Benjamin F. Bailar served as the United States Postmaster General from February 16, 1975 to March 15, 1978. He took office on February 16, 1975, succeeding Elmer T. Klassen. Previously, he had served as Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Chief Financial Officer, and Deputy Postmaster General. Bailar, a graduate of the Harvard Business School with an extensive background in finance and management, attempted to place the postal service on a strong economic footing. His major responsibility as United States Postmaster General was to ensure that the semi-independent government corporation could support itself on revenues from mail users. Bailar was especially concerned with the quality of mail service and postal costs. One significant cost was labor, and Bailar is probably best known for negotiating an eleventh hour contract which avoided a strike by unionized postal employees in 1975. He was also instrumental in the rate increase of first class stamps to 13 cents, in dealing with CIA mail tampering, and in addressing possible postal cost-cutting which would have resulted in a decline in mail services to some rural areas. 

April 21st, 1934 in Champaign  /  Died:   Feb 20th, 2017