Finding aid for the Walter K. Bailey Photographs
Title:
Walter K. Bailey Photographs
Repository:
Western Reserve Historical Society
Phone: 216-721-5722
http://www.wrhs.org
Creator:
Bailey, Walter K.
Dates:
1879-1975
Quantity:
0.10 linear feet (1 container)
Abstract:
 Walter K. Bailey was a Cleveland, Ohio, businessman. A native of Cleveland and the son of L.A. Bailey, founder of the Bailey Company department store, Walter Bailey was raised in East Cleveland and graduated from Oberlin College in 1919. He went to work for the Warner & Swasey Company, a leading manufacturer of machine tools, especially turret lathes, and telescopes and optical equipment, in 1919. By 1928, the company was the world's leading manufacturer of turret lathes, and during World War II produced half of all the turret lathes made in the U.S. After learning the business on the shop floor, he joined the national sales force of Warner & Swasey in 1921, moving up in management and eventually becoming vice president of sales in 1942. During World War II he was in charge of manufacturing operations, and became vice president of the company in 1949. He was president and chief executive officer from 1955-1962, chairman of the board and chief executive officer from 1962-1964, and chairman of the board until his retirement in 1967. Under Bailey's leadership, Warner & Swasey diversified and acquired several smaller companies, growing into a major international producer of machine tools and related products. Bailey also was active in various philanthropic organizations in Cleveland, and served as a trustee of Oberlin College, the Musical Arts Association, and Fairmount Presbyterian Church. CThe cection consists of photographs collected by Walter K. Bailey in 1975 to illustrate a narrative history of Warner and Swasey Company. It includes individual and group portraits of Warner & Swasey officers and employees, including W. R. Warner and Ambrose Swasey, and views of plants, products, and activities.
Identification:
PG 463
Location:
closed stacks
Language:
The records are in English

Biography of Walter K. Bailey

Walter K. Bailey (1897-1996) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where his father, L. A. Bailey (d. 1898) started the Bailey Company, a department store, in 1882. Walter Bailey was raised in East Cleveland, Ohio, attended Shaw High School, and graduated from Oberlin College in 1919. He married Marion Clark in 1925, and they had four sons. He worked for the Warner & Swasey Company of Cleveland from 1919 to 1967. He was active for many years with the Community Fund (United Way), and served as president of the United Appeal from 1960-1962. He served on the boards of the Cleveland Neighborhood Settlement Association and the Welfare Federation of Cleveland (Federation for Community Planning/Center for Community Solutions). He was a trustee of Oberlin College and of the Musical Arts Association, and a trustee and elder of Fairmount Presbyterian Church.

Bailey entered the special apprenticeship program at Warner & Swasey Company in 1919. Having learned the business on the shop floor, he joined the national sales force in 1921. He became Cleveland district manager in 1924, service manager in 1936, sales manager in 1939, and vice president of sales in 1942. During World War II he was in charge of manufacturing operations, and became vice president of the company in 1949. He was president an dchief executive officer from 1955 to 1962, chairman of the board and chief executive officer from 1962 to 1964, and chairman of the board until his retirement in 1967. Under Bailey's leadership, Warner & Swasey diversified and acquired several smaller companies, growing into a major international producer of machine tools and related products.


click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Warner & Swasey

Scope and Content

The Walter K. Bailey Photographs, 1879-1975 and undated, consist of photographs collected by Walter K. Bailey in 1975 to illustrate a narrative history of Warner and Swasey Company. It includes individual and group portraits of Warner & Swasey officers and employees, including W. R. Warner and Ambrose Swasey, and views of plants, products, and activities. The collection includes 57 black and white photographs of varying sizes.

This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of business and industry in Cleveland, Ohio.

Statement of Arrangement

The original order established by Walter Bailey in the history typescript has been maintained, and folder contents of are keyed to the corresponding folders in the written history.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Related Material: Related Material

The researcher should also consult MS 4657 Walter K. Bailey Papers; and MS 4665 Walter K. Bailey Family Papers.


Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Bailey, Walter K. -- Photograph collections.
Businessmen -- Ohio -- Cleveland -- Photographs.
Industries -- Ohio -- Cleveland -- Photographs.
Machine-tool industry -- Ohio -- Cleveland -- Photographs.
Optical industry -- Ohio -- Cleveland -- Photographs.
Optical instruments -- Design and construction -- Photographs.
Warner & Swasey -- Photograph collections.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] PG 463 Walter K. Bailey Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

These photographs were removed from MS 4657 Walter K. Bailey Papers. Gift of Walter K. Bailey in 1993.

Detailed Description of The Collection



Walter K. Bailey Photographs, 1880-1975

Box 1 / Folder 1
Warner & Swasey Company history illustrations, photographs including interior of first Warner & Swasey shop, 1880-1881; work force, ca. 1890; portrait, Warner, Swasey, Lane, Bardons, Phelps, and Woods, in Chicago, 1880; 16 inch monitor lathe, 1880; gear cutter designed by Swasey, 1879; and Model #2 H Hex lathe; reproductions of photographs from company publications including portraits of W. R. Warner and Ambrose Swasey, 1920; portrait of the partners and associates, 1880; first Cleveland shop, 1881; Cleveland factory 1881, 1887, 1893; 72 inch reflecting telescope and dome; and 40 inch automatic dividing engine (from MS 4657, Folder 2), 1879-1920




Box 1 / Folder 2
Warner & Swasey Company history illustrations, photographs including Cleveland plant after World War II, artist's rendering of aerial view, noting dates of each addition; and first Model 2A-3A turret lathe (from MS 4657, Folder 3), ca. 1940s




Box 1 / Folder 3
Warner & Swasey Company history illustrations, reprint of portrait of F. A. Scott from "The W. & S. Apprentice", 1920; photographs including portrait, P. E. Bliss, undated; and artist's rendering of aerial view of Cleveland plant, ca. 1919 (from MS 4657, Folder 4), ca. 1919-1920




Box 1 / Folder 4
Warner & Swasey Company history illustrations, portrait, Charles J. Stilwell (from MS 4657, Folder 6), undated




Box 1 / Folder 5
Warner & Swasey Company history illustrations, photographs including Cleveland plant, artist's rendering of aerial view, 1943; production line, undated; illustration and description of supercharger intermediate drive shaft pinion and cage for central inspection, 1944; 5 spiral bar and chuck automatic lathe, ca. 1946; pin drafter machine, undated; original model Gradall, 1941-1945; aerial view of New Philadelphia plant, 1950, reprinted in company publication (from MS 4657, Folder 7), 1941-1950




Box 1 / Folder 6
Warner & Swasey Company history illustrations, photographs including New Philadelphia plant, aerial views, 1953, and 1974 (color); Badger products for construction industry, Model 200, Model 300 Hydroscopic, Badger Hopto; Badger plant, 1972 (color); group portrait, signing WSA (Warner Swasey Asquith) contract, C. W. Bliss, J. Horobin (Asquith), J. C. Hodge, Robert Asquith, and W. K. Bailey, undated (from MS 4657, Folder 8), 1953-1974




Box 1 / Folder 7
Warner & Swasey Company history illustrations, I-SC 5300 machine with automated controls, ca. 1975 (from MS 4657, Folder 9), ca. 1975




Box 1 / Folder 8
Awards, illustrations of medals and inscriptions received 1889-1910, reprinted from company publications, undated (from MS 4657, Folder 12), undated




Box 1 / Folder 9
Warner & Swasey Company miscellaneous photographs, including reproduction of front page Chicago Daily Tribune, May 5, 1880 (2); original Warner & Swasey factory built in 1881 (2); first W & S turret lathe equipped with a round turret; portraits, Worcester Reed Warner (2), and Ambrose Swasey (2), co-founders; portrait, W & S factory employees, 1886, with name key; 36 inch equatorial telescope at Lick Observatory, erected 1888; group, W & S employees, undated (from MS 4657, Folder 16), 1880-1888




Box 1 / Folder 10
Warner & Swasey Company miscellaneous photographs, including World War II machining operations at Warner & Swasey; World War II turning machine division; early textile machine, product of post-World War II diversification, Trico Knit machine for American Viscose contract; first numerically controlled turning machine, late 1950s; portrait, Warner Seely (1893-1968), 1960; portrait with caption from press release regarding listing of Warner & Swasey Company on the New York Stock Exchange, 1963, including Walter K. Bailey and James C. Hodge, and others (2); group portrait, New York Stock Exchange, September 9, 1963 (2); group portrait, W & S board meeting, Wiedemann Division, September 15, 1965, with name key; group portrait, W & S directors meeting, Badger Division, June 1963 (1973?), with name key; Warner & Swasey Cleveland plant, ca. 1975 (from MS 4657, Folder 18), ca. 1940s-1975