Dr. Baer was born and raised in Huntington, WV. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1960. He graduated from the Academy in 1964 with a B.S. degree and was commissioned an Ensign in the U. S. Navy. He was assigned to the Naval Nuclear Power School and subsequently qualified in Naval Nuclear Power Plant operations. He served aboard the USS Long Beach CGN-9 with two tours to Viet Nam.

Upon release from active duty in December 1969, he enrolled in the University of Cincinnati where he earned both an M.S. and a Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering. He maintained his affiliation with the Navy through the Naval Reserve. Upon graduation he was part of the “start-up” team for the startup Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear plant. He went on to become Vice President of US Ecology Inc. where he testified before Congress and several State Legislatures on nuclear waste and hazardous chemical waste issues. He also assisted in drafting legislation for State Legislatures on the formation of nuclear waste disposal compacts and on regulations for waste disposal in their states.

Dr. Baer first came to Knoxville in 1981 with Bechtel National Inc. as part of the FUSRAP Project in Oak Ridge where he managed the cleanup of four old Manhattan Project sites in New York, New Jersey and Missouri. He also spent time on the Three Mile Island Unit 2 cleanup. During this time he founded the Boy Scout Troop at St. John Newman Catholic Church and attended the World Scout Jamboree in Canada as one of the U. S. contingent Assistant Scout Masters.

Dr. Baer was invited to become President of US Ecology Nuclear in 1986 and he moved to Louisville, KY where he continued his activities in the Boy Scouts of America program. Shortly thereafter he was named President of US Ecology Environmental and Texas Ecologist Inc.

In 1988, Dr. Baer’s son Thomas was murdered on the campus of the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. He and his late wife Margaret began a nearly 20 year career in improving college campus safety in Tennessee and across the U. S. They proposed and got a Safe College Campuses Act which required the reporting of “on campus” crime statistics and the publishing of policies and procedures for safe college campuses by all Tennessee institutions of higher learning in 1989.

Working with Security on Campus, Inc. they helped pass the federal Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990. Dr. and Mrs. Baer served on the Security on Campus, Inc. Board for a number of years where they continued working to pass legislation at the national level for improved safety and security on our nation’s college campuses including:

• Federal Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990
Modifications to the Buckley Amendment relating to the privacy of student records.

• Enacting civil penalties for violation of the Federal Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act.

Dr. Baer was recalled to active duty in 1990 to attend the resident course at the U. S. Naval War College; he earned an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies and was awarded the Steven B. Luce Award for the Best All Around Student. Upon release from active duty Dr. Baer and his wife Margaret, decided to return to Knoxville to continue the work they had being doing to promote changes to make college campuses safer.

Dr. Baer was a founding member of the East Tennessee Victims’ Rights Task Force where they were successful in promoting legislative passage in Tennessee of several issues including;

• Inclusion in the Tennessee State Constitution of the Crime Victims Bill of Rights.

• No parole for felons convicted of selected major crimes until they have served 85% of their sentence.

• Passage of .02 limit on breathalyzer test for under 21 as evidence of illegal alcohol possession.

• State funding for Statewide Victims Coalition.

• Crime victim families participating in the parole system by opposing parole.

Dr. Baer retired from the Navy in 1994 after 30 years service as a Captain. During that time he commanded six different reserve units in operations, engineering, communications and research:

• Base Consolidated Telecommunications Unit 304
• Amphibious Squadron Staff 723
• Commander Sixth Fleet Staff Detachment 109
• Naval Electronics Systems Engineering Center 109
• Naval Material Command Data Systems Group 109
• Office of Naval Research Science & Technology 406

He also:

• Served on three senior officer promotion boards.
• Qualified in nuclear power plant operations.
• Was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and two Navy Commendation Medals

Dr. Baer has a long history of commitment to community service. As part of The Compassionate Friends, Inc., a national self help organization for parents who have lost children, he has serviced in a number of capacities which include:

• Member for the national Board of Directors of The Compassionate Friends, Inc. a nationwide 501c(3) with over 600 chapters through the U.S.
Treasurer for the Knoxville HOPE Chapter of The Compassionate Friends, past Chapter Leader and a member for over 10 years.

• Founded Tri-Cities Area Compassionate Friends Chapter.

Dr. Baer has a long history with the Boy Scouts of America with over 30 years as a volunteer leader including:

• Past Vice President of the Great Smoky Mountain Council.
• Founding member of 3 boy Scout Troops and one Cub Pack.
• Served as a Commissioner in three different Boy Scout Councils in Louisville, KY, Providence, RI and Knoxville, TN.
• Assistant Scout Master for two World Jamborees in Canada and Australia.

Dr. Baer has served with the United Way of Greater Knoxville for the past 4 years as a loaned Executive and as an allocations committee Panel 6 member.

He is the Operations Manager and sings with the Knoxville Choral Society. He is a member of the Knoxville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Farragut Chamber of Commerce and a member of Knights of Columbus Council 5207.

Dr. Baer’s late wife Margaret passed away in 2005 due to complications of Juvenile Diabetes. He remarried and now lives at 12211 Torrey Pines Point, Farragut with his wife Phyllis (pictured at right with Dr. Baer in Jerusalem Christmas 2007). He attends All Saints Catholic Church and is a choir member at West Hills Baptist Church and All Saints Catholic Church.