Bailey, William Whitman, 1843-1914

William Whitman Bailey (1843-1914) held the position of botanist on the United States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel in 1867. Due to ill health, he was replaced in 1877 by Sereno Watson. Bailey went on to teach botany at Brown University becoming Professor of Botany in 1881. He retired in 1906.

Botanist; professor of Botany at Brown University; poet; artist (botanical subjects).

William Whitman Bailey (1843-1914) was born in West Point, New York, to Jacob Whitman Bailey and Maria Slaughter. In 1852 the Baileys were aboard the ship Henry Clay when it collided with another ship and ran aground near Yonkers, New York. Whitman and his father survived, but his mother and sister were killed. Jacob Whitman never fully recovered from the incident and died in 1857. William was sent to live with his uncle in Providence, Rhode Island, and three years later his oldest brother Samuel also died, leaving William and his brother Loring as the only surviving Baileys. William Bailey briefly attended Brown University in 1860 and in 1862 enlisted in the 10th Rhode Island Volunteers, only to be discharged because of ill health. He studied botany with Asa Gray and in 1867 was named botanist for the U.S. Geological Exploration of the 40th parallel, but his poor health led him to leave the expedition early. He continued to do a variety of botanical work and in 1877 was made a professor of botany at Brown. He married Eliza Randall Simmons in 1881. Bailey published several botanical texts, including the Botanical collector's handbook (1881), New England wild flowers and their seasons (1895), and Among Rhode Island flowers (1895). He was also a successful botanical artist.

Bailey (Brown University, B.A. 1864) in 1867 joined the 40th Parallel Geological Survey Expedition as the botanists. He taught the first botany class offered at Brown in 1877; was appointed professor in 1881 and retired from teaching in 1914.

Botanist; Professor, Brown University, 1881-1906.