Newton Diehl Baker Vita

The Adult Education History Project

Based on Information in the Syracuse University Library Archives

Translated for the WWW by Roger Hiemstra

- Item_Number-

503

Record_type-

Person

RLIN_ID-

Main_entry-

Newton Diehl Baker.

[Newton D. Baker; Mayor Baker; Secretary Baker; Newton Baker]

Title-

KLARS_source-

Edited by Roger Hiemstra from data gathered by John Burns, ATE 600 Historical Perspectives student, Spring, 1990, using various sources.

Phys_descrip-

Strategy_hints-

Newton Diehl Baker papers are at the Library of Congress. Corporate Records and Proceedings of Cleveland College, Western Reserve University Archives, Cleveland, OH, are other possibilities. In addition, various archival materials at Syracuse

University, Arents Library and references cited in this person vita will provide some help.

[sources: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961

Rohfeld, Rae Wahl. Newton D. Baker and the adult education movement. OHIO HISTORY 95 (1986): 119-132]

Bio/hist_note-

Born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, one of four sons of Newton Diehl Baker I and Mary (Dukehart) Baker. Married Elizabeth Wells, daughter of Howard Leopoid, 1902-07-05. Three children, Elizabeth, Newton D., and Margaret. Buried in Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH. Private secretary to Postmaster General Wilson. Practiced law in Martinsburg, WV, and Cleveland, OH. City Solicitor of Cleveland OH; mayor from 1912 to 1916. Appointed Secretary of War by President Wilson and served from 1916-03-07 to 1921-03-04. Appointed by President Coolidge in 1928 as a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague. Awarded "American Hebrew" for "promotion of better understanding between Christian and Jew " (1930); and received the medal of the National Institute of Social Sciences in 1933 "for service to humanity." An early leader in Adult Education, he was instrumental in the founding of the American Expeditionary Force University, Cleveland College, and the American Association of Adult Education [AAAE]. Newton Diehl Baker was a civil servant, accomplished lawyer, educator, and civic leader. As U.S. Secretary of War during WWI he provided critical leadership to the war effort. As Mayor of Cleveland he was committed to the "common man" and as Secretary of War he was responsive to the educational needs of the common soldier. He played a major role in the Democratic Party, heavily influencing national politics in the first thirty years of this century, and was considered a serious contender for the Party's presidential nomination. His contributions and abilities were recognized through national awards, presidential appointments and invitations to serve as Trustee, Director, and President of various organizations, institutions and associations. Recognizing a need to provide education for the soldiers returning to civilian life and other working adults, he became committed to adult education.

[sources: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. New York: James White & Co., 1930, Vol. 27, pp. 6-8, and 1939, Vol. A, pp. 40-42.

Sobel, Robert. BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE

BRANCH 1774-1977. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1977, pp. 14-15.

WHO WAS WHO IN AMERICA, Vol. 1, 1942]

Summry_descrip-

Series-

Folder_title-

Set_title-

Begin_date-

18711203

Source_B_date-

WHO WAS WHO IN AMERICA, Vol. 1, 1942.

End_date-

19371225

Source_E_date-

WHO WAS WHO IN AMERICA, Vol. 1, 1942.

Form/genre-

Education-

Attended village schools in Martinsburg, WV, through the second year of high school and finished his preparatory training at Episcopal High School near Alexandria, VA.

1888-1892--B.A., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

1892-1894--L.L.B.,Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA.

1895--Admitted to the bar.

[sources: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

Sobel, Robert. BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE BRANCH 1774-1977. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1977, pp. 14-15]

Work_history-

1895-1896--Practiced law in Martinsburg, WV.

1896-1897--Private secretary to Postmaster General William L. Wilson, Washington, DC.

1897-1899--Member of the law firm of Flick, Westenhaver, and Baker, Martinsburg, WV.

1899-1901--Practiced in the law firm of Foran, McTighe & Baker, Cleveland, OH. 1901--Legal advisor to the Cleveland City Board of Equalization, Cleveland, OH.

1901-1902--Assistant Director of Law, City of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH.

1903--Law Director, City of Cleveland (title changed to "City Solicitor" in 1903 when the post became elective rather than appointed), Cleveland, OH.

1903-1912--City Solicitor, Cleveland, OH (first elected to position in 1905).

1912-1916--Mayor of Cleveland, OH.

1916-1921--U.S. Secretary of War, Washington, DC.

1921-1937--Private law practice in the firm of Baker, Hostetter, Sidlo & Patterson, Cleveland, OH. Served as presidential appointee on various commissions, active in the Democratic Party, community organizations and a director of several corporations.

[sources: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. New York: James White & Co., 1930, Vol. 27, pp. 6-8, and 1939, Vol. A, pp. 40-42.

Sobel, Robert. BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE BRANCH 1774-1977. Connecticutt Greenwood Press, 1977, pp. 14_15]

Assoc_subjects-

Adult education.

American Expeditionary Forces University.

American Association of Adult Education [AAAE]

Army education.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS.

International solidarity.

Political science.

SOCIAL CHANGE.

Value of education for purposes of social change.

[sources: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

Hiemstra, Roger.

Rohfeld, Rae Wahl. Newton D. Baker and the adult education movement. OHIO HISTORY 95 (1986): 119-132]

Assoc_people-

Wilson, Woodrow; studied under Woodrow Wilson and later served President Wilson as Secretary of War.

Pershing, General ; as Secretary of War he worked with and backed General Pershing.

Westenhaver, David C.; an early law partner, David C. Westenhaver, was President of the West Virginia State Bar Association and Federal Judge in the Northern District of Ohio in 1917.

Johnson, Tom; Johnson, Mayor of Cleveland and member of Congress, was a close associate during his early days in Cleveland.

Keppel, Frederick P.; Keppel was 3rd Assistant Secretary of War to Baker and became the Executive Director of the Carnegie Corporation which subsequently funded several adult education initiatives.

Fosdick, Raymond B.; Fosdick was chairman of the Commission on Training Camp Activities during WWI.

Ellis, A.A. Caswell; Ellis was director of Cleveland College and another close associate.

[sources: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

Rohfeld, Rae Wahl. Newton D. Baker and the adult education movement. OHIO HISTORY 1986): 119-132]

Assoc_organiz-

Adult Education Association of the USA (Cleveland president, 1928-29) [AEA- USA].

American Association for Adult Education (president, 1930_31) [AAAE].

American Judicature Society (president, 1930_1937).

Board of Trustees of Cleveland College(president).

Board of Trustees of John Hopkins University.

Board of Trustees of Washington and Lee University.

Board of Trustees of Western Reserve University (president, 1916).

Carnegie Corporation of New York (trustee).

Cleveland Chamber of Commerce (president, 1922-23).

National Advisory Council on Radio in Education. National Commission on Law Enforcement and Observance (member, 1929).

National Conference of Jews and Christians (Protestant co-chairman, 1928-1937).

Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague (member appointed in 1928 by President Coolidge and reappointed by President Roosevelt in 1935).

Woodrow Wilson Foundation(president,1928-1931).

[sources: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. New York: James White & Co., 1930, Vol. 27, pp. 6-8, and 1939, Vol. A, pp. 40-42.

Rohfeld, Rae. Wahl. Newton D. Baker and the adult education movement. OHIO HISTORY 95 (1986):119-132..

Sobel, Robert. BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE BRANCH 1774-1977. Connecticut: Greenwood Press,1977, pp. 14-15.

WHO WAS WHO IN AMERICA, Vol.1,1942 (see "reference to" for complete citations)]

Assoc_evnt/prj-

As Secretary of War he ordered troops to pursue Pancho Villa's raiders, administered the wartime conscription act, and reorganized the administrative structure of the War Department.

Founding of Cleveland College (1925-07-29).

Founding of the American Association of Adult Education [AAAE]; decided to make adult education his major civic commitment.

Chaired the national committee of the mobilization of human needs to relieve destitution and unemployment (1931-1933).

The American Expeditionary Force University was established while he was Secretary of War.

[sources: NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. New York: James White & Co., 1930, Vol. 27, pp. 6-8, and 1939, Vol. A, pp.40-42.

Beaver, Daniel R. NEWTON D. BAKER AND THE AMERICAN WAR EFFORT 1917-1919.

Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

Rohfeld, Rae Wahl. Newton D. Baker and the adult education movement. OHIO HISTORY 95 (1986): 119-132]

Assoc_places-

Cleveland, OH.

Martinsburg, WV.

Washington D.C., Department of Defense.

[source: Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961]

Publications-

While Baker wrote no books, his speeches were printed in articles under his name:

"Frontiers of Freedom" (1918).

"Progress and the Constitution" (1923).

"War in the Modern World" (1935).

"Why We Went to War" (1936).

"As a Bystander Sees It: Some Aspects of Adult Education." (1929 at the World Conference in Adult Education at Cambridge).

[sources: NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. New York: James White & Co., 1930, Vol. 27, pp. 6-8, and 1939, Vol. A, pp. 40-42.

Rohfeld, Rae Wahl. Newton D. Baker and the adult education movement. OHIO HISTORY 95 (1986): 119-132].

References_to-

Beaver, Daniel R. NEWTON D. BAKER AND THE AMERICAN WAR EFFORT 1917-1919. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1966.

Cramer, C. H. NEWTON D. BAKER...A BIOGRAPHY. New York: World Publishing Co., 1961.

Rohfeld, Rae Wahl. Newton D. Baker and the adult educatiion movement. OHIO HISTORY 95 (1986): 119-132.

Sobel, Robert. BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE BRANCH 1774-1977. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1977, pp. 14-15.

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Restrictions-

Pref_citation-

In addition to following normal manuscript citation conventions, include these elements when citing records found "electronically" through The Adult Education History Project: Main entry, Title, Item number, and, if a specific image is being cited, Component number. Mention, too, that the record was found in "/history.html, an Electronic Source for Syracuse University Library's database for archives and manuscripts".

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Created on May 9, 2002

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