William Jesse Baird: President 1944-1946
Upon Martha Berry's death in 1942, the trustees determined that Berry would be served best by a leader in the traditional role. The board appointed Dr. William Jesse Baird as Berry's second president in spring 1944.
Baird was born in Knox County, Kentucky, and worked his way through Berea foundation school, normal school and college. He received a B.S. and M.S. from Cornell University and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Berea College, where he taught for a number of years. Baird served as the head of Berea's department of agriculture, dean of its foundation school and director of teacher training at the college. In 1942-43, he worked for the Danforth Foundation, which sponsored faculty fellows to promote good relationships between college faculty and students.
Baird stepped in as president during a tumultuous time at Berry. With the loss of Martha Berry, many staff members felt that the schools would falter. Baird arrived with a variety of goals for the schools, including strengthening the work program, emphasizing religion-in-life and bolstering academics.
Baird resigned in June 1946. Later, he became president of Morehead College in Lexington, Kentucky. He remained at that school until his death in 1951.