Growing Up

Russell Baker (b. August 14, 1925) is an American newspaper columnist, humorist, political satirist, and author. He earned a B.A. from Johns Hopkins in 1947 and began his career at the Baltimore Sun as a police reporter. He was a columnist at the New York Times from 1962 to 1998 and host of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre from 1992 to 2004.

His Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, Growing Up (1982), recounts his childhood and adolescence during the Great Depression and World War II. Alongside his story is that of his mother, Lucy Elizabeth, and her strong influence on Baker. He also shares anecdotes and character sketches featuring his large, extended family, which includes his wife Mimi.

In her old age, Lucy becomes senile, inspiring Baker to reflect on how little he knows of her past and how regretful he is of his youthful disinterest in it. Baker’s own children betray a similar disinterest in his past, though he suspects one day they will want to know, as he now does. Baker resolves to tell his stories while he is still able, saying children should know where they came from and that they are part of a larger tapestry of experiences.