Carl Baker

Carl Baker served as Director of the National Cancer Institute from 1961 to 1971 and was a pivotal figure in building the institutional and programmatic foundations that culminated in the National Cancer Act of 1971. His leadership established the NCI's cancer center program, which created a network of comprehensive cancer centers providing high-quality research, treatment, and education across the United States. He developed the concept of targeted cancer research programs integrating laboratory, clinical, and epidemiologic investigation, a model that shaped how cancer research programs were organized and funded for decades. His advocacy for dedicated federal investment in cancer research laid essential groundwork for the political and scientific mobilization that resulted in the National Cancer Act, often called the War on Cancer, signed by President Nixon in 1971.