Jehu Baker

Jehu Baker
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois
In office March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869
Preceded by	William Ralls Morrison
Succeeded by	John B. Hay
Constituency	12th district
In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889
Preceded by	William Ralls Morrison
Succeeded by	William St. John Forman
Constituency	18th district
In office March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899
Preceded by	Everett J. Murphy
Succeeded by	William A. Rodenberg
Constituency	21st district
United States Minister to Venezuela
In office March 18, 1878 – September 5, 1881
President	Rutherford B. Hayes James A. Garfield
Preceded by	Thomas Russell
Succeeded by	George W. Carter
In office May 16, 1882 – June 20, 1885
President	Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	George W. Carter
Succeeded by	Charles L. Scott
Personal details
Born	(1822-11-04)November 4, 1822 Lexington, Kentucky
Died	March 1, 1903(1903-03-01) (aged 80) Belleville, Illinois
Political party	Republican

Jehu Baker (November 4, 1822 – March 1, 1903) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.

Born near Lexington, Kentucky, Baker moved with his father to Lebanon, Illinois, in 1829. He attended the common schools and McKendree University. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1846, entering private practice in Belleville, Illinois. He served as master in chancery of St. Clair County, Illinois from 1861-1865.

Baker was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses (March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869), defeating incumbent William R. Morrison. He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Thirty-ninth Congress), Committee on Education and Labor (Fortieth Congress). In 1876, he campaigned in Illinois for Rutherford B. Hayes, who rewarded him by appointing him as United States Minister to Venezuela (1878–1881 and 1882–1885).

Baker was elected also as a Republican to the Fiftieth Congress (March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1888 to the Fifty-first Congress. He continued the practice of law.

He later switched parties and was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-fifth Congress (March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1898 to the Fifty-sixth Congress. He resumed the practice of law. He died in Belleville on March 1, 1903, and was buried in Walnut Hill Cemetery.

References

• United States Congress. "Jehu Baker (id: B000066)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• American National Biography, vol. 2, pp. 22–23.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress