Baker, Newton

Baker, Newton (Diehl)

(1871–1937) public official, lawyer; born in Martinsburg, W.Va. Educated at Washington and Lee Law School, he served as city solicitor and progressive mayor (1912–15) of Cleveland, Ohio, and was later appointed secretary of war under President Wilson (1916–21). Accused of pacifism, he nevertheless prosecuted America's war effort with vigor and expertise. He supported the League of Nations and was appointed to the Permanent Court of International Justice (1928).

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.