Russell Baker was born in rural Virginia in 1925, and his early years were shaped by the Great Depression. His father died when he was just five years old, a loss that profoundly influenced his life and his later autobiographical writing. His mother, a strong and determined woman, moved the family to New Jersey and then Baltimore, always pushing her son toward success.

This drive led him to Johns Hopkins University, but his studies were interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the U.S. Navy. After the war, he returned to complete his degree in English literature. His writing career began not with aspirations of literary fame, but with the practical need for a job. He started as a police reporter for The Baltimore Sun in 1947.

Baker quickly proved himself a talented journalist. The Baltimore Sun sent him to London as its correspondent, giving him a front-row seat to post-war Europe. In 1954, he joined the Washington bureau of The New York Times, a move that placed him at the center of American politics.

He covered the White House, Congress, and presidential campaigns, earning a reputation for his sharp reporting. But he grew tired of the conventions of daily journalism. In 1962, he was offered the chance to write a column.

While famous for his column, Baker also became a celebrated author. He turned to his own life for material, writing two acclaimed memoirs. The first, Growing Up (1982), tells the story of his childhood and became an instant classic for its warmth, humor, and honest portrayal of an American family.

His second memoir, The Good Times (1989), picked up where the first left off, chronicling his journey from a young man starting out in the newspaper business to a seasoned journalist. His work earned him some of the highest honors in the field.

Beyond his column and memoirs, Baker wrote and edited numerous other books and hosted the PBS television series Masterpiece Theatre from 1992 to 2004. His voice became a trusted and familiar presence in American culture, known for its wit and wisdom. After a long and distinguished career, Baker retired his column in 1998.