Dick Baker came to Washington in 1968 to join the Legislative Reference Service. He later served briefly as Senate curator and then became director of research for the Government Research Corporation. When the Senate established the Historical Office in 1975. Baker accepted the position of Senate historian. During Dick Baker's tenure as historian (1975-2009) the Historical Office grew from a small staff of three historians and a secretary in the attic of the Capitol Building to a nine-person office of historians, researchers, editors, and archivists with an office in the Hart Senate Office Building. As the collector and keeper of the institution's memory, the Senate Historical Office, under Baker's leadership, quickly earned a reputation for providing professional, non-partisan service. In this oral history interview, Baker recalls the challenges and triumphs he and his staff experienced during the Historical Office's first 30 years.