Howard H. Baker, Jr.

Howard H. Baker, Jr. served three terms as a United States Senator from Tennessee (1967-1985) and was Tennessee’s first popularly elected Republican Senator. He rose to national prominence during the Watergate Hearings of 1973-1974 as Vice Chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee, the highest ranking Republican on the Committee. He served as Minority Leader of the Senate from 1977-1981 and as Majority Leader from 1981 until he retired from the Senate at the end of this third term in January, 1985. He was a candidate for the 1980 Republican presidential nomination and served as President Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff in 1987-1988. For the next thirteen years he worked in several Tennessee law firms. In 2001 President George W. Bush appointed him as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.

Howard H. Baker, Jr.’s papers arrived in the Modern Political Archive as four distinct accessions. In total the papers are stored in approximately 550 linear feet of boxes. While the primary medium is paper there is a considerable number of photographs. Additional media includes sound recordings and ephemera.

Guide to the Howard H. Baker, Jr., papers, mpa.101 / ms.2000. Collection location: row 3, boxes 1-331.

Guide to the Howard H. Baker, Jr., papers, mpa.102. Collection location: row 3.

Guide to books collected by Howard H. Baker, Jr.

There is also a number of smaller collections that address the life and work of Howard H. Baker, Jr.:

Howard H. Baker, Jr. and Barry Goldwater photograph, undated, mpa.337 / ms.2748. Collection location: row 11, box 26.

Howard H. Baker, Jr. newsletters addressed to constituents, 1973-1975, mpa.340 / ms.1831. Collection location: row 11, box 26.

Old congressional documents relating to Tennessee donated by Howard H. Baker, Jr., 1925-1977, mpa.341 / ms.1319. Collection location: row 11, box 28.

Howard H. Baker, Jr., mpa.342 consists of an American flag and a Tennessee state flag. Collection location: row 11, box 31.