Ambassador Howard Baker, Jr., served in the U.S. Senate from 1967-1985, with two terms as minority leader (1977-81) and two terms as majority leader (1981-85). He was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1980, and also worked as chief of staff for then-President Ronald Reagan.

During his three-term tenure as Tennessee’s first popularly-elected Republican senator, Howard H. Baker Jr. acted as vice chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee. After retiring, he worked for several law firms and is currently the Ambassador to Japan.