A generous gift from the Bayleys in 1994 permitted the former Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house to be renovated into an award-winning welcome center for visiting alumni and guests.
Seven years later, the university is happy Mr. and Mrs. Bayley have consented to add the family name to yet another Wittenberg landmark, said Charles Dominick, vice president for advancement, in making the announcement.
The Bayley name has long had a prominent place on campus. Ten members of the Bayley family are Wittenberg alumni, including Robert (Class of 1939) and Ruth ('42). The first Bayley to become a Wittenberg alumnus was William D. Bayley, son of the founder of the William Bayley Co. of Springfield, who graduated in 1892.
On campus today, the Bayley House is the university president's residence on North Wittenberg Avenue. Bayley Auditorium is also the university's major multipurpose auditorium, currently being relocated and improved as part of the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center expansion project. Both were the result of generous gifts from Mr. Bayley's uncle and aunt, Lee and Beebe Bayley.
"We are delighted to recognize Bob and Ruth Bayley for their role in creating a home for all alumni on the Wittenberg campus," Dominick said. "As a longtime member of Phi Kappa Psi, Bob was interested in preserving the fraternity house that held so much meaning for him and generations of Phi Psis. He and Ruth embraced the idea of an alumni and visitors center on campus and saw that as a perfect use for the campus landmark that had once housed his fraternity.
The alumni house is the perpetual campus home for all Wittenberg graduates, where they are always welcome to visit and enjoy alumni services or inquire about old friends.
Last year, the Dayton chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognized architect Chris Widener and his firm Widener-Posey for the renovation of the Jacobean-Tudor structure with a Design Merit Award. The architectural design emphasizes high-pitched gable roofs, elaborate chimneys and a single porch supported by Gothic arches. The building also houses the university's Office of Advancement.
After earning a law degree at the University of Michigan, Robert G. Bayley went on to serve as first vice president of the William Bayley Co., as well as a founding partner in the local law firm of Bayley, Meals and Taggart. His career also includes service in the Springfield prosecutor's office and in the Ohio State Legislature.
Ruth Bayley's career included service at Guardian Bank and the Bonded Oil Co. in Springfield. She is also a prize-winning artist whose pen and ink drawings have won numerous awards, among them the Daughters of the American Revolution Heritage Contest.
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