Irene Bailey Baker
| Edith Irene Bailey Baker | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 2nd district |
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In office March 10, 1964 – January 3, 1965 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Baker, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | John Duncan, Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 17, 1901 Sevierville, Tennessee |
| Died |
April 2, 1994 (aged 92) Loudon, Tennessee |
| Citizenship |
 United States
|
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Howard Baker, Sr. |
| Children |
Howard H. Baker, Jr. (stepson) Mary Elizabeth Baker (stepdaughter) Beverly Irene Baker |
| Profession | politician |
Howard H. Baker, Jr. (stepson) Mary Elizabeth Baker (stepdaughter)
Edith Irene Bailey Baker (November 17, 1901 – April 2, 1994) was an American politician and a United States Representative from Tennessee. She was the widow of Howard Baker, Sr., and the stepmother of Howard Baker, Jr.
Baker was born in Sevierville, Tennessee, on November 17, 1901, and attended public schools in Sevierville and Maryville.
Baker served as Deputy County Court Clerk of Sevier County from 1918 to 1922 and as Deputy Clerk and Master of Chancery Court from 1922 to 1924.
After her first husband's death, Baker went to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). On September 15, 1935, she married Howard Baker, Sr., who was a widower with two children. The couple raised Baker's two children from his first marriage, Howard H. Baker, Jr., and Mary Elizabeth Baker, as well as a daughter of their own, Beverly Irene Baker. She served on the Republican National Committee from 1960 to 1964.
When her husband died suddenly in office on January 7, 1964, Baker ran as a Republican in the Special Election to fill the remainder of his term, defeating Democrat Willard Yarbrough, a Knoxville journalist. As a candidate for the seat, she promised to serving only as a caretaker who would not seek further election; and she fulfilled that promise, and served from March 10, 1964, to January 3, 1965. While in Congress, she served on the House Committee on Government Operations and advocated for a balanced federal budget. She also championed coal mining interests, the TVA, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission programs in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and cost of living increases in Social Security pensions.
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