William Bailey

MARY N. SMITH HIGH, ACCOMACK COUNTY (1958)
AVIATION

This aviation pioneer was an honor student who graduated third in the class of 1958 at Mary N. Smith High. A Reserve Officer Training Corps graduate of Virginia State University (VSU), he entered the U. S. Army as a second lieutenant in 1962. At a time when few African Americans were army pilots he expressed a desire to attend flight school. After his third rejection as an applicant, he was told that he lacked the “mental dexterity” to be a pilot. He later completed both fixed and rotary wing officer aviation flight training. During his first tour in Vietnam he flew UH-1 Huey Helicopters and was assigned as personal pilot for General William Westmorland, Commander of all U.S. Forces in Vietnam. During his military career he received two Distinguished Service Crosses, three Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. Retiring from the army in 1983, Colonel Bailey went to work for Continental Airways where he was asked to help recruit minority and women pilots. Today he is recognized for training more than 1,000 pilots, including about 200 African-Americans. He continues to mentor students through programs supported by the Organization of Black Airline Pilots. He has been a major fund raiser for the former St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, VA and established the Bailey Family Endowment at VSU. He has been selected to the VSU Sports Hall of Fame, the VSU ROTC Hall of Fame and the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame.