A love for animals and a deep commitment to their welfare led Joseph and Bernice Baily to establish the Bernice Gilman Baily & Joseph Baily Endowed Chair in Animal Well-Being Science at Washington State University.
Their generous $1.8 million bequest in 1995 was the largest private gift ever given to the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine at the time and continues to support research and education in animal welfare.
A lifelong Spokane resident, Joseph earned a journalism degree from Stanford University and joined The Spokesman-Review in 1936, later becoming the newspaper’s Sunday editor. His career was briefly interrupted during World War II when he served as an editor for the Mediterranean edition of Stars and Stripes.
Bernice Baily’s passion for animal welfare was shaped by her childhood experiences at Spokane’s Manito Park zoo. Having moved from Boston at the age of 4, she developed friendships with many of the zoo employees, especially the caretaker for the bears. Against the rules, the caretaker would allow Bernice into the cages to help mother the young cubs. When the zoo was later closed and some animals, including the bears, were euthanized, the loss deeply affected her and cemented her lifelong dedication to animal well-being.
Bernice went on to graduate from high school and attend business college. She later worked as a legal secretary for a prominent Spokane law firm.
The Bailys met in 1952 after a WSU-UW football game and were married within the year.
The Baily’s gift came to WSU through the couple’s attorney, who recognized their desire to give a significant portion of their estate to further animal health and well-being. It just so happened that the elder law attorney knew Spokane veterinarian Roger Harder (’61 DVM) and his wife, Orene. They had discussed such gifts when Roger needed to settle his father’s estate.
Recognizing the college’s commitment to advancing animal well-being, they directed their bequest to the Center for the Study of Animal Well-Being, ensuring their gift would support both research and advocacy in veterinary medicine.
“We’re happy to give this gift to ensure that the best interests of animals remain the focus of veterinary medicine forever,” Joseph said at the time of the donation.