FROM THE PUBLISHER

"To me, Knoxville is more than a city. It is a personal experience-one that touches all the senses and evokes the deepest memories and best hopes. It is the high energy of commerce, manufacturing, and technology. The thrill of invention and innovation. The smell of freshly plowed soil, fertile and rich, yielding the earth's fruits."

So declares Knoxville native and former U.S. Senator Howard H. Baker Jr. in his introductory essay to Knoxville: Smoky Mountain Majesty. In words that form both a short reminiscence of his early political education and an ode to the beautiful city he calls home, Baker describes how his prominent family and Knoxville's colorful public figures-like Cas Walker and George Dempster-exposed him to the region's busy political arena. Following the examples of his father, Howard H. Baker Sr., and his maternal grandmother, Lillie Ladd, the sheriff of nearby Roane County, Baker learned that "the essence of public service is to be an advocate-to speak when it matters most for those who otherwise might have no voice." Such advice would later shape his career as politician and citizen.