Representative Joseph Edward Baird

Joseph Edward Baird (November 12, 1865 – June 14, 1942) was a Republican U.S. Representative from Ohio who served one term in Congress from 1929 to 1931. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, at the outset of the Great Depression, when he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents in the Seventy-first Congress.

Baird was born in Perrysburg, Wood County, Ohio, on November 12, 1865. He attended the public schools of Perrysburg and completed his secondary education at Perrysburg High School, from which he graduated in 1885. Seeking professional training in the law, he enrolled in the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and graduated in 1893. That same year he was admitted to the bar, although he chose not to enter into the active practice of law, instead directing his career toward public service and business.

In 1894 Baird moved to Bowling Green, Ohio, the county seat of Wood County, which became the principal setting for his public and business life. He was elected county clerk of Wood County and served in that capacity from 1894 to 1900, gaining administrative experience and building a local political base. After leaving the clerk’s office, he entered private enterprise as a dealer in oil and farm lands, a line of work he pursued from 1900 to 1921, during a period when the development of natural resources and agriculture was central to the regional economy of northwestern Ohio.

Baird’s involvement in local government expanded as he became a prominent figure in Bowling Green civic affairs. He served as mayor of Bowling Green from 1902 to 1905, overseeing municipal administration during a time of growth and modernization in the community. Later, he was appointed postmaster of Bowling Green, holding that federal position from 1910 to 1914, which further strengthened his experience in public administration and his connections within the Republican Party.

At the state level, Baird continued his public career in regulatory and executive roles. He served as secretary of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio from 1921 to 1923, participating in the oversight of public service corporations during an era of expanding utility infrastructure. He then became assistant secretary of state of Ohio, serving from 1923 to 1929. In that post he was involved in the administration of state governmental functions, including elections and official records, which enhanced his profile as an experienced Republican officeholder.

Baird was elected as a Republican to the Seventy-first Congress and served from March 4, 1929, to March 4, 1931, representing Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his single term in Congress, he contributed to the legislative process at a moment when the nation confronted the onset of the Great Depression following the stock market crash of 1929. As a member of the Republican Party, he participated in the democratic process and sought to represent the needs and concerns of his district’s constituents within the broader national debates of the period. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress, bringing his brief congressional career to a close.

After leaving Congress, Baird retired from active business pursuits and political activities. He continued to reside in Bowling Green, Ohio, where he had long been a central figure in civic and political life. Joseph Edward Baird died in Bowling Green on June 14, 1942. He was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery, leaving a record of service that spanned local, county, state, and national office over several decades.