Fall 2005

Dear Friends of the Winery,

With sadness, I inform our many winery friends of the passing of Baker Ferguson, Megan's father and founder of L'Ecole No 41 along with his late wife, Jean. Baker and Jean were respected pioneers of the nascent Washington State wine industry when they founded L'Ecole No 41 in 1983, operating as the 20th commercial winery in the state. Today there are over 350. Baker and Jean's shared passion for wine and belief in the Walla Walla Valley drove their decision to establish L'Ecole. Their first vintage of Merlot in 1983 won the only Gold Medal issued by the 1986 Pacific Northwest Enological Society, setting a standard we still pursue today. In a private gathering of family and close acquaintances a few weeks ago, we decided the best tribute to Baker would be to toast him with a specially engraved 3 liter bottle of that first vintage Merlot. It was incredibly good for its age, and let's just say was quickly depleted.

As we rummaged through old photos and memorabilia, we stumbled across an article on Baker written in 1987 by Paul Gregutt for the Seattle Weekly (click to view). While it is hard to imagine any article capturing Baker's complex nature, his many accomplishments and his keen sense of humor, I feel confident he was smiling when he read that article himself some 18 years ago. I have read it several times now and still feel his glow each time.

Baker entered the wine business late in life; his accomplishments before wine were many. He was a navigator in WWII until he was shot down over Kiel and spent 2 years in a German prison camp. He spent most of his business career as a banker, following in his family's footsteps and serving as President of Baker Boyer Bank, the oldest bank in the State of Washington, for 18 years. Baker was the great-grandson of the bank's founder, Dorsey Sing Baker. Megan has continued that family tradition, now serving as President of Baker Boyer Bank.

Baker was a lifetime supporter of Whitman College - as a student, faculty member, and longtime governing board member. In recognition of such passionate support, Whitman College broke ground in May (Baker attended) on the Baker Ferguson Fitness Center. Tom Cronin, retiring Whitman College President, may have said it best "Baker's warmth, strength of character, and good humor will long be remembered. His was a memorable life, memorably lived."

For me, it has been an honor to continue the wine legacy that Jean and Baker started with L'Ecole No 41.

Martin and Megan Clubb, and the staff of L'Ecole Nº 41