BAYLESS, WILLIAM NEVILLE (6 Mar. 1912-9 Aug. 1992), known as Neville, won awards from the American Association of Advertising Agencies and maintained an interest in history, as a published writer and founding member of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable (see CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLES). Born in Toledo, OH, to Bertha Snyder and William Niven Bayless, he was the younger of two children. Bayless moved to LAKEWOOD at 8 years of age; he graduated from Lakewood High School then from Adelbert College of Western Reserve University (WRU, later CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY) in 1933, cum laude. After receiving a Master's Degree from WRU in 1934, Bayless joined his father's business, the Bayless-Kerr Advertising Agency. He served as agency president from 1956 until retiring in 1974. After retirement, Bayless did extensive genealogical research and frequently contributed acerbic letters to the editors of local newspapers.
Bayless directed the CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND and was president of the CHESHIRE CHEESE CLUB OF CLEVELAND. On 3 Apr. 1937, he married Margaret Falke (d.1979); they had five sons, William, Robert, Ronald, Thomas, and David. In 1984, he married Jean Poser. Bayless died in his home in ROCKY RIVER and was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, OH.