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Edward Allen Baird (18 March 1933, Kansas City, Kansas – 	2 August 2000)

Early life, education
Edward Allen Baird was born on 18 March 1933 in Kansas City, Kansas. He was the son of Edward A Baird and Mary S Baird (née Bradly). At the time of the 1940 United States Census he was residing with his family in Marlborough, Missouri. He studied at the University of Missouri–Kansas City where he graduated with B.A. in Music in 1955 and a M.A. in Music in 1956. While a student there he performed in several university concert and opera performances; including performing the role of Leporello in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni (1956), and serving as the bass soloist in a performance of Franz Schubert's Mass No. 2 (1956).

Baird pursued further graduate studies at the University of Michigan (UM) where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in 1962. He was notably the first vocalist to earn a doctorate from the UM's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Vocal music educator
After completing his master's degree, Baird joined the faculty of Midland College (now Midland University) in Fremont, Nebraska where he was an assistant professor of voice and director of The A Cappella Choir of Midland College from 1956-1960. He took a break from teaching while pursuing his doctorate, and after completing his degree took a position as a professor of voice at the University of North Texas in 1962. He remained a professor of voice at the school for 39 years; a portion of which was spent as Director of Graduate Studies.

Baird was a prominent American voice teacher, and notably served as President of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) from 1985 to 1987. He later worked for seven years as site coordinator for NATS's national convention, was a NATS Intern Program Master Teacher in 1993, and served as President of the NATS Foundation from 1998 until his death in 2000. He also assisted the United Kingdom's The Association of Teachers of Singing with developing an intern program for voice teachers after the model developed by NATS.

Notable singers who studied with Baird included three winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions: tenors John Carpenter and Timothy Jenkins, and bass Mark McCrory. Other pupils include the soprano Frances Ginzer.