MUSEUM TRUSTEE EMERITUS P. J. BAUGH DIES
Phillip “Jack” Jackson Baugh, Jr., 90, died peacefully on September 10th, 2022. Born in 1932 to Philip Jackson and Frances Jones Baugh in Charlotte, North Carolina, the older brother to his sister Jill, Jack was an engineer, athlete and pilot in his youth, graduating from Duke University in 1954. More important to him than his graduation was meeting and marrying (in 1953) his beloved first wife of 31 years, Patricia Jeanne Meyers. After his graduation from Duke, Jack was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve. He excelled in the Air Force, finishing first in his class, receiving an Award of Merit, and becoming a Captain before his Honorable Discharge in 1962.
In these early years at Duke, in Texas, and then back in Charlotte, they were blessed with their four children Kim, Lisa, Philip and Patricia. Jack began his business career as an executive in the textile industry in North Carolina, eventually merging three textile companies together to create P.J. Baugh Industries. He added other enterprises over time, including Almahurst Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky, and Arlington Aircraft Research Company. The aircraft firm built the famous all metal SISU 1A Sailplane that set multiple records and now hangs proudly in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Jack was also active in politics in North Carolina, serving two terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives before moving into the North Carolina Senate in 1969. Jack’s love for the world of horse breeding and racing took him and his family to Lexington, where he built a global leader in Standardbred harness racing. He was active in the industry, serving as President of the United States Trotting Association, and earning multiple awards for his contributions to the industry including Horseman of the Year from Horseman and Fair World. Jack also continued to be active in aviation, acquiring Sprite Flite Jets and creating a leading Fixed Base Operator (FBO), which he later turned into the Aviation Museum of Kentucky. Jack’s passion for giving back and making a difference in his communities led him to serve on and chair the boards of Transylvania University and Duke University and serve as a Sunday school teacher, Deacon, and Elder with the Presbyterian Church.
September 18, 2022, from USTA Communications Department