James Addison Baker Jr. (November 3, 1892 – May 21, 1973) was an American attorney, banker, real estate developer, and
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
officer from Houston, Texas. He was the third in a succession of men named James Addison Baker, all of whom were attorneys for
Baker Botts
Baker Botts L.L.P. is an American law firm of around 725 lawyers. Headquartered in One Shell Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas, the firm has energy and technology related clients. It is referred to as the second-oldest law firm west of the Missi ...
or its antecedents.
His son is
James Addison Baker III, former
United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
.
[
]
Early life
James A. Baker Jr. was born on 3 November 1892 to Captain James A. Baker and Alice Graham Baker in Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
. In 1911, Baker graduated from The Hill School
The Hill School (commonly known as The Hill) is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization (TSAO).
...
, and enrolled at Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
in the fall.
Career
Baker interrupted his law classes at the University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
to volunteer for World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. He reported to Quartermaster School in San Antonio commissioned as a lieutenant, and began his tour with the 90th Division's 359th Infantry Regiment on the western front in July 1918. His company fought from the trenches during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...
in the fall. After a two-week break from the front, his division took over for the 5th Division and endured the trenches for seventy-five days straight. He was the only officer in his unit to survive without being wounded, and he was promoted to Captain while being cited for valor. He joined the occupation forces in Germany after the cessation of hostilities. The Army ordered him discharged and he reached American soil on April 4, 1919.
Baker and his father developed Broadacres, an exclusive subdivision sited north of Rice University. At its conception in 19221923, this tract was surrounded by non-commercial uses. In addition to the university, Hermann Park
Hermann Park is a urban park in Houston, Texas, situated at the southern end of the Museum District. The park is located immediately north of the Texas Medical Center and Brays Bayou, east of Rice University, and slightly west of the Third ...
, the land for the future Museum of Fine Arts were in proximity. Two other wealthy subdivisions, Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
and Shadyside, buffered Broadacres from commercial development. The Bakers sold seventeen large lots to investors who also advanced $150,000 to the development for capital improvements. Baker took over the management of the subdivision, while Herbert A. Kipp platted and engineered the twenty-five lot site. Rice architect William Ward Watkin
William Ward Watkin (January 21, 1886 – June 24, 1952) was an architect primarily practicing in Houston, Texas. He was the founder of the Architecture Department of Rice University in 1912, and remained on the Rice faculty until his death ...
laid out the landscaping and designed a new Spanish-Mediterranean home for Captain Baker. When the infrastructure for Broadacres was completed by September 24, 1924, Baker announced that the assessments to lot owners would be reduced because the final bills came in below estimated costs. Though his parents resided at Broadacres, Baker developed a lot in a neighboring subdivision on Poor Farm Road in 1926.
Personal life
Baker married Bonner Means on August 4, 1917. The two met while they were attending the University of Texas and they engaged on 9 May 1917. As Baker anticipated his military orders, the couple accelerated their wedding schedule and scaled down the event. After the marriage, they honeymooned at Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island ( ) is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a permanent population of 583. The population numbers in the tens of thousands from May 1st to October 31st due to an influx o ...
. From 1927, the Bakers resided at their house on the curve on Poor Farm Road (Bissonnet Street) in the Turner Addition. Their neighbors included relatives and friends: Browne and Adelaide Lovett Baker, Malcolm Lovett, and William Kirkland. The Bakers lived at this address for the rest of their married lives.[Kirkland (2012), p. 299.]
His father, also named James Addison Baker, was a partner of Baker, Botts and Baker and other antecedent of Baker Botts. James Addison Baker Jr. became a partner after ten years with the firm. Today, the law firm is called Baker Botts
Baker Botts L.L.P. is an American law firm of around 725 lawyers. Headquartered in One Shell Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas, the firm has energy and technology related clients. It is referred to as the second-oldest law firm west of the Missi ...
, a major United States-based international law firm of around 800 attorneys.
His son, James A. Baker III, is the political figure especially known from the Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
and George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
administrations.
Citations
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, James A., Jr.
1892 births
1973 deaths
American jurists
The Hill School alumni
Princeton University alumni
United States Army personnel of World War I
Lawyers from Houston
University of Texas School of Law alumni
Military personnel from Houston
People associated with Baker Botts
20th-century American lawyers
TMI Episcopal alumni
United States Army officers