He is the honorary chairman of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University and serves on the board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 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. Hall. The administration forced Israel to halt the development of the 6,000 planned housing units, but the 11,000 housing units already under construction were permitted to be completed and inhabited with no penalty. James Baker Oral History at Houston Oral History Project, November 20, 2007. DALLAS (CN) - A politically connected D.C.-based private equity firm, founded by former Secretary of State James Baker's son, defrauded a company of $5 million by pitching it a $300 million defense sector investment fund whose only "assets" are loan the defendants "squandered," Dallas-based Tice . [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. 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. James A. Baker, III, has served in senior government positions under three United States presidents. James Addison Baker III, born 28 Apr 1930 Date 1989 Type Photograph Medium Color photograph on paper Dimensions Sheet: 35.6 27.9cm (14 11") Credit Line National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply Copyright William Coupon Object number NPG.90.TC16 Collection Description James A. Baker, III entered the world in 1930 as the son, grandson, and great-grandson of distinguished lawyers all named James A. Baker,2 who each made a good living working at the Baker Botts law firm (formed by Baker's great-grandfather) in Houston. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008. In 1991 Baker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. James Baker III's Grandchild Dies in Whirlpool She passed away of breast cancer in February. [26], Baker became the first American statesman to negotiate directly and officially with Palestinians in the Madrid Conference of 1991, which was the first comprehensive peace conference that involved every party involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict and the conference was designed to address all outstanding issues. Baker blocked the recognition of Palestine by threatening to cut funding to agencies in the United Nations. History and family tradition tell of Robert III rescuing William Blount from the British who held him captive during . Bush. Bakers reflections on those years of revolution, war and peace The Politics of Diplomacy was published in 1995. an enthralling biography of James Baker - Financial Times Andrew Baker, a chaplain during the Rev. 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. High-Powered D.C. [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. Russia's belief in Nato 'betrayal' - and why it matters today James Addison Baker was born in Houston, Texas at 1216 Bissonnet, to James A. Baker, Jr. (1892-1973) and Ethel Bonner (born Means) Baker (August 6, 1894 - April 26, 1991). Baker voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, and said prior to the 2020 election that he would do so again. Bakers grandson, was born in 1930 to the wealthy Baker family and attended Princeton University. 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. James Baker's Son Arrested - The New York Times 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. Work Hard, Study.and Keep Out of Politics! In the latter post he helped the United States reach agreement with the Soviet Union on the reunification of East with West Germany in 1990. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Ron Sachs/CNP for NY Post After leaving the FBI, Twitter seemed eager to hire Baker. Omissions? He graduated from Princeton University in 1952. They have one child. Secretary Baker made clear to us that he thinks President Trump has leaned too heavily in one direction when it comes to Middle East peace, Peter Baker told Haaretz. James Baker III, who served as chief of staff to former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. James Baker III was born on April 28, 1930 in Houston, Texas, USA. 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, . He called for Israel to "lay aside once and for all, the unrealistic vision of a greater Israel", cease the construction of Israeli settlements in West Bank and Gaza, forswear annexation of more territory, and to treat Palestinians "as neighbors who deserve political rights". Family (1) Trivia (10) U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1985-1988 in the second Ronald Reagan administration. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. In the mid-2000s Baker was active on a number of government investigative committees; he served as cochair of both the Federal Commission on Election Reform (with former president Jimmy Carter) and the Iraq Study Group (with former U.S. congressman Lee Hamilton). In 1985, Baker received the U.S. [26] In the meantime, Baker also tried to negotiate with the Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, in order to achieve a lasting peace between Israel and Syria. His friends . "The whole thing is just a nightmare. As Secretary of State, he helped oversee U.S. foreign policy during the end of the Cold War and dissolution of the Soviet Union, as well as during the Gulf War. James A. Baker III Monument 400 Texas St. Houston, TX 77002 Find Parking The City of Houston named a small portion of Sesquicentennial Park Baker Common that includes a statue of James A. Baker III, as well as plaques commemorating the families contributions to the city. 'Not One Inch Eastward:' How the War in Ukraine Could Have Been Durham's indictment alleges that Sussmann told then-FBI General Counsel James Baker in September 2016 that he was not doing work "for any client" when he requested and held a meeting in which he . "The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III," by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser. 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. Baker adroitly managed George H.W. Bust Unveiling Ceremony with Former U.S. Secretary of State James A The couple met while on in Bermuda for spring break. Bushs successful campaign for the presidential election of 1988 and thereupon was appointed secretary of state. Former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III responded to my question about NATO's eastward expansion. James A. Baker Jr. - Wikipedia Many of Baker's concerns proved correct, and the project became a key factor in the company's downfall. 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. James Baker was the latest in a long line of James Bakers. [19] Bush and US defence secretary Dick Cheney were proponents for Soviet dissolution. Until 2005 he was senior counsel to the Carlyle Group and is currently a senior partner at the law firm of Baker Botts. "Mother of Secretary of State Baker dies here at 96". Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved, the fight in Congress over the loan guarantees. [40] In December 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Baker as his special envoy to ask various foreign creditor nations to forgive or restructure $100billion in international debts owed by the Iraq government which had been incurred during the tenure of Saddam Hussein. Going it alone is not an option.. In 1981, Baker was named White House Chief of Staff by President Ronald Reagan, in spite of the fact that Baker managed the presidential campaigns of Gerald Ford in 1976 and of George Bush in 1980 opposing Reagan. Bush. James A. Baker III., Capt. Bush appointed Baker Secretary of State in 1989. United States Secretaries of the Treasury, List of international trips made by secretaries of state of the United States, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Baker&oldid=1141376173, Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, George H. W. Bush administration cabinet members, United States Under Secretaries of Commerce, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes from November 2019, All Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata namespace mismatch, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 19:21. [45] On October 9, 2006, the Washington Post quoted co-chairman Baker as saying "our commission believes that there are alternatives between the stated alternatives, the ones that are out there in the political debate, of 'stay the course' and 'cut and run'". He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991. James A. Baker, III (1985 - U.S. Department of the Treasury In addition to the university, Hermann Park, the land for the future Museum of Fine Arts were in proximity. After graduating from Princeton, he served in the U. George Walker Bush, George Bush Gaddis Smith REPUBLICAN George Herbert Walker Bush took the oath of office as the forty-first president of the United States on 20 Januar Dick Cheney, Cheney, Dick Lincoln, Nebraska . Developing pragmatic policy approaches to the regions enduring political, economic and societal concerns. Baker also advised George W. Bush on Iraq. [47], Baker serves on the Honorary Council of Advisers for the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce. D URING THE confusion that followed the attempt on . "It was functioning perfectly," Lubas said. Bakers Historic Contributions, Statement: Secretary Baker on the Death of Bob Dole. The World Justice Project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity. A lawyer by training, he practiced law in Houston with the firm of Andrews & Kurth for more than twenty years. James Baker's masterful legal strategies won George W. Bush a contested Updates? 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. He served as the nation's 61st secretary of state from January 1989 through August 1992 under President George H.W. [5] He was a member of Phi Delta Theta. 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. 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). George Herbert Walker Bush then encouraged Baker to become active in politics to help deal with the grief of his wife's death, something that George Herbert Walker Bush himself had done when his daughter, Pauline Robinson Bush (19491953), died of leukemia.