J. Ruffin Bailey (1919-2004)
A World War II pilot and the leader of sweeping judicial reform in North Carolina, James Ruffin Bailey practiced law
for over 50 years before his death at the age of 85 in 2004.
Mr. Bailey perennially ranked among the most effective legislative representatives in North Carolina history. He served
four terms as a state Senator in the General Assembly from 1963 to 1973. He was a member and chairman of numerous committees
including Chairman of the Courts and Judicial Districts Committee, Legislative Study Commission on Compulsory Insurance and
Vice Chair of both the Public Utilities Commission and the Judiciary Commission. His work as chairman of the Courts
Commission continues to be widely recognized for its significance in establishing statewide uniform district courts.
After retiring from the General Assembly, Mr. Bailey established a very active legislative practice in addition to the
banking and insurance law practice he maintained before joining the legislature. The Wake County Bar Association, the North
Carolina Bar Association, as well as his longtime client, the North Carolina Credit Union Network, honored him for his
service to the profession and to the community.
After receiving a University of North Carolina A. B. degree in 1941, Ruffin Bailey joined the Army Air Corps flying more
than 2000 hours "over the hump" in the China-Burma-India theater, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He
received his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from the famous post-war 1948 law school class.