Howard H. Baker, Jr. Biography

Howard Henry Baker, Jr. was born to Howard Henry Baker and Dora Ladd Baker on November 15, 1925 in Huntsville, Tennessee. His mother died when he was eight years old and his maternal grandmother, Lillie Ladd Mauser, came to help take care of him and his younger sister. When Howard Baker was eleven, his father married Irene Bailey. He attended primary and secondary public school in Huntsville before going to the McCallie School, a military preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1941. He was graduated from there in 1943 and enlisted in the Navy that summer. Under the Navy's V-12 officer training program he studied electrical engineering at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and then at Tulane University in New Orleans during the school years and during the summers and other breaks was assigned naval duties. After leaving the Navy, he attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee where he received his law degree. He served as student body president during his senior year (1948-49) at UT. Upon graduation he returned to Huntsville and joined the law firm started by his grandfather.

In addition to his law practice, Baker was very involved with various civic groups, his hobbies, and teaching Sunday school. In 1950 he served as his father's campaign manager for his father's first bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. After the successful election, Baker went to Washington with his father to help set up the office before returning to Huntsville. His sister Mary remained in D.C. and became friends with Joy Dirksen, the daughter of Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois. After a short acquaintance he fell in love with and became engaged to Joy, and on December 22, 1951, Howard H. Baker, Jr. married Joy Dirksen (1929-1993). The couple setup house in Huntsville where Baker continued with his law practice and other business ventures. They had two children, Darek Dirksen Baker (born 4/5/53) and Cynthia (Cissy) Baker (born 3/26/56).

Despite coming from and marrying into a political family Howard Baker, Jr. had no political plans when he first got married. His father, stepmother, and three grandparents had served in political offices but until he ran for U.S. Senate in 1964 his only elected office held was that of student body president. As Baker campaigned for U.S. Senate in 1964, his father, Howard Henry Baker, was serving his seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives. When Baker, Sr. died in January 1965, Howard H. Baker, Jr.'s stepmother, Irene Baker, was elected to fill the remainder of her late husband's term.

Although Baker lost his first senatorial bid (in a special election that was held to fill the seat vacant since the death of Senator Estes Kefauver in August 1963) to the more liberal Ross Bass by about 50,000 votes, he did receive more votes than any Republican in Tennessee's history. Two years later, in 1966, he won the election with 56 percent of the vote thus becoming the first popularly elected Republican senator in the state's history. Revenue sharing was one of Baker's key issues in his first term. He was a pioneer supporter of the idea of sharing federal revenue with states and successfully fought for its authorizing legislation. Another important contribution during his first term was his instrumental role in having Tennessee chosen as the site for the world's first nuclear breeder reactor power plant. As a member of the Environment Committee he worked on drafting the Clean Air Act in 1970 and on working on its revision in 1977. He was among the contenders for the position of minority leader in 1969 and 1971 but was narrowly defeated both times. Although considered conservative on many of his views, he did tend to be more moderate to liberal on social and environmental issues.

In 1972 Baker was reelected to the senate defeating democrat Ray Blanton by more than 276,000 votes. The Watergate hearings occupied much of his time during the first half of his second term. Baker's campaign literature for the 1972 election touted Baker as a "close friend and trusted advisor of our President, Richard M. Nixon" and when he was named to the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Baker was in the awkward position of having to investigate possible illegal activities of this friend. Because of this friendship and his party affiliation Baker knew how crucial it was that he be objective. It was through the nationally televised hearings that the country came to know Baker; his manner, style, and skill impressed many viewers and left most with the feeling that Baker was truly working for the best interests of the country. Baker had believed Nixon innocent initially but as evidence mounted changed his mind. Baker was known for his repeated question "What did the president know and when did he know it?" Many right-wing Republicans thought Baker betrayed his party, the president, and the country by contributing to bring about Nixon's resignation.

In 1976 Baker was the keynote speaker at the Republican convention and a hopeful to be Gerald Ford's vice-presidential running mate. He was not chosen, however, partially due the growing right-wing movement in the Republican party. He was quite popular among his senate colleagues and in 1977 was elected minority leader. Toward the end of his second term, the Panama Canal Treaties were a hot item politically and had a big impact on his future political career. Baker felt the treaties (submitted by President Carter) with their amendments (that Baker sponsored) would help improve the relationship between the U.S. and Panama and "assure that the Canal remains open and secure." Many conservatives became strong foes of Baker over this issue claiming that Baker was helping to give away part of the U.S. (though in fact, the U.S. did not own the canal).

Baker ran for his third senate term in 1978 though he had considered leaving the senate to concentrate more fully on his upcoming 1980 presidential campaign. He won his third term carrying 56% of the vote but this was a drop from his 62% in the 1972 election. This drop can be attributed to numerous reasons not the least of which include a very rigorous senate schedule, leaving little time for campaigning; an independent third candidate in the race; and opposition to his vote on the Panama Canal Treaties.

Baker withdrew from the 1980 presidential campaign in March, 1980 but continued to support the republican party helping to bring Ronald Reagan to the White House and Republicans to the majority in the Senate. Baker became the senate majority leader and held that position until he retired in 1985. He generally supported the President on most of the key issues; he was successful in unifying republicans behind the 1981 tax bill, budget cuts, and a higher federal debt limit. Though he began with very little support, Baker was also able to get senate approval for Reagan's plan to sell AWACS radar planes to Saudi Arabia. Baker helped push many of Reagan's goals but in some key areas such as budget, they did not always see eye to eye. Baker thought there had been enough reductions in social programs and in 1982 pushed the administration to indorse a tax increase to help reduce the deficit. One of Baker's personal goals while majority leader was to have the Senate open to television cameras but that idea was blocked.

Rather than run for a forth term, Baker choose to return to private life and to his work as an attorney. He continued to be active politically and also spent time giving speeches throughout much of the country. In February, 1987 he was asked by President Ronald Reagan to serve as his White House chief-of-staff. He accepted the position and served until July, 1988 when he returned to his private life. He looked into running for President again in the 1988 race but decided against it. Since leaving the senate he has worked for the several law firms including Vinson and Elkins; Baker, Worthington, Crossley, Stansberry, and Woolf; and Baker, Donelson, Bearman, and Caldwell. His first wife, Joy Dirksen Baker, died of cancer in 1993. On December 7, 1996 Baker married Senator Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas. President George W. Bush appointed Baker as U.S. Ambassador to Japan in 2001, a position in which he served until 2005.

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The Modern Political Archives
Baker Center for Public Policy
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Email: bobby.holt@utk.edu