The City of Houston named a small portion of Sesquicentennial Park Baker Common that includes a statue of James A. Baker III, as well as plaques commemorating the families contributions to the city.

Baker, a Marine Corps veteran and partner at the law firm Baker Botts, served in three presidential administrations as secretary of the Treasury, secretary of state and twice as White House chief of staff.

Before Baker ever took his turn on the national or international stage, his father, grandfather and great-grandfather played key roles in the city's development. The first James Addison Baker moved to Houston in 1872 and joined the law firm where his great-grandson now is a partner, working to link the city to the nation's rail system. His son, Captain James A. Baker, protected from a fraud scheme the education trust that would be used to create Rice University. And James A. Baker, Jr., the secretary's father, was a decorated World War I veteran who led the city's Chamber of Commerce.