Edward Peter Baillie was born in Madison, Wisconsin on July 13, 1903. He attended local schools and graduated from Madison High School. Baillie joined the R.O.T.C. while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1929, and made a 1st Lieutenant the following year.
In 1932 Baillie began working as a chemist for the city of Madison's water treatment program, remaining in the Army Reserve. He entered active service with the Army in October 1942 and remained stateside throughout the war. Assigned to the Coastal Artillery, he received training at several bases in California, including radar school at the Presidio. In 1944 he was transferred first to Texas, then to Louisiana. His wife, Sarah, traveled with him throughout the war and often found work on nearby bases.
In June 1945 Baillie, with the rank of Captain, was assigned to a prisoner of war camp in Ruston, Louisiana where Ukrainian officers who had joined the Germans to fight against Stalin were being held. The prisoners held Baillie in high regard, giving him Christmas cards, artwork, and gifts. Discharged in early 1946, Baillie returned to Madison and resumed his job with the city. He remained active in the Madison Astronomical Society, which he had helped establish in 1930. His wife Sarah passed away in December 1978. Baillie died in Madison on January 26, 2000.
