Profile

Larry Allen Bailey was born on December 3, 1943 in Charleston, West Virginia. He graduated from high school in 1961 before attending Charleston Business College from 1962-1963 and earning his Certificate of Accounting. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1965 and commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1966.

Mr. Bailey went on to serve as Platoon Leader and Company Commander of the First Calvary Div. in 1967, Basic Training Commanding Officer at Fort Ord, California in 1968, and then Operations Officer, 70th Aviation, Korat AFB Thailand from 1970-1971. He served as AAF Operations Officer at Fort Polk, Louisiana from 1972-1973. Throughout his military education, he completed Infantry Officer Candidate School, Infantry Officers Advanced Course, Fixed and Rotary Wing Flight School, and Command and General Staff College.

Regarding his civilian education, Mr. Bailey earned his BSBA in Accounting/Economics from West Virginia University and received his Commercial Pilot’s License. Mr. Bailey later made a career change and occupied a variety of plant controller and accounting positions across the nation including in Oregon, Ohio, Texas, and eventually Hot Springs, Arkansas. Throughout his career, Mr. Bailey continued to serve in the National Guard in leadership capacities. He transferred to the United States Army Reserve in 1990 before retiring in 1994 as Colonel for the United States Army. Mr. Bailey earned a total of twenty seven military awards and decorations including the Silver and Bronze Stars, Combat Infantry Badge, and Master Army Aviation Wings.

Mr. Bailey worked as a Plant Controller with Vanadium Corporation in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Niagara Falls, New York before retiring in 2000. Regarding public service, he served on Garland County Quorum Court as well as on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Hot Springs National Park. He has also served as a member of the Garland County Republican Committee where he spent six years as Chairman and two years as State Committeeman. He was Chairman of the Republican Committee for the Fourth Congressional District from 2010 – 2015. He served as an elector for the Electoral College in 2012. Mr. Bailey has been a Rotarian and a member of the National Park College Board of Trustees since 2000. He also volunteers with the Veterans Administration and currently serves as the Commissioner for the Arkansas Rural Development Commission.

Mr. Bailey and his wife, Bernice (Windham) Bailey, have two sons, Larry and Matthew.