James A. Baker, III Joins Rice University Board of Governors and Founds Public Policy Institute

Contact: Michael Berryhill
Phone: (713) 527-4929

James A. Baker, III Joins Rice University Board of Governors
and Founds Public Policy Institute

James A. Baker, III, the nation’s 61st Secretary of State,
will join Rice University as a term member of the Rice Board of
Governors and the head of the James A. Baker, III Institute for
Public Policy. Charles Duncan, chairman of the Rice University
Board of Governors, announced Baker’s appointment to the board and
the opening of institute January 14, as Baker concluded his duties
as White House chief of staff. Baker met with Rice officials today
to confer on plans for upcoming programs of the institute.

"I look forward to continuing the active involvement of the
Baker family with Rice and am deeply honored to join its board of
governors," Baker said. "I believe that this institute can
contribute significantly to the intellectual dialogue about public
policy and thereby to the improvement of public policy."

The mission of the Baker Institute will be to foster and
disseminate research on issues of public policy. The institute will
bring together academicians and individuals outside academic
institutions who have made, implemented or observed public policy at
close hand. The new institute will further develop Rice University’s
existing institutes, centers and departments, including those in the
School of Social Sciences, the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of
Administration and the Department of History. The Baker Institute
will include a range of programs that will reach out to the
community to supplement its educational and research objectives.

"Secretary Baker will actively participate in the institute that
bears his name-through endeavors such as giving lectures, chairing
conferences, and helping guide the development of the institute,"
Duncan said.

Rice President George Rupp commented, "Mr. Baker’s membership on
our board and his participation in the Baker Institute will again
involve the Baker family in the continuing evolution of the
university. We welcome the experience and the energy he is
committing to both these endeavors."

The Baker family has long been associated with Rice University.
Baker’s grandfather was indispensable in the founding of the
university and served as its first board chairman from 1891 through
1941. Secretary Baker has already designated Rice University as the
depository for the personal and professional papers related to his
many years in politics and public service.

Secretary Baker has served in government under presidents Ford,
Reagan and Bush. During 1975-76, he served as Under Secretary of
Commerce for President Ford. During the 1981-85 period, he served as
White House chief of staff for President Reagan before becoming the
67th Secretary of the Treasury and chairman of the President’s
Economic Council from 1985 to 1988. In August 1988, he became the
chairman of then Vice President George Bush’s presidential campaign.
From January 1989 to August 1992, Mr. Baker was the nation’s
61st Secretary of State in the administration of President Bush.

Most recently, Baker concluded his service with President Bush as
chief of staff and senior counselor to the president.

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