Stephen Francis Barker (January 11, 1927[1] – December 16, 2019[2])[3] was an American Philosopher of Mathematics, a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University.[4] He was also a faculty member at the University of Southern California,[5] the University of Virginia and Ohio State University.[6]
He was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1948, he served in the Navy for a year. He then proceeded in 1949 to earn a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College. He got his master's degree as well as ph.D in Philosophy from Harvard University in 1951 and 1954 respectively. While at Harvard, he won the Bechtel Prize in 1951 for his essay, "A Study of Phenomenalism".[7][4]
Later, he became an instructor in the University of Southern California in 1954–55. He became an Assistant Professor in the University of Virginia and then was made an Associate Professor in the same university from 1956 to 1961. He became a professor at Ohio State University from 1961 to1964. He reached the peak of his career when he arrived at Johns Hopkins as a professor in 1964 where he was named Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 2002.[4]
Barker was not just a Professor or a Professor Emeritus, he was also a Sheldon Traveling Fellow in England in 1952–53. Harvard awarded him the George Santayana Fellowship for the academic year 1955–56. In addition, he became a Guggenheim Fellow in 1964–65.[4]
Barker was married to Evelyn Barker who was also a Philosopher and died in 2003. Baker himself eventually died at Roland Park Place at 92 years of age after living an exceptionally brilliant life.