Earl Bailey was a three year letterman in football at Stivers. Even though he was a lineman, it was said that he was the fastest player on the team. At the guard position, Earl was named 2nd team All-City as a Sophomore, and 1st team All-City his Junior and Senior years. He was elected team captain his Senior season and the Tigers were city champs both his Junior and Senior years.
Earl also lettered in track and field, running the 50 yd. dash and throwing the shotput. He turned down football scholarship offers from Ohio State and Purdue Universities.
After graduating from Stivers, Earl played fast pitch softball for several years and was an All Star pitcher.
He also played golf and was selected a Dayton Blue Star Driver by the Dayton Journal and the Dayton Herald newspapers.
Bailey entered the US Army in December 1943, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pear Harbor. While stationed in Australia, he was recruited to play football for his Amphibious Engineers unit against an Armed Forces team in front of 16,000 fans. It was the first regulation football game to be played in Australia.
After returning from active duty, Earl worked most of his career in bakery sales. He was married twice, first to Dorothy Swankhaus. Earl and Dorothy had a daughter Sandra Rae. He married again in 1979 to Alice Haines.
Earl passed away at the age of 73 on June 9, 1987 and is buried in the Glen Haven Memorial Garden in New Carlisle, Ohio.