Jacob Thompson Baker (April 13, 1847 – December 7, 1919) was an American Democratic Party politician from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

who represented

New Jersey's 2nd congressional district New Jersey's 2nd congressional district, based in South Jersey, Southern New Jersey, is represented by Republican Jeff Van Drew. He was first elected as a Democrat in 2018, but announced on December 19, 2019, that he would be switching parties ...

for one term from 1913 to 1915.

Early life and education

Baker was born near

Cowan, Pennsylvania Cowan is a populated place in Buffalo Township, Union County, Pennsylvania, United States. Notable institutions in Cowan include Bucknell University Bucknell University is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United Stat ...

on April 13, 1847. He attended the public schools and

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal-arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts a ...

. He studied law, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1870 and commenced practice in

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Williamsport and north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. The population was 5,158 as of the United States Census 202 ...

Political career

He was chairman of the Democratic State convention in 1905. Baker moved to New Jersey and was one of the founders of Wildwood and the borough of Wildwood Crest. He was the first Mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey in 1911 and 1912, and was a delegate to the

1912 Democratic National Convention The 1912 Democratic National Convention was held at the Fifth Regiment Armory off North Howard Street in Baltimore from June 25 to July 2, 1912. The Convention The convention was held at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore from June 25 t ...

Congress

Baker was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-third Congress, serving in office from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1915, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1914 to the Sixty-fourth Congress. After leaving Congress, he resumed real estate activities in Wildwood.

Death and legacy

Baker died in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

on December 7, 1919, and was interred in Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery in

Cold Spring, New Jersey Cold Spring is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community in Lower Township, New Jersey, Lower Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. History A post o ...

. Baker's home, the J. Thompson Baker House was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1966.

External links

Jacob Thompson Baker
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 Politics of the United States, American political figures and List of United States political families, political families, along with other informa ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, J Thompson 1847 births 1919 deaths People from Union County, Pennsylvania Bucknell University alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey People from Wildwood, New Jersey People from Wildwood Crest, New Jersey The Wildwoods, New Jersey Mayors of places in New Jersey 20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey Burials at Cold Spring Presbyterian Church 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Politicians from Cape May County, New Jersey