Russell Baker Biography

Russell Baker (Russell Wayne Baker) was an American writer best known for his satirical commentary and self-critical prose. He was also known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography Growing Up (1982). He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1947.

From 1962 to 1998, Baker was a columnist for The New York Times. From 1992 to 2004, he hosted the PBS show Masterpiece Theatre.

After covering the United States Department of State and the White House, United States Congress for The New York Times for eight years, Baker wrote the nationally syndicated Observer column for the newspaper from 1962 to 1998, initially oriented toward politics. The column began to encompass other subjects after he relocated to New York City in 1974.

During his career, Baker was a regular contributor to national periodicals such as The New York Times Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, Sports Illustrated, and McCalls. In 1993, Baker was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Russell Baker Age

Russell Baker was born on August 14, 1925 in Morrisonville, Virginia, United States. He died on January 21, 2019 at the age of 93.

Russell Baker Height

Baker stood at a height of 6 feet 5 inches tall.

Russell Baker Family

He was the son of Benny Baker (father) and Lucy Elizabeth Baker (mother). Baker had two sisters Audrey Baker and Doris Baker. His father died in 1930 of untreated diabetes, even though insulin had been discovered nearly a decade earlier.

Russell Baker Wife

He was married to Mimi Baker who died in September, 2015, at 88. His wife Miriam Emily Nash was devoted to the Balch genealogy library and did extensive scholarly studies of such big Loudoun County families as the Fryes, Coopers, Bakers, and others rooted in the long Germanic culture of the county’s northern area,” Russell Baker noted in an email.

He had three children: a daughter Kasia Baker of Nantucket, Massachusetts, two sons Allen Baker of New York and Michael Baker of Morrisonville.

Russell Baker Net Worth

Baker had a net worth of about $1 million to $5 million which he earned from his career as an American writer.

Russell Baker Death – Is Russell Baker Still Alive?

Russell Baker died on 21 January 2019 at his home in Leesburg, Va, at the age of 93. The cause of his death was as a result of complications from a fall, said his son, Allen Baker.

Growing Up Russell Baker Audiobook

To listen to Growing Up audiobook by Russell Baker click the following link.

Russell Baker Books

1. The Good Times
2. Russell Baker’s Book of American Humor
3. Norton Book of Light Verse
4. Poor Russell’s Almanac
5. There’s a country in my cellar
6. So This is Depravity
7. Looking back
8. The upside-down man
9. Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir
10. The Rescue of Miss Yaskell and Other Pipe Dreams
11. Every Other Weekend: My Fight for Access
12. All Things Considered
13. Lounge-Ware : Mid-Century Modern Furniture Design
14. A Fear of Height
15. Making Your Way to an Access in Mathematics
16. Growing Up

Growing Up Russell Baker – Russell Baker Memoir

Growing Up is a 1982 memoir by author and journalist Russell Baker. An autobiography chronicling Baker’s youth in Virginia and his mother’s strength of character during the Great Depression, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 1983.

Originally published: 1982
Author: Russell Baker
Publisher: Thomas Congdon
Genre: Memoir
Country: United States of America
Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography

Russell Baker On Becoming A Writer

In the book ‘On Becoming A Writer’ Baker writes about his he pursued his writing career, the passion, the challenges, the rewards. Surprisingly enough, while in high school, he wasn’t really interested in writing and it was a challenge to him.