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James Addison Baker III was born in Houston at 1216 Bissonnet St., the son of James A. Baker Jr. (1892–1973) and Ethel Bonner (née Means) Baker (August 6, 1894 – April 26, 1991). His father was a partner of Houston law firm Baker Botts.
James Baker is an 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).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Oct 28, 2020 · For three decades and more, James A Baker III was the face of American power. The tall Texan with the impassive stare ranks as the only person to have served as White House chief of staff ...
Jan 9, 2022 · Nearly 30 years after James A. Baker III stepped down as secretary of state, the current confrontation over Ukraine turns in part on a long-running argument about what, if any, commitments he...
- Titles don’t matter. (But good real estate does.) There is no Baker move more storied than his outmaneuvering of Ed Meese to secure the preeminent position in Reagan’s White House, and it involved the simple lawyerly act of writing down on paper what his rival thought he wanted most: a grand-sounding title, giving Meese the status of a Cabinet member that Baker would not have.
- Don’t lie to journalists. (And always call them back, the closer to deadline, the better.) Baker, who eventually became famous for his advanced skills in the care and feeding of journalists, learned this rule early in his Washington career, during the epic fight over the 1976 Republican National Convention.
- If Dick Cheney (or anyone else) gets in your lane, run over him “with all possible alacrity.” Collegiality only goes so far in the upper reaches of the Cabinet, any Cabinet.
- Never let ’em see you pee. Baker’s relentlessness was one of the reasons for his success as a diplomat — that, and an iron bladder. He would need both in dealing with the Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad.
Oct 18, 2022 · James A. Baker, III, has served in senior government positions under three United States presidents. He served as the nation’s 61st secretary of state from January 1989 through August 1992 under President George H.W. Bush.
Oct 1, 2020 · Former Secretary of State James Baker’s distinguished career and service to every Republican president from Gerald Ford to George W. Bush has elevated him to elder statesman status. Now, his...
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