Harold Stevens Bailey, Jr., was born April 18, 1922, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Harold Sr., a tool and die maker and Grace Evelyn (Anderson) Bailey, a math teacher. He passed to the Lord peacefully Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, at the First United Methodist Church in Brookings with burial to follow in Greenwood Cemetery. Visitation will take place from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, with a Masonic Service at 7 p.m. at the Eidsness Funeral Home.
Dr. Bailey received his early schooling in the Springfield school system, graduating from Classical High School in June 1940. In his early years, he was introduced to the piano and music became an important part of his life. Although he never wanted to be a professional, he enjoyed accompanying local soloists on many occasions and was pianist for the Kiwanis Club in Brookings for over 40 years. In his late 50s, he undertook to study organ under M. K. Hugghins, and used this talent on many occasions in worship services in the Brookings First United Methodist Church.
Following high school graduation, interest from his maternal grandfather, followed by active participation in a drugstore, preceded a decision to enroll in the Mass. College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCP) where he received the B.S. degree in Pharmacy, in 1944. He entered the Army Medical Corps, July 12, 1944 and served in both the European and Pacific theaters of operation. He was promoted to Chief Pharmacist of the 500 bed 118th Station Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. Following military service, he married Barbara Ann Dewey in Springfield, Sept. 8, 1946, and then went on to graduate study at MCP. He was awarded the M.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry degree in 1948 and Ph.D. from Purdue University, in August, 1951, majoring in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, with minors in Pharmacology and Bio-chemistry. He also held a position as Instructor in Pharmacy, from 1950-51.
Harold was always proud of his New England heritage, tracing his paternal roots back to James Bailey (1612-1677 of York, England who settled at Rowley, Mass. in 1648 and maternal (Anderson) family roots to a William Anderson from Dumfurmline, Scotland who settled in Deerfield, Mass. in 1758. In addition, he proudly traced Barbara’s paternal (Dewey) ancestry to the Dewey family of Sandwich, Kent, England and maternal (Dow) of Edinburgh, Scotland.
However, on Sept. 1, 1951, Harold, Barbara and two daughters, Cynthia and Lynda, left New England for Brookings, South Dakota. He began teaching and conducting research in the Health Sciences in the South Dakota State College Division of Pharmacy, first as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, followed by promotions to Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and head of the Department. With a background in Radiation Techniques, he established a Radiation Laboratory at the College in 1959. During the period 1951 to 1961 Dr. Bailey conducted major research under the sponsorship of the Atomic Energy Commission and the National Institute of Dental Research in the areas of bio-pharmacology, radiation biology, and dental pharmacy, with particular emphasis on the effects of high-level radiation on blood components and the effect of protein anabolic agents on dental tissues. He published in national research publications and was Editor of the South Dakota Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Section from 1953 to 1961, following reorganization of the faculty by President Hilton Briggs in 1961, Dr. Bailey was given the position of Chief Academic Officer, serving in that position for 24 years, as Dean of Academic Affairs, from 1961 to 1973, and Vice President from 1973 to 1985. He also served as Dean of the Graduate School from 1965 to 1976.
During his tenure as chief academic officer he was responsible for accomplishing many major academic changes. The first started on Nov. 18, 1961 when the Regents decided that all colleges should change from a quarter to a semester system of instruction. During this process, a total of 1661 college courses were examined, and revised, a new B.S. degree core content approved, and a new course numbering system developed. Next came the change of state college to university status, in 1964. He had responsibility for directing re-accreditation of the college and university in 1964, 1974 and 1984, and the first accreditation of the Ph.D. program. As chief academic officer, he was responsible for obtaining Regent’s approval for revision of the academic program, including new degree programs, new course opportunities and creation of, or changes in academic departments. He was also involved in planning the construction of several major academic buildings, including Shepard Hall and the building later re-named the Harold Bailey Rotunda Classrooms.
Following retirement, he decided that the experiences involved in the many changes from the small agricultural college in 1951, to the foundations of a major teaching and research university in 1985, should be preserved for the archives and interested others. Therefore, he authored a history of the Hilton Briggs and Sherwood “Woody” Berg Presidencies under the title ,”A Quest for Excellence, On Creating a University from a Small State College”.
Dr. Bailey also held statewide and national higher education positions, including, Secretary of the South Dakota Regents of Education Committee for Educational Coordination (1963-74), and the Regents Academic Advisory Committee from 1971 to 1985. In 1965, he was appointed by the Regents to assist the South Dakota Legislative Council, as Project Director, in a study of academic building space use in public higher education institutions (1965) and a space study of the University Of South Dakota School Of Medicine (1966). For many years, the state-wide space study was one basis for legislative action on academic building requests. From 1979 to 1985, he was appointed by both the South and North Dakota Boards of Regents and supported by the American Council of Education, to be Director of the Departmental Leadership Institutes for training Deans and Department Heads in administrative techniques.
He was involved in a number of community activities, including Assistant Scoutmaster of Boy Scout, Troop No. 1. He was a 50-year member of Kiwanis, and held memberships in the Masonic Orders. He was a President of the American Red Cross, Brookings Chapter, Board of Trustees, and a member of the Brookings Hospital/Brookview Manor Board of Trustees from 1989 to 2002, serving as President from 1991-2001. In 1997, he received the Brookings Bar Associations Liberty Bell Award for voluntary community service. He was Vice President of the Friends of the Arts, Inc. for over 20 years and he and Barbara were co-chairs of the 10th Annual Evening for the Arts in 1989. He was an AARP Tax Preparer for the Elderly for 20 years after retirement. Harold and Barbara were avid supporters of the SDSU “Jackrabbits” and enjoyed over 50 years of monthly bridge playing with friends.
Harold was proud of his family and accomplishments of his children. He and Barbara could be seen at many of their school functions, as they performed in arts, dramatic, musical, athletic or scouting activities.
Harold and Barbara were persons of faith, serving the Lord in many ways, particularly through their relations and generosity with those in need. Following retirement, for a number of years he was a member of the American Red Cross Disaster Response Team. In particular, he could be seen assisting the unfortunate at house fires and other disasters in Brookings and the area, until age prevented that activity. He was active in the Brookings First United Methodist Church and many will remember that he was the “radio voice” of the church, broadcasting services for over 11 years. In addition, he was comfortable in the pulpit and preached on many occasions in Brookings area churches.
His academic memberships included the American Pharmaceutical Assoc.; American Chemical Soc.; Sigma Xi research Society; Fellow of the American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science; and Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. He is listed in many national honorary biographies and was a member of these honor societies: Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Lambda Upsilon Chemical Honorary and Rho Chi Pharmacy Honorary. His dental-pharmacy research resulted in election as an honorary member of the South Dakota Dental Association. For his service to higher education in South Dakota, the Board of Regents and university dedicated the Harold S. Bailey Residence Hall in 1994 and later the university rotunda classrooms were renamed the Harold S. Bailey Rotunda. He was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by the Purdue University, School of Health Sciences in 1998. On retirement in 1985, the South Dakota Board of Regents honored him with the rank of Vice President for Academic Affairs, emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Higher Education.
Grateful for having shared his life are his sister, Barbara Chiapetta of Belchertown, Massachusetts; four daughters, Cynthia (Bob) Kodis, Des Moines, Iowa; Lynda Bailey, Liberty, Missouri; The Rev. Gwen (Rod) Mader, Mesa, Arizona; and Pamela (David) Berg, Baldwin, Wisconsin; one son, Harold S. Bailey, III (Sandra), of Rapid City; 12 grandchildren: Michelle (Michael) Miyazaki, The Rev. Jeffery (Anna) Kodis, Deborah (Joel) Phipps, Tami (Michael) Quinn, Melanie (Keith) Kraynak, Michael (Amanda), Stacia, Johnathan, Matthew and Heather Berg, Harold IV and Austin Bailey and 16 great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and cousins and a special friend, Geneva Hogue.
His parents, his brother, Richard, and his wife Barbara preceded him in death.
Suggested memorial contributions may be made to the Brookings First United Methodist Church Foundation, Harold and Barbara Bailey Endowment or the SDSU Foundation, Harold and Barbara Bailey Endowment, in support of Academic Leadership.
