Dr. T. [Terrell] Wayne Bailey (1935-2021) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in political science from the University of Florida in 1954. He received a Master of Arts in political science and history from the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 1955, and his doctorate in political science from UF in 1963. He was married for fifty-three years to [Mary] Frances McKinney, and together they had four children.
In 1963, Dr. Bailey founded Stetson University's Department of Political Science and was cofounder of the Stetson University Model Student Senate. He also directed the Washington Semester at American University program and served on Stetson’s Pre-Law Advisory Committee. He taught at Stetson for fifty-three years, championing generations of Hatter students. His positive influence advanced the careers of many federal leaders, including Members of Congress, myriad federal and state office holders, and public servants in Florida and throughout the U.S. Upon his retirement in 2016, he was named professor emeritus at Stetson.
Dr. Bailey was an active leader in the local, State, and National Democratic Party. He served as the State of Florida Democratic Party Chair, National Committeeman, and as a delegate, attending ten Democratic National Conventions between 1972-2012. He was vice chair of the Volusia County Charter and Study Commission that created the Volusia County Constitution. He chaired the first two Charter Review Commissions and served as a member of the commissions in 1995 and 2006. In 2011, Dr. Bailey was named Volusia County Citizen of the Year.
An active member of the American Lung Association for more than thirty-five years, Dr. Bailey advocated against the dangers of smoking and helped make the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act a reality. He was the first person in the United States to receive the Discovery Health Channel Medical Honor in 2004. He served on the Florida Hospital DeLand Foundation board of directors, served multiple terms as Deacon at the First Baptist Church of DeLand, and was active in the Tiger Bay Club and numerous other local, community, and national organizations.
The T. Wayne Bailey Collection includes his papers, as well as newspaper clippings, assorted political memorabilia, including Democratic National Convention ephemera and a collection of 511 political pin-back buttons, Stetson University memorabilia, American Lung Association memorabilia, awards, photographs, and other objects and ephemera.
