James M. Baker

James M. Baker (* 1942 in Fostoria , Ohio ) is an American politician of the Democratic Party . From January 2, 2001 to January 8, 2013, he served as the 54th mayor of Wilmington , Delaware .

After graduating from high school , Baker joined the US Air Force , where he served until 1966. In 1972 he was elected to the City Council ( Wilmington City Council ) and from 1984 he was finally the first African American President of the City Council. On January 2, 2001, he was sworn in as mayor; he succeeded James Sills . During his tenure, memorials were erected for Americans who fell in World War II and the Korean War , and the city or county government building was renamed after Louis L. Redding (1901-1998), a prominent lawyer and civil rights advocate.

In 2012, Baker was unable to run again due to a term limit. Dennis P. Williams was elected to succeed him. Shortly before leaving office, Baker was awarded the Order of the First State , the highest honor in the state, by Delaware Governor Jack Markell .

Baker is the author of a two-volume encyclopedia on African-American musicians called The Genuine American Music .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Delaware Online: Wilmington Mayor James Baker given state's highest distinction  ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (January 4, 2013)