Richard W. Bailey
Encyclopedia
Richard Weld Bailey was a noted American linguist, scholar of the English language, and the Fred Newton Scott
Collegiate Professor of English at the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor.
Bailey was born in Pontiac, Michigan
to Karl and Elisabeth (Weld) Bailey. He graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1961, having also studied for a year at the University of Edinburgh
. He received his MA and Ph.D in English from the University of Connecticut
in 1965. He died in 2011 at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan
.
Bailey is the author or editor or over 20 books, most treating aspects of English language history (in the U.S. and elsewhere) and linguistics. He has also authored over one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular and nearly that many reviews of scholarly works. Since 2003, he has written a regular column titled "Talking About Words" for the University of Michigan publication Michigan Today. A recent publication (co-edited with Colette Moore and Marilyn Miller) is A London Provisioner's Chronicle 1550-1563 by Henry Machyn
, an on-line edition of a recounting of daily life in sixteenth century London. Through his teaching and mentorship, he has played an important part in advancing scholarship in the realm of language and linguistics—and has either chaired or served on dozens of dissertation committees.
In addition to his research and teaching at the University of Michigan, Bailey has been involved for over 30 years in the governance and significant growth of the Washtenaw Community College
:
He was named an honorary faculty member in 2002 and in 2005, and his service to WCC was honored when the Richard W. Bailey Library was named for him.
In 2008, Bailey co-authored an amicus brief with colleagues Dennis Baron
and Jeffrey Kaplan, for the District of Columbia v. Heller
Supreme Court case, providing an interpretation of the Second Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution based on the grammars, dictionaries, and general usage common in the founders' day, and showing that those meanings are still common today.
Fred Newton Scott
Fred Newton Scott was an American writer, educator and rhetorician. In the preface to The New Composition Rhetoric, Newton Scott states “that composition is…a social act, and the student [should] therefore constantly [be] led to think of himself as writing or speaking for a specified audience...
Collegiate Professor of English at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in Ann Arbor.
Bailey was born in Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
to Karl and Elisabeth (Weld) Bailey. He graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1961, having also studied for a year at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. He received his MA and Ph.D in English from the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
in 1965. He died in 2011 at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
.
Bailey is the author or editor or over 20 books, most treating aspects of English language history (in the U.S. and elsewhere) and linguistics. He has also authored over one hundred articles, both scholarly and popular and nearly that many reviews of scholarly works. Since 2003, he has written a regular column titled "Talking About Words" for the University of Michigan publication Michigan Today. A recent publication (co-edited with Colette Moore and Marilyn Miller) is A London Provisioner's Chronicle 1550-1563 by Henry Machyn
Henry Machyn
Henry Machyn was an English clothier and diarist in 16th century London.Machyn's Chronicle, which was written between 1550 and 1563, is primarily concerned with public events: changes on the throne, state visits, insurrections, executions and festivities...
, an on-line edition of a recounting of daily life in sixteenth century London. Through his teaching and mentorship, he has played an important part in advancing scholarship in the realm of language and linguistics—and has either chaired or served on dozens of dissertation committees.
In addition to his research and teaching at the University of Michigan, Bailey has been involved for over 30 years in the governance and significant growth of the Washtenaw Community College
Washtenaw Community College
Washtenaw Community College is a community college located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1965, WCC welcomes more than 13,000 people from over 100 different countries for study each year and grants certificates and degrees to over 1,400 students annually...
:
- Elected Trustee (1974–present)
- Treasurer (1977–79), Secretary (1979–81)
- Vice-Chair (1981–85), and Board Chair (1985–94, 1999–2000)
He was named an honorary faculty member in 2002 and in 2005, and his service to WCC was honored when the Richard W. Bailey Library was named for him.
In 2008, Bailey co-authored an amicus brief with colleagues Dennis Baron
Dennis Baron
Dennis Baron is a professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the technologies of communication; language legislation and linguistic rights; language reform; gender issues in language; language standards and minority languages and...
and Jeffrey Kaplan, for the District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes in federal enclaves, such as...
Supreme Court case, providing an interpretation of the Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
to the U.S. Constitution based on the grammars, dictionaries, and general usage common in the founders' day, and showing that those meanings are still common today.
Selected professional affiliations
- Modern Language AssociationModern Language AssociationThe Modern Language Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature...
- Numerous positions, 1970–present - Dictionary Society of North AmericaDictionary society of north americaThe Dictionary Society of North America was founded in 1975 to encourage scholarly and professional activities that have to do with dictionaries and lexicography...
- President (2001–2003), Fellow (2005–present) - American Dialect SocietyAmerican Dialect SocietyThe American Dialect Society, founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society publishes the academic journal, American Speech...
- Vice-President (1985–87), President (1987–89) - American Council of Learned SocietiesAmerican Council of Learned SocietiesThe American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
- Delegate (1996–99; 1999–2003) - Guild of Scholars of The Episcopal ChurchGuild of Scholars of The Episcopal ChurchThe Guild of Scholars of the Episcopal Church is a society of lay Episcopal academics which meets annually at General Theological Seminary in New York in November of each year.-History:...
- Member 1996–present, President 2003-2007)
Awards and honors
- University of Michigan Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, 1989
- University of Michigan Regents' Award for Distinguished Public Service, 1992
- University of Michigan Press Book Award, 1993, 1998
- University of Michigan John H. D'Arms Faculty Award for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring in the Humanities, 2001
Publications
- Rogue Scholar: The Sinister Life and Celebrated Death of Edward H. RulloffEdward H. RulloffEdward H. Rulloff was a noted philologist and criminal. Rulloff is also notable for his brain which as of 1970 is the second largest on record and can be seen on display at the psychology department at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.Rulloff was born near Saint John, New Brunswick to...
(University of Michigan Press, 2004) - Images of English: A Cultural History of the English Language (University of Michigan Press, 1991)
- Nineteenth Century English (University of Michigan Press, 1998)
- Associate Editor, The Oxford Companion to the English Language (Oxford University Press, 1992) Editor, Dictionaries: The Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America, 1978–1990