Paul Bailey

Paul Clinton Bailey Sr (born October 26, 1921 in Baileyton (Cullman County) - died February 27, 2009 in Baileyton) was a research geneticist, textbook author, and a professor and administrator at Birmingham-Southern College and served as Mayor of Baileyton for 18 years.

Bailey was the great-grandson of the founder of Baileyton in Cullman County and the son of Noel Robert and Selemma Lillian Bailey. He graduated from St Bernard College there and went on to Jacksonville State University. After completing his bachelor's degree in education he joined the U.S. Army Air & Medical Corps during World War II. After the end of the war he attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, earning his master's in education in 1946 and his PhD in 1949, while he was already employed as a professor at Alabama College (now the University of Montevallo).

Bailey remained at Montevallo and became chairman of the school's Department of Biology. He left in 1963 to join the faculty of Birmingham-Southern College and served there in the same capacity. He was promoted to chair the Division of Math and Science and served briefly as acting President. Afterwards he was appointed Academic Dean of the College and held that position until his retirement in 1985. He taught thousands of pre-medical students and performed research in the genetic identification of, understanding of, and treatment for lymphoma. He compiled his lectures into a series of textbooks for the teaching for freshman biology.

Bailey was recognized with a Distinguished Service Award from the Alabama Academy of Science and was granted an honorary doctor of literature by Birmingham-Southern in 1993.

In his retirement, Bailey served as Mayor of Baileyton for 18 years, helping with the creation of a recreational park, an industrial park, and Parkside Middle School. He retired from that position in 2008, leaving the town with a surplus in its budget account. He also sat on the board of directors for the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bailey died in February 2009. He was survived by his wife, Eileen, two sons, a daughter, and two granddaughters. He is interred at the Baileyton United Methodist Church cemetery.

Preceded by: Ralph Tanner	President of Birmingham-Southern College (acting) 1975–1976	Succeeded by: Neal Berte
Preceded by: Rolfe Burks	Mayor of Baileyton 1990–2008	Succeeded by: Johnny Dyar

References

• "Paul Clinton Bailey, Sr" obituary (March 1, 2009) Birmingham News