Tempe Historical Museum Oral Histories

Narrator: BUDDY BAIRD
Interviewer: JANET LENDLE
Date of Interview: August 4, 1987
Interview Number: OH - 101

BIOGRAPHY

Dilworth "Buddy" Baird was born on May 7, 1916 in Hutchinson, Kansas and was brought to Tempe that same year. His father, Dilworth Baird, Sr., known as "The Peacemaker," was Postmaster and a leader in civic affairs. Mrs. Georgia Elizabeth Pilcher Baird played the organ for the silent movies at the local Menhenet Theatre.

Baird was educated at the Tempe Normal Training School and graduated from Tempe Union High School in 1933. He attended Arizona State Teachers College for two years and graduated in 1939 from he University of Arizona with a BA in business administration. Baird served in the Coast Guard in World War Two and made a career with the Department of Internal Revenue.

FIELD NOTES

Throughout my life I have had a continuing interest in history: socio-cultural, individual, family. This basic interest has influenced my choice of hobbies, reading material, music, travel, and role in the family. Becoming a volunteer with the Tempe Oral History Project was an opportunity to assist in recording the history of the city I have lived in for the past 20 years.

I was raised in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, the first of four children. I spent many summers visiting my mother's family in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border. In this closely knit Norwegian community I remember first hearing stories about "how it was" when the area was being settled, and over the years I have attempted to preserve the family history in writing or on tape.

I completed my BS degree in nursing at the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota in 1961, did staff nursing for a short while and then worked for two and a half years in a community development project in Brazil, South America. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1965, I practiced as a public health nurse in Chicago's predominately black near south side. Upon completion of my M.S. degree in 1967 at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, I moved to Tempe, Arizona. I was associated with the College of Nursing, Arizona State University, until 1984 after which I became involved with private practice and later, educational services in a HMO setting.

I am married and have two stepchildren. I enjoy watercolor painting, Southwestern archeology, reading (especially mysteries, body-mind research, early Christian and Eastern writing), and the Phoenix Zoo. I have been involved in the Arizona Archeological Society, Hospice, and a variety of professional/community activities.

Mr. Baird met me at the door of his home at 9:00 a.m. on August 6th. He seemed very excited about the interview and wanted to get everything set up "just right." Since it was already a very warm August day, Mr. Baird made certain that we each had a glass of water nearby, and he also turned the air conditioning up. The interview took place in the living room about 9:15 a.m., and concluded at 11:30 a.m. We were seated on the sofa which seemed to be the most comfortable location for both of us both. There were no interruptions except for one telephone call (which Mrs. Baird took care of immediately.)

I also met Mrs. Baird before the session began. She was cordial, remaining nearby in the living room throughout the interview, and did not interrupt. Mr. Baird made an effort to relax before and during the interview and promised to stop if he felt ill. While he admitted that the interview itself was somewhat stressful, I think he truly enjoyed being able to provide information for the project.

I prepared for the interview with Mr. Baird by reviewing documents in the Museum pertaining to early Tempe history and to the Baird family. Topics I outlined and planned to cover with him included: 1) general memories of early Tempe; 2) social life including the theatre, mercantile, pool, and community activities; 3) cultural aspects, including education and minority groups; and 4) city government, including his father's role as postmaster, etc.

I found Mr. Baird to be a delightful person. While I was always conscious of the stress of the interview and his health, the interview was very enjoyable.

Janet Lendle, August 1987

BUDDY BAIRD TRANSCRIPT