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Howard Baker, 1925-2014
This Time cover portrait portrays Tennessee Republican Senator Howard Baker as an effective majority leader, adept at resolving confrontations between the “sparring” White House and Congress. As vice chair of the Senate Watergate Committee, he famously asked the key question on June 28, 1973: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
In July 1973, Alexander Butterfield, an aid to the president, disclosed the existence of the Oval Office taping system to the Senate Watergate Committee. As the hearings played out, it became clear that the scope of presidential power was at stake. Chief of Staff John Ehrlichman argued that the president could do almost anything in the name of national security, including authorizing burglaries. Ultimately, in United States v. Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court decided unanimously that executive privilege was something to be defined by the courts, not the president.
Robert Grossman, 1982
Time magazine cover, April 26, 1982
Collection Description
In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection -- featuring prominent international figures and events -- enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context. |