Doris Baker (Wylie) Hoskins

Mrs. Doris Baker (Wylie) Hoskins, was born October 18, 1911 in Champaign, Illinois, the daughter of Hanse E. and Stella M. Baker. Her father was a student in the College of Engineering, Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. At age three, her family moved to Lafayette, Indiana, where her father continued his education at Purdue University. Her family returned to Urbana in 1919 and she was enrolled in the fourth grade at the J.W. Hays Grade School. She attended Lincoln School for her 6th grade, then went to Thornburn Junior High and graduated from the Urbana Senior High School in 1928.

She moved to Chicago to pursue her career in the secretarial field and was employed by the Law Firm of Hall, Braden and Hooks, located in the Douglas National Bank. While in the area, she met and was married to Lorenzo P. Wylie, Sr. Together, they had ten children, five boys, and five girls, some in the Chicago area at the Provident Hospital and some in Urbana, Illinois. She returned to Urbana in 1939, and enrolled her two oldest in the J.W. Hays School. She became a member of the P.T.A. there, which started her involvement in the community, and moved along until her last child graduated from high school (1965). She was made a life member in 1962. She was appointed a member of the Citizen's Advisory Committee to the Board of Education and the Urbana Park District Advisory Committee and served on those boards until 1974. From 1947-1974, she was on staff at the University of Illinois, working in the then-Nonacademic Personnel Office, a non-teaching position. In addition, from 1968-1974, she taught the Orientation Class for all new employees, including Administrative and Professional, Clerical, Laboratory, Crafts, Janitorial and Food Service. She retired in 1974.

Mr. Wylie passed away in 1976. In 1979, she married Dr. Eugene Hoskins, retired Doctor of Chiropractic. He passed away in 1989.

Her other civic and community services include her serving as Trustee, Lector, and Eucharist Minister at her church, St. Mary, Tax Counseling for the Elderly at R.S.V.P., Senior Health Insurance Program, Board Member for Matthew House, Medical Center Auxiliary at Provena Covenant Medical Center, Usher through Krannert Center Senior Volunteer Program, President of Champaign County Historical Society, and has served the Committee on African-American History in Champaign County of the Early American Museum. She was also a member of the Champaign County Section of the National Council of Negro Women.

Doris passed away in September 2004, in Champaign, Illinois. Her collection of historical material was transferred to Cheryl Kennedy upon her passing. The Hoskins Archive is now in the Museum of the Grand Prairie (formerly the Early American Museum).