Back to All Events

Virtual Event | The Legendary James A. Baker III

Jan 20, 2022
11:00am to 12:00pm ET


Watch

James A. Baker III, the legendary White House chief of staff and Secretary of State, ran Washington—and much of the world, by extension—for nearly a quarter of a century. A political dealmaker at home and indispensable negotiator abroad, Baker steered presidencies through some of the most momentous foreign policy events of the 20th century—including the reunification of Germany, the Oslo Middle East peace process, the Gulf War and the Cold War’s conclusion.

On Thursday, January 20, CNAS hosted a special discussion on Baker’s extraordinary life and legacy with the authors of two recent books: Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, co-authors of “The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III,” and Diana Villers Negroponte, author of “Master Negotiator: The Role of James A. Baker, III at the End of the Cold War.” They were joined by Robert Zoellick, former Deputy Secretary of State and President of the World Bank, who worked closely with Baker in many of his most consequential activities.


Speakers:

Peter Baker
Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times
Author, The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III

Susan Glasser
Staff Writer, The New Yorker
Author, The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III

Diana Villers Negroponte
Public Policy Scholar, The Wilson Center
Author, Master Negotiator: The Role of James A. Baker, III at the End of the Cold War

Robert Zoellick
Principal, Brunswick Group
Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Author, America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy

Moderated by:

Richard Fontaine
Chief Executive Officer, CNAS