Joseph O. Baylen

Professor Joseph O. Baylen died June 18, 2009 in Eastbourne. England.  Born in Chicago, Illinois on February 12, 1920, he earned a BA degree from Northern Illinois University in 1941.  He then entered the US Army just prior to Pearl Harbor and served on active duty in the cavalry, medical administration, intelligence, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) until he left active duty as a Captain in 1946.  He married Army Nurse Corp Second Lieutenant Louise Pharr of Atlanta, GA in 1943. 

 After the War, he returned to graduate school and received an MA in history at Emory University (1947) and a PhD in history from the University of New Mexico (1949).  Between 1949 and 1982, when he retired as Regents Professor of history at Georgia State University, Professor Baylen taught at Highlands University in New Mexico, Delta State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, and Georgia State.  He chaired the departments of history at Delta State, Mississippi, and Georgia State.  During his academic career, Professor Baylen received frequent honors and recognition and was regarded as an international expert on Victorian and Edwardian Britain.  He was awarded two Fulbright-Hays Lectureships; one to University College of Wales (1961-1962) and another to the University of York (1972-1973).  In 1958, he received the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for research in Anglo-Soviet relations (1958-1959).  He was a research fellow at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies in 1966-1967 where he worked with the renowned historian and diplomat, George Kennan.  In 1972, Baylen was elected to the Executive Council of the American Historical Association.  During his career, he published more than 130 articles, monographs, and chapters in scholarly publications and was co-editor of the Biographical Dictionary of Modern British Radicals, 3 volumes.  He was preceded in death by his wife Loiuse in 1977. 

Joe Baylen is survived by his wife Margaret, son James, daughter-in-law Valerie, stepdaughter Julia, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.  Memorial services will be held at the A. S. Turner  & Sons at 11am on July 14, 2009.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ga. State University Foundation, J. O. Baylen Scholarship Fund, P. O. Box 3963, Atlanta, GA 30302-3963.