The spirit of John “Doc” Baxter has been well memorialized on the campus of Emporia State University for years and now it will have a physical representation on the campus for decades to come.
Saturday morning, staff, students and administration of Emporia State University gathered inside of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) building for the grand opening of the John “Doc” Baxter athletic training and human performance lab. The state-of-the-art facility includes treadmills, cycling and rowing apparatuses, data force plates, an isokinetic strength machine, a balance machine and more that will help provide real-world skills training to students majoring in Health and Human Performance and graduate students in athletic training.
Matt Howe, Program Director for Athletic Training, says thanks to the new facility their students will be “ready to go” no matter where their careers take them.
ESU Athletics Director David Spafford notes the lab will also be a game changer for ESU’s athletic programs and student-athletes.
The lab and its equipment were all made possible by various donors including lead gifts from Pam Baxter, widow of Doc Baxter, Rainer and Julie Martens and the Sunderland Foundation. Pam Baxter spoke with KVOE News during Saturday’s festivities and says the facility is the perfect testament to her late husband’s memory.
Baxter, whose career at Emporia State spanned 45 years, served as the head athletic trainer and instructor from 1966 to 2012. Baxter passed away back in 2016 and in addition to the new center bearing his name, Baxter’s memory has also been memorialized through the annual Jon “Doc” Baxter Taco Feed.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
