George Frederick Baer
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- For the U.S. Congressman, see George Baer, Jr.
George Frederick Baer (September 26, 1842 – April 26, 1914) was the US lawyer, was the CEO of Reading Company.
George Baer was born in Lavansville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and attended first Somerset Institute then Somerset Academy for a High School Education. At the age of thirteen, Baer dropped out of school and became a "printer's devil" at a local type shop. Baer briefly attended Franklin and Marshall College in 1860 and 1861 before enlisting in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In the 133rd Pennsylvania Volunteers, Baer served as a Captain at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.
Following the Civil War, Baer became a lawyer and served as the owner of "The Democrat," a local newspaper. In 1901, Baer was installed by J. P. Morgan as the President of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. The following year, in 1902, the largest united strike of the United Mine Workers took place. Baer refused to put down the strike or speak to the strikers, citing social Darwinist ideals. Baer's attitude was released into the papers and became an example of arrogance and superiority. Finally, President Theodore Roosevelt intervened and settled the strike in favor of the striking workers. He was used as an example by the papers of the day, and it was this incident that put yet another nail in the coffin for the social darwinists.
Baer was also named the president of Franklin and Marshall College in 1894 until he died in 1914.
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