Howard and Irene Baker Collection Open Finding Aid for the Howard and Irene Baker Papers [MS-0745] (pdf)

Howard H. Baker

Howard Henry Baker was born in Somerset, Kentucky, on January 12, 1902. He was educated in the public schools of Scott and Knox counties, Tennessee. Attending the University of Tennessee, Mr. Baker received an A.B. degree in 1922 and an L.L.B. degree in 1924. He served in the Tennessee Legislature from 1929-30, and from 1934-48 he was attorney general for the nineteenth judicial circuit of Tennessee. Mr. Baker was elected to the 82nd Congress on November 7, 1950, to serve the people of Tennessee's Second Congressional District, which is composed of Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union counties. He was elected to the next six Congresses, and at the time of his death, January 7, 1964, he was the second ranking Republican on the House of Representative's powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Irene B. Baker

Irene Bailey Baker was born in Sevierville, Tennessee, on November 17, 1901. She attended the public schools of Sevierville and Maryville, Tennessee. In Sevierville she served as deputy county court clerk from 1918-1922 and as deputy clerk and master, Chancery Court, from 1922-1924. In a special election after Mr. Baker's death, Mrs. Baker was nominated and elected to the remainder of her late husband's unexpired term, serving from March 10, 1964, to January 3, 1965. She did not seek re-election.

Scope and Content

The papers of Howard and Irene Baker, who both served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's Second District, were donated to the University of Tennessee on March 1, 1973, by Mrs. Baker. The Baker collection is made up of legislative files, correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, clippings, speeches, bills, and myriad associated items. Of special importance in the collection are Mr. Baker's works concerning the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Atomic Energy Commission, since both greatly affected the livelihood of the people of the Second District. Also of note is his work on the tax structure of the United States, stemming from his position on the House Ways and Means Committee. The collection is divided into two parts. Boxes 1-22 deal basically with Howard Baker's work, and boxes 22-30 with Irene Baker's work. However, some of Mr. Baker's files have been carried over into Mrs. Baker's, so the entire collection should be examined in researching a particular subject or topic. The linear feet of shelf space occupied is 49.5 feet and the approximate number of items is 60,000.