His positions on Israel would be considered anti-Israeli, perhaps even heretic, in todays GOP and the former secretary of state knows it. The son of a prosperous Houston attorney, Baker graduated from On James Baker's . 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. Bush. Bush later confirmed that he made such an offer to Baker but that he declined. Anybody with a spa or residential pool needs to make sure they have them checked out to prevent these types of accidents from happening.". As treasury secretary, he was also chairman of the President's Economic Policy Council. The former secretary of state, they write, insisted the story was distorted at best. Texas on the Potomac: James "Jim" Addison Baker, III. 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). 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. Bush believed Shamir had lied to him and never forgave him., A month after that incident, Baker gave a speech at the annual AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, his first-ever appearance before the large pro-Israel gathering. He served as the nation's 61st secretary of state from January 1989 through August 1992 under President George H.W. The following year, he was selected as Gulf Coast Regional Chairman for the Richard Nixon presidential campaign. The tall Texan with the impassive stare ranks as the only person to have served as White House chief of staff,. James A. Baker Iii, Baker, James Addison, 3d James Addison Baker, 3d, 1930-, U.S. political leader, b. Houston, Tex. Omissions? 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. They claimed that Baker, a former Democrat and a Bush political intimate, was undermining conservative initiatives in the administration. In addition to the university, Hermann Park, the land for the future Museum of Fine Arts were in proximity. 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. At one level it narrowly focuses both on verbal commitments made by the US secretary of state James Baker under President George HW Bush and the terms of a treaty signed on 12 September 1990 . Proud grandfather and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III dared graduates of his alma mater, The Hill School, on Saturday to be revolutionaries. James A. Baker III., Capt. On September 11, 2001, Baker watched television coverage of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington DC, where Baker and representatives of Osama bin Laden's family were among those attending the annual conference for the Carlyle Group. [14], Baker managed Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign in which Reagan polled a record 525 electoral votes total (of a possible 538), and received 58.8% of the popular vote to Walter Mondale's 40.6%. Endowment gifts provide the Baker Institute with permanent resources that support research programs, fellows and scholars. 6100 Main Street D URING THE confusion that followed the attempt on . Secretary of State James 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.". Sanger, David E. Baker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991. 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 . He was a fifth generation. 1990, statement of James A. Baker III. [36] In June 2004, he resigned from this position, frustrated over the lack of progress in reaching a complete settlement acceptable to both the government of Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. He was named under secretary of commerce by Pres. Afterwards, he earned a J.D. Addressing a broad range of policy issues that affect scientists and their research. Corporations can become involved with the institute in a number of ways and see the benefit from the research conducted by our fellows and scholars. In 1982, conservative activists Howard Phillips (founder of the Conservative Caucus) and Clymer Wright of Houston joined in an unsuccessful effort to convince Reagan to dismiss Baker as chief of staff. By Peter Baker and Susan Glasser. Thomas James Baker, Jr. was born to Thomas James Baker Sr. and Frankie Pauline Anderson on July 12, 1926 and passed peacefully from this life on June 9th, 2020. 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. He married Mary McHenry in 1953 and they had four sons, James IV, Mike, John and Doug. Providing actionable policy analysis and recommendations that aim to expand the economy through private enterprise. [11] He served until May 1976, and was succeeded by Edward O. His son, James A. Baker, Jr., served in World War II, became a lawyer in the family firm and continued the Baker commitment to Rice. With Rudy Giuliani flailing through a series of failed election challenges for the Trump campaign, a superb new political biography provides fresh evidence of just how stark the contrast is between the head of Trump's legal team and George W. Bush's hyperprepared, efficient and savvy commander-in-chief for the 2000 election political and legal fight, James A. Baker III. The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III was published Tuesday after a seven-year journey, during which the authors New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker (no relation to James Baker) and New Yorker senior columnist Susan Glasser conducted more than 200 interviews. [25] As far back as 1988, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) issued a "declaration of statehood" and changed the name of its observer delegation to the United Nations from the PLO to Palestine. He earned a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1957 and then joined a major Houston law firm, eventually becoming a partner in it. He has been married to Susan Garrett Winston since 1973. [23], Baker also spent considerable time negotiating one-on-one with the parties in order to organize the Madrid Conference of October 30-November 1, 1991, in an attempt to revive the IsraeliPalestinian peace process through negotiations involving Israel and the Palestinians, as well as Arab countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.[24]. In 1973, Baker and Susan Garrett Winston, a close friend of Mary Stuart's, were married. [citation needed], His son, James A. Baker III, is the political figure especially known from the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. Newhouse, John. Baker served as the 67th secretary of the treasury from 1985 to 1988 under President Ronald Reagan. [19] Bush and US defence secretary Dick Cheney were proponents for Soviet dissolution. [19], When Ukraine became independent, Baker sought to ensure that Ukraine would give up its nuclear weapons. Honorary Chair, Baker Institute for Public Policy, A bronze bust of former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III that will be part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of American Diplomacy was recently unveiled in Washington, D.C. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. During his tenure at the State Department, Baker traveled to 90 foreign countries as the United States confronted the . 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 was portrayed in the film by British actor Tom Wilkinson. The email newsletter of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy provides a snapshot of institute news, research and upcoming events. 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. Bush. Kemp, for his part, told them that Bakers sentiment got mischaracterized by Koch and others as being anti-Israel. Baker remained active in business and public affairs after Bush's defeat in the 1992 presidential election. After leaving government service, Baker became a partner in a law firm and served as a diplomatic envoy for United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan for the Western Sahara. All serious issues that Palestine sought to discuss, such as elections and representation in the Israeli government, were delegated to Egypt for decisions to be made. A 2008 film Recount covers the days following the controversial election. Darman continued in the next administration as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. In 1975, he was appointed Under Secretary of Commerce for Gerald Ford. John C. Baker. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Baker III worked as White House chief of staff and secretary of the treasury under President Ronald Reagan, and as secretary of state and White House chief of staff under President George H.W. 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. 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. 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. After calming down a bit, he settled for declaring Netanyahu persona non grata, barring him from even entering the doors of the State Department. Despite pleas from his Middle East adviser, Dennis Ross, Baker refused to change the decision. 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]. High-Powered D.C. They married in 1953. Baker has a sister, Bonner Baker Moffitt. [33] During his time at Enron, Baker tried to warn against the company's involvement with the Dabhol Power Station in India. 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. He serves on the World Justice Project and the Climate Leadership Council. Analyzing the influence of the transnational circulation of people, technologies, commodities and ideas in China. 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. 15 of 23 16 of 23 James Baker III speaks to King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Thursday afternoon during an appearance at Rice University. . In 2003, Baker was appointed special presidential envoy for President George W. Bush on the issue of Iraqi debt. 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. Reagan rebuked Phillips and Wright for having waged a "campaign of sabotage" against Baker.[16]. In 1993 Baker became the founding chair of the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy at Rice University in Houston, Texas. They claimed that Baker, a former Democrat and a Bush political intimate, was undermining conservative initiatives in the administration. Virginia was the daughter of James A. Baker IV, who is the son of the former cabinet secretary. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. By now, its probably the most famous quote attributed to the 90-year-old elder statesman. They married in 1953. 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. [22] Baker served in this role through 1992. Baker is presently a senior partner in the law firm of Baker Botts. Its a quote that has haunted former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker for almost three decades. Bush and Baker had a strained relationship with Israeli leaders from the start, the book explains. Baker was the Republican co-chairman along with Democratic Congressman Lee H. Hamilton, to advise Congress on Iraq. 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). 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. Israeli officials and public were highly offended due to the tone of his speech, though his address called for little more than his predecessors. "The FBI's top lawyer, James Baker, is being reassigned one of the first moves by new director Christopher A. Wray to assemble his own team of senior advisers as he tries to fend off. Peter Baker added that much of that change can be attributed to the growing influence of evangelicals within the Republican Party. 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. [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]. From 1957 to 1969, and then from 1973 to 1975 he practiced law at the law firm of Andrews & Kurth. In this candid, revealing account, Baker uses his unique perspective to take us inside those events and the personalities involved in them: the collapse of Communism, the Berlin Wall, and the. Baker has a sister, Bonner Baker Moffitt. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991. [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. Diplomacy Center Commemorates Sec. They have six sons and two daughters, and 18 . James A. Baker III a t nomm par le prsident Bush, le 5 dcembre 2003, comme reprsentant spcial charg de rengocier la dette irakienne. Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir came to visit the White House in April 1989, shortly after the new administration took office and whatever was said ended up driving an enduring wedge between the two sides. During that meeting, Shamir told Bush that settlements in the occupied West Bank shouldnt be a problem for the administrations plans to start peace talks between Israel and its neighbors. Pursuing research and open debate to develop pragmatic drug policies based on common sense and driven by human rights interests. Baker served in this role through 1992. He was a regular tennis partner of George H. W. Bush at the Houston Country Club in the late 1950s. 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. Climate Leadership, Policy & Political Thoughts on the Current Crisis, State Dept. Baker helped to construct the 34-nation alliance that fought alongside the United States in the Gulf War. Baker attended The Hill School, a boarding school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Reagan rebuked Phillips and Wright for having waged a "campaign of sabotage" against 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. Work Hard, Study.and Keep Out of Politics! Going it alone is not an option.. [10] Winston had two sons and a daughter with her former husband. 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. In June 2004 he resigned from this position, frustrated over the lack of progress in reaching a complete settlement acceptable to both the government of Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. 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. One morning in March [of 1991], Baker woke up to see a screaming headline on the cover of the New York Post: BAKERS 4-LETTER INSULT: Secretary of State Rips Jews in Meeting at White House., The sensational headline led readers to a column by Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York who had become a tabloid columnist. Baker, however, was happy with the reception, The tension between the two governments became a full-blown crisis a year later in 1990 when, as described in the book, a deputy foreign minister named Benjamin Netanyahu openly assailed the United States for being too gullible in its dealings with the Palestinians., Netanyahu, then in his early 40s and a rising star in Likud, said in remarks to the media: It is astonishing that a superpower like the United States, which was supposed to be the symbol of political fairness and international honesty, is building its policy on a foundation of distortion and lies.. Adventures and Lessons from an Unexpected Public Life by III, James Baker and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. The specially commissioned bust honors "the most important unelected official in America since World War II," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the unveiling ceremony. Strengthening the binational relationship by addressing major concerns on both sides of the border. Baker was furious, and his immediate reaction was to tell close aides hed be kicking the Israeli ambassador out of Washington. and Keep Out of Politics! In an essay that James Baker wrote in 2018 for the Encyclopdia Britannica Anniversary Edition: 250 Years of Excellence, he argued that international collaboration is essential for humankind to solve such problems as climate change and weapons proliferation: All of these challenges are global in nature, and, as a result, each will require global solutions.