James Addison Baker III, 61st Secretary of State Rise to Prominence Born in Texas on April 28, 1930, Baker attended prep school in Pennsylvania, and went on to graduate from Princeton University in 1952. Get email notification for articles from Amir Tibon. His father was a partner of Houston law firm Baker Botts. Corrections? [51] In 2017, this group of "Republican elder statesmen" proposed that conservatives embrace a fee and dividend form of carbon tax (in which all revenue generated by the tax is rebated to the populace in the form of lump-sum dividends), as a policy to deal with anthropogenic climate change. Baker voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, and said prior to the 2020 election that he would do so again. On June 15, 2002, Virginia Graeme Baker, the 7-year-old granddaughter of Baker, daughter of Nancy and James Baker IV, was the victim of suction-pump entrapment in an in-ground spa. The former secretary of state, they write, insisted the story was distorted at best. He was a regular tennis partner of George H. W. Bush at the Houston Country Club in the late 1950s. Tabor. When Bush decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 1969, he supported Baker's decision to run for the Congressional seat he was vacating. [19], On January 9, 1991, during the Geneva Peace Conference with Tariq Aziz in Geneva, Baker declared that "If there is any user of (chemical or biological weapons), our objectives won't just be the liberation of Kuwait, but the elimination of the current Iraqi regime."[20] Baker later acknowledged that the intent of this statement was to threaten a retaliatory nuclear strike on Iraq,[21] and the Iraqis received his message. Pursuing research and open debate to develop pragmatic drug policies based on common sense and driven by human rights interests. From 1992 to 1993, he served as Bush's White House Chief of Staff, the same position that he had held from 1981 to 1985 during the first Reagan Administration. James Addison Baker, III, was born April 28, 1930, into a wealthy Houston, Texas, family. He had Richard Darman of Massachusetts as his Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. Family (1) Trivia (10) U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1985-1988 in the second Ronald Reagan administration. James Addison Baker, III born on: 28 April 1930 at 07:31 (= 07:31 AM ) Place: Houston, Texas, 29n46, 95w22 : Timezone: CST h6w (is standard time) Data source: BC/BR in hand: Rodden Rating AA: . Baker also advised George W. Bush on Iraq. A Republican Party campaign leader, James Addison Baker, III (born 1930) helped elect as president both Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Israeli leaders initially thought that Baker had a poor grasp of Middle Eastern issues a perception exacerbated by his use of the term "Greater Israel" and viewed Israel as a "problem for the United States" according to Moshe Arens. Also in 1993, the Enron Corporation hired Baker as a consultant within a month of his departure from the White House, and Enron said that Baker would have an opportunity to invest in any projects he developed. In this November 21, 1990 file photo, Secretary of State James Baker is seen whispering to National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft during a press conference by President George H. W. Bush. Baker met his first wife, the former Mary Stuart McHenry, of Dayton, Ohio, while on spring break in Bermuda with the Princeton University rugby team. by Peter Dreier. But the report about his comments had such resonance because his policies were perceived to be skeptical of Israel.. In 1991 Baker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Journalism power-couple Susan Glasser, a staff writer at the New Yorker, and Peter Baker, the New York Times' chief White House correspondent, have cowritten The Man Who Ran Washington, a biography of former Secretary of State and White House chief of staff James A. Baker III, arguably the 20th century's savviest DC power player.. Baker played a role in nearly every major event near the . Former Secretary of State James Baker III gives a eulogy during the funeral for former President George H.W. Born in Houston, Baker attended The Hill School and Princeton University before serving in the United States Marine Corps. Complete a form for event, media or other inquiries, and get directions and parking information for the Baker Institute. Exploring how religion and cultural factors interact with public policy issues. Reach out to the Palestinians as neighbors who deserve political rights. Bakers use of the term Greater Israel and his insistence on criticizing both sides of the conflict, not just the Palestinians, was received negatively by AIPACs leadership. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Bush. In 199091 he helped orchestrate the international coalition that opposed Iraqs invasion of Kuwait. According to the new biography, its far from certain those words were actually ever used by Baker. Fax: 713-348-5993. In 2003, Baker was appointed special presidential envoy for President George W. Bush on the issue of Iraqi debt. [31] However, despite having run two winning campaigns for Ronald Reagan and one for Bush, Baker was unsuccessful in the second campaign for Bush, who lost to Clinton by 370 electoral votes to 168.[32]. [41], State of Denial, a book by investigative reporter Bob Woodward, says that White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card urged President Bush to replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld with Baker following the 2004 presidential election. Every time he speaks his mind on anything related to Israel, someone usually a right-wing pundit who supports the Netanyahu government quickly pulls the words Fuck the Jews, they dont vote for us anyway out of the archives, labeling Baker as anti-Israel or, worse, antisemitic. They had four sons together. In addition to the numerous recognitions received by Baker, he was presented with the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award for public service on September 13, 2000 in Washington, D.C.. Baker served as chief legal adviser for George W. Bush during the 2000 election campaign and oversaw the Florida recount. But did Baker ever actually say it? United States Under Secretary of Commerce, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Foreign policy of the George H. W. Bush administration, Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, Learn how and when to remove this template message, James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy, Virginia Graeme Baker Pool And Spa Safety Act, "Biographies of the Secretaries of State: James Addison Baker III", City of Houston: Procedures for Historic District Designation, "James A. Baker III Papers, 1957-2011, bulk 1972/1992", "Pittsburgh Businessman Ford Treasury Nominee", "President Ford Wednesday Nominated Edward O. Vetter of Dallas, Tex., to be undersecretary of commerce", "James Baker: President Maker [documentary]", "Phil Gailey and Warren Weaver, Jr., "Briefing", "National Winners | public service awards | Jefferson Awards.org", "Russia, Ukraine and the doomed 30-year quest for a post-Soviet order", James Baker: The Man Who Made Washington Work, "How to Block the Palestine Statehood Ploy", "Splitting the Difference: The Palestinian-Israeli Policy of James Baker", "AFTER THE WAR: DIPLOMACY; Baker and Syrian Chief Call Time Ripe for Peace Effort", "Baker resigns as UN mediator after seven years", "Baker surfaces as key adviser to Bush on Iraq", "Bush appoints Baker envoy on Iraqi debt", "U.S. and Iraqi Forces Clash With Sadr Militia in South", "The Private Trump Angst of a Republican Icon", "The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends", "Guide to the Baker Family papers, 1853-1971 MS 040", "Former Secretary of state pushes for hot tub safety standards", "Former Secretary of State James Baker speaks in support of legislation intended to prevent accidental drowning", "Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act", During lockdown, comics Rosebud Baker and Andy Haynes have gotten sick and engaged, plus hosted a surreal podcast, "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Gen. Colin L. Powell Biography and Interview", James Addison Baker Papers at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University, James A. Baker III Oral History Collection at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University. His wife's influence led Baker to politics and the Republican Party. . In order to understand what's going on in Ukraine from Vladimir Putin's point of view, you have to go back to 1990 when the Soviet Union was collapsing. Learn more about the Baker Institutes membership forum, which supports the mission of the institute and offers members exclusive access to experts and events. U.S. Secretary of State James Baker III, right, and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir conferring following meetings at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, September 17, 1991. Credit: AP Amir Tibon Follow Sep 29, 2020 It's a quote that has haunted former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker for almost three decades. Rising from a comfortable beginning, James A. Baker, III took his Delegate hunter, campaign manager, White House chief of staff, treasury secretary, and secretary of state, James Addison Baker III played a leading role in some of the most critical junctures in modern American history. In 2000, Baker served as chief legal adviser for George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential election campaign and oversaw the Florida recount. He graduated cum laude with an A.B. He left The Post in December 2020. He was previously married to Mary Stuart McHenry. Newhouse, John. In 1993, Baker became the honorary chair of the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy at Rice University in Houston, Texas. John C. Baker. Baker is presently a senior partner in the law firm of Baker Botts. Baker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991. In a classic instance of Washington's willful self-deception, the people who work with James A. Baker III proclaim him a warm, funny Renaissance man with old-fashioned family values. Its a quote that has haunted former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker for almost three decades. The book also includes a detailed account of Bakers famous testimony before Congress on peace negotiations between Israel and the Arab world, during which he said the United States cant want an agreement more than the two sides themselves. Advancing data-based policies that promote health and well-being in the U.S. and around the world. Baker Hall MS-40, Suite 120 One thing that becomes clear while reading Baker and Glassers book is how much the Republican Partys stances on Israel and the Middle East have changed since the days of James Baker. Bushs secretary of state, is mentioned more than 150 times in the book. Going it alone is not an option.. What are James Bakers views on the future of international collaboration? 1990, statement of James A. Baker III. Baker warned publicly, "I will recommend to the President that the United States make no further contributions, voluntary or assessed, to any international organization which makes any changes in the PLO's status as an observer organization. However, Murphy's Iraq and Afghanistan Reconstruction portfolios will shift to Douglas Baker, who will continue as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Service Industries, Tourism and Finance. Originally Baker had been a Democrat, although he had been too busy trying to succeed in a competitive law firm to worry about politics and he considered himself apolitical. His wife's influence led Baker to politics and the Republican Party. Bakerwho served on George W. Bush's Homeland Security Councilis the son of James Baker, who for more than a decade was one of the most powerful people in Washington, serving from 1981 to. He became a close friend of George H. W. Bush and worked for Bush's unsuccessful 1970 campaign for the United States Senate. James Baker, in full James Addison Baker III, (born April 28, 1930, Houston, Texas, U.S.), American government official, political manager, and lawyer who occupied important posts in the Republican presidential administrations of the 1980s and early '90s, including that of U.S. secretary of state (1989-92). Reached at their McLean home yesterday, the Baker family declined to comment. Contact him at bipp@rice.edu or (281) 348-4683. James Addison Baker III was born in Houston at 1216 Bissonnet St.,[3] the son of James A. Baker Jr. (18921973) and Ethel Bonner (ne Means) Baker (August 6, 1894 April 26, 1991). Baker served in the United States Marine Corps (19521954), attaining the rank of First Lieutenant and later rising to Captain in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. However, Baker changed his mind about running for Congress when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer; she died in February 1970. In December 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Baker as his special envoy to ask various foreign creditor nations to forgive or restructure the approximately $100 billion in international debts owed by the Iraq government which had been incurred during the tenure of Saddam Hussein. James Addison Baker Work Hard, Study.and Keep Out of Politics! After Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the United States of "building its policy on a foundation of distortion and lies," Baker banned Netanyahu from entering the State Department building, and refused to meet with him personally for the remainder of his tenure as secretary. Virginia Graham Baker of McLean was playing with other children in a friend's whirlpool on Alps Drive during a graduation party Saturday when she accidentally got caught in the pool's drain. The authors write that in his speech Baker wanted to call for a reasonable middle ground on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. She died of breast cancer in February 1970. Around 1983 Baker became heavily dispirited and tired due to the weight of his job; he attempted to become National Security Advisor, a change to which Reagan initially agreed, but some of Reagan's other advisers dissuaded him from naming Baker to the position. Koch wrote that during a recent White House meeting Baker had responded to criticism of his tough approach to Israel by saying, Fuck em. Former President George H.W. In March 1997, Baker became the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara. [27] Baker proved willing to confront Israeli officials on statements they made contrary to American interests. James Baker III was born on April 28, 1930 in Houston, Texas, USA. Facebook gives people the power. [34], Also in 1993, Baker joined Baker Botts as a senior partner, as well as the Carlyle Group (with the title of senior counsel).[35]. [13] He served in that capacity until 1985. [citation needed], His son, James A. Baker III, is the political figure especially known from the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. In August 1975, he was appointed Under Secretary of Commerce by President Gerald Ford, succeeding John K. Baker managed Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign in which Reagan polled a record 525 electoral votes total (of 538 possible), and received 58.8 percent of the popular vote to Walter Mondale's 40.6 percent. Baker also served on Reagan's National Security Council, and remained Treasury Secretary until 1988, during which time he also served as campaign chairman for George H. W. Bush's successful presidential bid. . He has been married to Susan Garrett Winston since 1973. [10] Winston had two sons and a daughter with her former husband. The 7-year-old granddaughter of former secretary of state James A. Baker III died when she became trapped in a whirlpool and drowned in McLean, Fairfax County police said yesterday. Anybody with a spa or residential pool needs to make sure they have them checked out to prevent these types of accidents from happening.". Ron Sachs/CNP for NY Post After leaving the FBI, Twitter seemed eager to hire Baker. Baker is considered to have had a high degree of influence over the first Reagan administration, particularly in domestic policy. Baker remained active in business and public affairs after Bush's defeat in the 1992 presidential election. The authors, a married couple who previously co-authored a book about the rise of Vladimir Putin, present Baker as the face of what the Republican Party used to stand for and has lost in the era of Donald Trump. On June 15, 2002, Virginia Graeme Baker, the seven-year-old granddaughter of Baker, daughter of Nancy and James Baker IV, was the victim of lethal suction entrapment in an in-ground spa. James Addison Baker, III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, politician and political advisor. He is also the honorary chair of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston, Texas. However, Baker changed his mind about running when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Long active in American presidential politics, Baker led presidential campaigns for Presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush over the course of five consecutive presidential elections from 1976 to 1992. Baker is the son of former Secretary of State, James Baker. "It was functioning perfectly," Lubas said. Developing pragmatic policy approaches to the regions enduring political, economic and societal concerns. Sanger, David E. Together they had four sons, including James Addison Baker IV, a partner at Baker Botts. Strengthening the binational relationship by addressing major concerns on both sides of the border. Baker became chairman of Bush's Senate campaign in Harris County, Texas. But the former secretary of state was portrayed for many years as anti-Israeli, in large part because of the infamous Fuck the Jews quote. Baker served as the Chief of Staff in President Ronald Reagan's first administration and in the final year of the administration of President George H. W. Bush. [58] Another granddaughter is Rosebud Baker, a stand-up comedian.[59]. Operators Accused of Fraud. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Baker, U.S. Department of State - Office of the Historian - Biography of James Addison III Baker, Miller Center - Biography of James A. Baker, James Addison Baker - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Iraq Study Group before U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. From 1997 to 2004, Baker served as the personal envoy of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to seek a political solution to the conflict over Western Sahara. [18] Privately, Bush ignored Baker's assurances and later pushed for NATO's eastwards expansion. Stop settlement activity. Bush. As Treasury Secretary, he arranged the Plaza Accord and the Baker Plan. He was a fifth generation. [19] Soviet states forced action by holding referendums on independence. His father was a partner of Houston law firm Baker Botts.Baker has a sister, Bonner Baker Moffitt. He also served as Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Treasury for Reagan and as Secretary of State for Bush. Major gifts provide the funds necessary for the Baker Institute to explore new areas of study and research, and expand current programs. Screw them, they dont vote for us, Baker recalled replying. Bush asked him to run Bushs political campaign for the U.S. Senate. The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III. He also served as Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Treasury for Reagan and as Secretary of State for Bush. Congressman Lee H. Hamilton have served as the co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan blue-ribbon panel examining a forward-looking approach to Iraq. In 1973 and 1974, in the wake of the Nixon Administration's implosion over Watergate, Baker returned to full-time law practice at Andrews & Kurth.[9][10]. George Kennan, James Baker, Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator Sam Nunn, and Thomas Friedman, among others, all warned in the 1990s of a new Cold War if NATO was expanded without including Russia. Baker also led presidential campaigns for Presidents Gerald Ford, Reagan and Bush over the course of five consecutive presidential elections . Staff writer Maria Glod contributed to this report. Bushs successful campaign for the presidential election of 1988 and thereupon was appointed secretary of state. He has been married to Susan Garrett Winston since 1973. Baker was furious, and his immediate reaction was to tell close aides hed be kicking the Israeli ambassador out of Washington. Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal Church,. According to his wife, Baker was "so anxious to get out of [his job]" that he gave some consideration to the prospect of becoming Commissioner of Baseball, but he ultimately did not pursue that. Neither Koch nor Safire named a source, but the former mayor later acknowledged in a book that Kemp was the one who tipped him off., Peter Baker and Susan Glasser interviewed both Kemp and James Baker about the episode. In 1978, Baker ran unsuccessfully to become Attorney General of Texas, losing to future Governor Mark White. James Baker III's Grandchild Dies in Whirlpool By Josh White June 19, 2002 The 7-year-old granddaughter of former secretary of state James A. Baker III died when she became trapped in a. The son of a prosperous Houston attorney, Baker graduated from Princeton University in 1952 and then spent two years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Providing actionable policy analysis and recommendations that aim to expand the economy through private enterprise. Until 2005 he was senior counsel to the Carlyle Group and is currently a senior partner at the law firm of Baker Botts. He served in that capacity until 1985. More below about Doug Baker's appointment by Bush in Nov 2001. Baker and his boss, the 41st president, were two of the most influential figures in GOP politics from the 1970s onward. Bush, left, and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III talking about the Gulf War and liberation of Kuwait, during an interview January 18, 2011, in Houston. James A. Baker III., Capt. The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III, by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, is published by Doubleday, priced $35. The following year, he was selected as Gulf Coast Regional Chairman for the Richard Nixon presidential campaign. Amy Lubas, a police spokeswoman, said the whirlpool had been checked recently. "No world leader has a bigger place in the history of the late 20th century than Mikhail Gorbachev, for the pivotal role he played in the peaceful end of the Cold War," wrote former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, in an op-ed. Baker also called on Shamir to forswear annexation. December 12, 2006. Baker also served on Reagan's National Security Council, and remained Treasury Secretary until 1988, during which time he also served as campaign chairman for George H. W. Bush's successful presidential bid. After the Gulf War, Baker served another stint as White House Chief of Staff from 1992 to 1993. He and his wife, the former Susan Garrett, currently reside in Houston and have eight children and 17 grandchildren. The Israeli government decided to expand the population further into Palestinian territories. He serves on the World Justice Project and the Climate Leadership Council. Through the internships on campus and beyond, Rice students can explore careers in public policy, or simply become better informed about important issues of the day. James Addison Baker was born in Houston, Texas at 1216 Bissonnet, to James A. Baker, Jr. (18921973) and Ethel Bonner (born Means) Baker (August 6, 1894 April 26, 1991). James Addison Baker III was born in Houston at 1216 Bissonnet St., the son of James A. Baker Jr. (1892-1973) and Ethel Bonner (ne Means) Baker (August 6, 1894 - April 26, 1991). [42] Bush would appoint another G. H. W. Bush Administration veteran, Robert Gates, instead, after the 2006 midterm elections. 6100 Main Street Starting in the 19th century, his clan helped build the city of Houston. [18] In the Bush administration, Baker was a proponent of the notion that the USSR should be kept territorially intact, arguing that it would be destabilizing to have the USSR's nuclear arsenal in multiple new states. [22] Bush later confirmed that he made such an offer to Baker but that he declined. Bush appointed Baker Secretary of State in 1989. On March 15, 2006, Congress announced the formation of the Iraq Study Group, a high-level panel of prominent former officials charged by members of Congress with taking a fresh look at America's policy on Iraq. Heather Paul, executive director of the National Safe Kids Coalition, said the accident should make people aware of the dangers posed by whirlpools and other home recreational pools. High-Powered D.C. In this telling, the target of his ire was an interest group, not Jews as a whole. They have six sons and two daughters, and 18 . From his combat service during World War II until his time at the highest levels in American political leadership, he spent his career trying to make our country the very best it could be," said Secretary Baker. [44] The Iraq Study Group examined a number of ideas, including one that would create a new power-sharing arrangement in Iraq that would give more autonomy to regional factions. Studying timely issues in global economic policy as well as developmental policy in foreign countries. Addressing a broad range of policy issues that affect scientists and their research. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.