Bailey, Walter T.
1882-1941 · Contribution: 1904-1910
First African American graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's architectural engineering program
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Impact on the world
Became the first Black graduate of his university's architectural engineering program in 1904, later assisted in planning a local school, and went on to head Tuskegee Institute's mechanical industries department, overseeing design and construction of several campus buildings.
Life & background
Bailey became the first African American graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering in 1904, later receiving an honorary master's degree from the same institution in 1910. He assisted in planning Champaign's Colonel Wolfe School before being appointed head of the mechanical industries department at Tuskegee Institute, where he supervised the planning, design, and construction of several campus buildings.
Sources
- Chicago History Museum; Art Institute of Chicago
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