Newton Diehl Baker junior

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Newton Diehl Baker, Jr.

Newton Diehl Baker Jr. (born December 3, 1871 in Martinsburg , Berkeley County , West Virginia , † December 25, 1937 in Shaker Heights , Ohio ) was an American Democratic Party politician and a notable figure in the progressive movement. He was the 37th Mayor of Cleveland from 1912 to 1915 and US Secretary of War between 1916 and 1921.

Life

Baker graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1892 . After receiving his law degree from Washington and Lee University in 1894 , he became secretary to US Secretary of the Post William L. Wilson .

After leaving Washington , Baker moved to Cleveland, where he became active in local politics. He married Elizabeth Leopold on July 5, 1902. After serving as prosecutor between 1901 and 1909, he became mayor of the city in 1911. As a city official, Baker's main interests were public powers, transportation reform, and city beautification. He was a strong supporter of Cleveland College (now part of Case Western Reserve University ).

After serving as Cleveland Mayor in 1916, Baker and two other partners founded the law firm Baker & Hostetler. When entry into World War I was controversial in the United States , President Woodrow Wilson named Baker Secretary of War, as Baker was an acceptable candidate for politicians on both sides. As Secretary of War, Baker presided over America's military involvement in the war (1917–1918), including the unprecedented formation of a national military service .

After Baker resigned as Secretary of War in 1921, he returned to practice as a lawyer with Baker & Hostetler and never again held public office (although he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 1924, 1928 and 1932 presidency).

In 1936 he became an elected member of the American Philosophical Society .

He died on Christmas Day in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, and was buried in Lake View Cemetery .

legacy

In 1957, Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve) built the Newton D. Baker Building in his honor; it was home to numerous classrooms and offices. It was on the corner of Adelbert and Euclid , across from Severance Hall. The building was demolished in November 2004.

Today, Baker & Hostetler, founded by Baker, is one of the US Top 100 law firms with more than 600 attorneys serving clients across the country and worldwide. The firm has offices in ten US cities and represents several leading corporations.

Biographies and Sources

  • David D. Van Tassel, John J. Grabowski (Eds.): The Encyclopedia Of Cleveland History . Cleveland Bicentennial Commission, Cleveland, Ohio, ISBN 0-253-33056-4 .
  • John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes: American National Biography . Volume 2: Baker, Newton Diehl . Oxford University Press, New York 1999.

Web links

Commons : Newton D. Baker  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Member History: Newton D. Baker. American Philosophical Society, accessed April 17, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Baker, Newton Diehl junior
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Baker, Newton Diehl Jr.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American Democratic Party politician
DATE OF BIRTH December 3, 1871
PLACE OF BIRTH Martinsburg , West Virginia
DATE OF DEATH December 25, 1937
Place of death Shaker Heights , Ohio