April 24, 2007

James A. Baker, III has served in senior government positions under three United States Presidents. He served as the nation's 61st Secretary of State, from January 1989 through August 1992, under President George H. W. Bush, traveling to 90 foreign countries as the U.S. confronted the challenges and opportunities of the post-Cold War era.

Baker's long and distinguished record of public service began in 1975 as Under Secretary of Commerce to President Gerald Ford. He served first as White House Chief of Staff, then as Secretary of the Treasury under President Ronald Reagan. Since March 2006,  Baker and former U.S. Congressman Lee Hamilton have served as co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group, a bi-partisan blue-ribbon panel on Iraq.

Few people have lived and breathed politics as deeply as James Baker, and now, with candor, Texas-style storytelling, and not a few surprises, he takes us into thirty-five years behind the scenes in his new book, Work Hard, Study…and Keep Out of Politics! (G.P. Putnam's Sons).

Born in Houston in 1930 to a prominent family — his great-grandfather had founded Baker Botts, a law firm that grew to be one of the city's largest, Baker did not begin his remarkable career in public service until 1975, at age 45. Disregarding his grandfather's advice to "keep out of politics," he accepted a post as undersecretary of commerce in the Gerald Ford administration (friend and tennis partner George Herbert Walker Bush helped broker the job offer). A year later Baker directed Ford's successful renomination effort against Ronald Reagan.

In 1980 Baker headed Bush's unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination against Reagan. After Reagan defeated President Carter, Baker served as his White House chief of staff during the first term, directed Reagan's landslide victory in 1984 and became secretary of the treasury in the second term. Baker’s skills as campaign manager, presidential adviser and policy administrator will keep him engaged in public affairs over the next two decades.

Known as a realist concerned with political feasibility, a moderate conservative who knows when to compromise, a lawyer who believes in extensive preparation and a Texan proud of his heritage, Baker navigated the personal and ideological conflicts within the Reagan and first Bush presidencies.

John King Photo courtesy of Jake Herrle, CNN © 2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.

His special relationship with the Bush family is illustrated with their request for him to represent George W. Bush's interests in the 2000 Florida election controversy and once again with the Iraq Study Group.

Baker will be interviewed by John King, CNN's chief national correspondent. John King has been responsible for reporting on a range of stories for CNN in the United States and abroad. He has covered the last four presidential elections and has conducted one-on-one interviews with an array of senior officials, including President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair. King was CNN's lead reporter covering Vice President Al Gore in the closing weeks of the 2000 presidential campaign.

Event & Ticket Information

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Visit with University of Louisville students: An interview and Q&A session with James Baker, III will be held 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library on the Belknap Campus. He will be interviewed by Jasmine Farrier, assistant professor, political science. The campus visit is open to students, faculty and staff.

The Kentucky Center
501 West Main Street
Downtown Louisville

5:00 p.m. Wine and Cheese offered by Brown-Forman, along with Carmichael's book sale in the lobby of The Kentucky Center

6:00 p.m. Interview with James A. Baker, III and John King, Bomhard Theatre, set and design by Bittners' (Designing for the Way You Live)

Live taping with KET: The Kentucky Network

Master of Ceremonies: Courier-Journal Forum Editor, Keith Runyon

7:00 p.m. Q & A with audience. Carmichael's Bookstore will have pre-signed copies of Baker’s book, Work Hard, Study…and Keep Out of Politics!, available for sale at this event.

A $17 ticket includes the above three events. A limited number of discounted tickets of $5 each are available for U of L students, faculty and staff at the The Kentucky Center box office --U of L photo ID is required.

8:15 p.m. Dinner with James A. Baker, III and John King at the Humana Building

Tickets for all evening events, including dinner: $100.00 ($35.00 tax deductible with proceeds to nonprofit Kentucky Author Forum)

Tickets for this event are now on sale at The Kentucky Center Box Office or Drive-Through on Main Street.  They may also be purchased by calling 502-584-7777 or 800-775-7777 or online at www.kentuckycenter.org.

Note to TV stations and print media: Access to a live Kentucky Author Forum TV feed during the evening interview is always available through KET by contacting Duncan Hart at 859-258-7296.

Those who cannot attend the Kentucky Author Forum evening interview will be able to enjoy a recorded version - free - at these Louisville Free Public Library branches:

• St. Matthews/Eline Branch, 2 p.m., Friday, May 25
• Crescent Hill,  7 p.m., Thursday, May 31
• Iroquois, 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 18

The University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum is also distributed for optional airing by PBS affiliates nationwide, under the title: "Conversation with James A. Baker, III."

Tapes of past Kentucky Author Forums interviews are available through KET by calling 800-945-9167. You can also access streaming video of selected interviews at ket.org/arts/authorforum.htm

The Kentucky Author Forum series is produced by Mary Moss Greenebaum, with Associate Producer Melissa Bernstrom, and is sponsored by the University of Louisville, Brown-Forman, and The Humana Foundation, in cooperation with Carmichael's Bookstore, The Courier-Journal, Bittners, KET, Office Furniture USA, The Kentucky Center and WFPL-89.3.

Questions should be directed to the Kentucky Author Forum office at 502-589-2884.

624 West Main, Second Floor
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Phone 502.589.2884
Fax 502.589.4334
email KYFORUM@aol.com