John D. Bailey (1924 – August 2018) was a civic leader and philanthropist in, and Mayor of,

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...

from 1965 to 1967.

Early life

John Denver Bailey was born in

Hartwell, Georgia Hartwell is a city in Hart County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,469 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Hart County. History Hartwell was founded in 1854 as seat of the newly formed Hart County. It was incorporated ...

in 1924 to Denver and Jewell Bailey. In 1937, the family of four (John had a younger sister, Frances) moved to

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

. Bailey attended Athens High School and then enrolled in the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

where he was a member of

Sigma Chi Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more tha ...

fraternity. He paused his education to serve in the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

for three years and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1947 with a business degree. He joined the Insurance Company of North America and trained in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. He married Margaret (Peggy) Bassing in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

in 1948; they lived in

Winter Park, Florida Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 30,183 according to the 2022 census population estimate. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Winter Park was fo ...

until 1954 when they moved to St. Augustine. Bailey and his wife had five children together.

Career

When Bailey moved to St. Augustine he started working for the Thompson-Ryman Realty Company, which was later renamed the Thompson-Bailey Agency, and then the Thompson Bailey Baker Insurance Agency. Bailey was elected to the City Commission in 1963 and became

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of St. Augustine two years later. He presided over the city during St. Augustine's 400th anniversary celebrations in 1965. His term as mayor ended in 1967.

Philanthropy

John D. Bailey is partly responsible for the founding of

Flagler College Flagler College is a private liberal arts college in St. Augustine, Florida. It was founded in 1968 and offers 33 undergraduate majors and one master's program. It also has a campus in Tallahassee. History Founded in 1968, the campus compri ...

. He was the trustee that persuaded Flagler's first president, William Proctor, to take the position. He served for more than forty years as a trustee on Flagler College's Board. Bailey was a member of the board of trustees for the St. Augustine Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission (later to become the

Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board The Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board (HSAPB) was a state agency in Florida that participated in the restoration and preservation of historic buildings in St. Augustine, Florida from 1959 to 1997. Created in 1959 by Governor LeRoy Coll ...

) for almost twenty years (1969–1987). He held the offices of chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary-treasurer. He donated money to Commission preservation programs and to the preservation of the Hotel Ponce de Leon. Bailey served on the

Lightner Museum The Lightner Museum is a museum of antiques, mostly American Gilded Age pieces, housed within the historic Hotel Alcazar building in downtown St. Augustine. This 1887 Spanish Renaissance Revival style building is listed on the National Register ...

Board of Trustees for thirty years, the

Florida School for the Deaf and Blind The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) is a state-supported boarding school for deaf and blind children established in 1885, in St. Augustine, Florida, United States. History In 1882, Thomas Hines Coleman, a young deaf man, was ...

Foundation board, the

Flagler Hospital Flagler Hospital, based in unincorporated St. Johns County, Florida (with a St. Augustine address), is a not-for-profit facility established in 1889. The organization offers "Centers of Excellence" in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthop ...

board, and on Barnett Bank's board of directors for 28 years. The Community Hospice Bailey Family Center for Caring is named for John D. Bailey. It opened in 2011 to give inpatient care to citizens in St. Augustine.

Awards

The St. Augustine Junior Chamber of Commerce presented Bailey with the Man of the Year Distinguished Service Award in 1956. The

Spanish government gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua , image = , caption = Logo of the Government of Spain , headerstyle = background-color: #efefef , label1 = Role , data1 = Executive power , label2 = Established , da ...

awarded Bailey with the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

for his preservation work. In 1977, Bailey was awarded the

Order of La Florida The Order of La Florida is an award given by the City of St. Augustine, Florida to those who have rendered extraordinary services to the city. History The award was established in 1975. Recipients must be at least fifty-five years old and the ...

for distinguished service to the city, contributing to St. Augustine's cultural and historic preservation. He was the third person to receive the award. He also received the Gus Craig Award, an award introduced by the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

in 1998.

Personal life and legacy

John D. Bailey died in August 2018 at the age of 94. He was survived by wife Peggy, and his children Mark, John D. Jr, Cathy, Joanie, and Bruce. There is a John and Peggy Bailey Scholarship Fund at Flagler College to honor the couple.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, John D. 1924 births 2018 deaths Date of birth missing Mayors of places in Florida People from St. Augustine, Florida People from Hartwell, Georgia University of Georgia alumni Order of Isabella the Catholic United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II