Table of Contents
The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy mourns the loss of Nelson Mandela, a great leader and humanitarian wholly committed to the creation of a multiracial, democratic South Africa.
“Nelson Mandela is one of those rare historical figures who successfully navigated the course from being a revolutionary leader to being a national statesman,” said honorary chair James A. Baker, III, while introducing Mr. Mandela to a Rice University audience in 1999.
“During my years in public life, I had the opportunity of meeting any number of world leaders, but none, and I repeat none, is more deserving of the appellation 'great’ than is Nelson Mandela.”
View the Baker Institute's video tribute to Nelson Mandela below.
- James A. Baker, III, was the first high-level American official to meet with Mr. Mandela after his release from prison in 1990. Mr. Baker remembers Mr. Mandela in a series of media interviews, below:
Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer (Dec. 9, 2013)
CBS News with Charlie Rose (Dec. 6, 2013)
MSNBC (Dec. 6, 2013)
Fox News (Dec. 6, 2013)
.
- View photos of Mr. Mandela's October 1999 visit to the Baker Institute and Rice University below: