Walter Thomas Bailey
Staring into the Yawning Gulf of Eternity
Written by Dean R. Karau.
Commentary by Dr. Kwesi Daniels, Tuskegee University.
Walter T. Bailey was the first Black American:
to earn a B. S. degree in architecture from the University of Illinois (1904);
licensed to practice architecture in Illinois (1905);
to earn a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Illinois (1910);
licensed to practice architecture in Chicago (1924).
Bailey was born in Kewanee, Illinois in 1881. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he taught at the Tuskegee Institute from 1905 to 1914 while designing buildings on- and off-campus, in-state and out-of-state. In 1914, Bailey moved his growing private practice to Memphis as the scope of his work and reputation expanded. Then in 1924, he took his thriving career to Chicago to supervise the construction of the world’s then-largest, most expensive building ever built and designed by and for Black people. But the economic and social abyss of the 1930s forced Bailey to take on primarily smaller projects and renovations.
After Bailey died in 1941, the importance of his role and influence in shaping Black communities were generally forgotten.
This book is a deeper dive into the true scope of his work and the extent to which Bailey helped Black Americans build both communities and pride. It documents over 100 of his works and delves into important but previously unknown aspects of his life.
Comments About the Book
“I opened your book Friday evening and was simply unable to put it down until I finished it just now. Your long labor of love has resulted in a magnificent accomplishment. . . . The graphics and photography are astounding, and I am feeling intellectually uplifted by the wealth of history I just learned about.”
Melvin L. Mitchell, CEO of Bryant Mitchell, PLLC, Washing-ton, D.C.; Fellow in American Institute of Architects; past president of D.C. Board of Architecture:
“I am thankful for the tremendous effort Dean devoted to writing this book, because it reveals that we all have a role to play in the realization of the American dream, not just for the benefit of one group but for the benefit of all Humanity.”
Dr. Kwesi Daniels, Department Head and Associate Professor, Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science, Tuskegee University:
