Oberlin College Office of Development

Walter K. Bailey believed it was his moral responsibility to make a return to others for the benefits received in his own life. A 1919 graduate, Bailey was a successful businessman and philanthropist who supported many civic causes. One of the main recipients of his "giving back" was Oberlin College.

A trustee for 26 years, he was national chairman of four major capital campaigns that raised $30 million in gifts to support construction of 29 campus buildings, including Kettering Hall of Science, King Memorial Building, the Conservatory of Music complex, Philips Physical Education Center, and Mudd Center, as well as several residence halls.

Oberlin awarded him the Distinguished Alumni Medal for more than 40 years of continued service to the College in 1966 and the honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree in 1984. Bailey died in 1996 at the age of 98.

"He was an extraordinary man," said Richard "Dick" Bailey '51 of his father. Although his father never talked about why he supported Oberlin, "we talked about how valuable he thought a liberal arts education was, both in general and to him, personally."

In recognition of his father's tireless devotion to Oberlin, Dick Bailey and his brothers (Douglas and David) recently endowed the Walter King Bailey '19 Endowed Memorial Scholarship. The three brothers also made a posthumous gift in honor of a fourth brother, Robert, who attended Oberlin and who died in 1998. "That way we could say that all of Dad's sons established the scholarship," Dick Bailey said.

A Houston resident and longtime Oberlin supporter himself, Dick Bailey is a retired manufacturing systems manager for Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America, where he now does consulting work. His gift to the endowed scholarship included both an outright cash gift and a planned gift.

Walter K. Bailey began his career as a special apprentice at Warner & Swasey Co. in Cleveland, and over the years he worked his way up to become president and chief executive officer. Extremely active in civic affairs, he was an enthusiastic fund-raiser for numerous Cleveland groups. The Cleveland Plain Dealer named him Businessman of the Year in 1966.

He was also extremely devoted to his family, making sure he was home for dinner most nights and always attending his children's events, Dick Bailey said.

Obviously pleased, Walter K. Bailey '19 posed with his doctoral degree after the 1984 Commencement ceremonies

The scholarship – which, Bailey said, is intended for students who have "the potential to develop into the type of leader that made my father such a special man" – was awarded for the first time last fall to Steven Barlow '03, a politics and Latin American studies major.

"Steve's a thoroughly nice young man, just a great guy," said Bailey. "I think my father would have really liked him."

Barlow, who hopes to attend law school or graduate school in international politics or international relations, is not your typical Obie. A football player (as were both Walter and Dick Bailey), he's married, and he has a somewhat conservative background.

"Steve had gone to a junior college that's affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Bailey said. "I asked him how that background fit with Oberlin, if there were any difficulties. He said, 'I express my opinions and I think they surprise people sometimes, and then they express theirs, and I learn something. I think they do, too. I'm enjoying the differences.'"

As a class agent and member of the Alumni Association Executive Board, Bailey returns to campus often. Recalling his own education at Oberlin and seeing how today's students are receiving an equally strong education inspire him to support Oberlin, he said.

"I learned how to think on my own at Oberlin," Bailey said. "There was a point in my second year, in an economics class, when I realized that I could compete with all those other smart students, and even with a couple of the professors. I liked that. In an introductory chemistry class, I learned an approach to problems that I still use today.

"I'm really astounded at how bright and intense some of the students are," he continued. "Whether or not I agree with all their causes is immaterial. Their energy and dedication really impress me. I see them getting the kind of experiences I got, and I think that's terrific."