerque. He was able to stop by running into an advertising sign.
When Eddie came home for Christmas, he said that he did not go out for basketball because he saw how tall the players were. The coach saw him playing intramurals and invited him to come out for a trial, Eddie was warming the bench at a game in Flagstaff, Ariz., and the coach sent him in. Eddie played on the first five games for the next four years.
His college career included “Who’s Who in American Universities,” the Student Senate, the Dean’s List, Football All Conference, Captain of Football and Basketball, and he earned a total of sixteen letters, which included baseball and track.
When I mentioned to Eddie that by his own admission he was too slow for track, he said, “I found out that I could throw the javelin almost across the football field.”
When Eddie graduated, he applied for a coaching job in Grants. The school superintendent told him that it wouldn’t be a good idea to hire a hometown person because it would look like favoritism.
Eddie accepted a coaching job with Gallup Cathedral. After a few years he was the head coach at Socorro. While teaching he earned a Masters (degree) from the University of New Mexico, finishing all the class work for his Ph.D.
He was offered a position as an overseas representative, American Association of Health, P.E., and Recreation, in Caracas, Venezuela, to establish a Peace Corps program throughout the whole country.
Because of his success in Venezuela he was recruited by the Peace Corps to be the Deputy Country Director of the Peace Corps in Lima, Peru, in one year Eddie was promoted to Country Director.
Once his Peace Corps’ term was completed, the U.S. Office of Education in Seattle, Wash., recruited him as a Compensatory Education Specialist. His territory covered Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
I had not seen Eddie in 17 years.
I was working for the Regional Director for the Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) in Dallas, Texas. When I walked into the office one morning, there was Eddie waiting to see my boss.
Eddie was the finalist for the Regional Commissioner of the U.S. Office of Education, giving us the opportunity to renew our friendship. He served with distinction being the only U.S. Office of Education Regional Director to survive the changes within the administration.
His employees would tell me that Eddie was firm, but never lost his temper no matter what.
Eddie told me that his only regret was not discovering golf and tennis at an early age.
He had three girls and would say that if he had boys, he would tell them to play tennis and golf. Football and basketball sports are short-lived except for the professionals.
“You end up with a bad back and knees,” he said.
Eddie was the top tennis player in the federal government and won many tournaments.
When Eddie retired he took a part-time job so that he could play golf every day, which he said he could play by himself, He had to find a partner to play tennis.
Eddie had envisioned going back to Grants one day.
A school board member called him and asked him to apply for superintendent of Grants High, which he did.
Later he was told that they had decided to hire within the school system - a hometown boy. Eddie would laugh, saying that he could find jobs all around the world but not in Grants.
Editor’s Note: Paul Milan, a longtime Cibola County resident, is a member of the Cibola County Historical Society.