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News from PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Contact: Marilyn Marks mmarks@princeton.edu Date: 2/28/2002 James Baker to be Class Day speakerPrinceton NJ -- James A. Baker III, who has served as both U.S. secretary of state and secretary of the treasury, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Class Day ceremony June 3. Baker was selected by leaders of the senior class from among numerous nominees suggested by classmates. "His long career as a public servant, and as a major figure in international affairs for nearly two decades, made him an exceptional candidate," said senior class president Spence Miller. Miller noted that Baker is a member of the class of 1952, which has a special partnership to this year's senior class, providing valuable exchanges between alumni and students. The Class Day ceremony will be held on Cannon Green, weather permitting, at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is open to seniors and their invited guests, with standing room available for others in the community unless severe weather forces the ceremony inside. A former Princeton trustee, Baker has served in senior government positions under three presidents: Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. He was the nation's 61st secretary of state from January 1989 to August 1992 under President Bush, leading the nation to confront the new challenges of the post-Cold War era. From 1985 through 1988, Baker served as the 67th treasury secretary under President Reagan. In that position, he was also chairman of the president's Economic Policy Council. He served as chief of staff to President Reagan from 1981 to 1985, as undersecretary of commerce to President Ford, and as chief of staff and senior counselor to former President Bush. Long active in American presidential politics, Baker led presidential campaigns for Presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush over the course of five consecutive presidential elections from 1976 to 1992. Baker began his career in public service shortly after his Princeton graduation as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He then earned a law degree with honors from the University of Texas and practiced law in Houston. Baker's commitment to public service has continued in recent years. In 1997, he was appointed personal envoy of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to mediate direct talks between the parties to the dispute over Western Sahara. Baker received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991, the same year he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Princeton. For his distinguished public service, Baker also has received Princeton's Woodrow Wilson Award, the American Institute for Public Service's Jefferson Award, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government Award, the Hans J. Morgenthau Award, the George F. Kennan Award, the Department of the Treasury's Alexander Hamilton Award, the Department of State's Distinguished Service Award, and numerous honorary degrees from other universities. He currently is a senior partner in the law firm of Baker & Botts and senior counselor to The Carlyle Group, and serves on the boards of Rice University, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and several other nonprofit organizations. Class Day is organized by the members of the graduating
class. In addition to Baker's address, the ceremony will
include remarks by class members, induction of honorary
class members, and the recognition of class members for
their contributions. |
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