After attending public schools and the University of Illinois Lab School in his home town, Bailar attended the University of Colorado. Following his graduation in 1955, he served in the U.S. Navy as a Supply Officer before entering the Harvard Business School.
Bailar pursued education by attending public schools and the University of Illinois Lab School in his home town. After graduating from the University of Colorado in 1955, he worked as a Supply Officer in the U.S. Navy prior to enrolling at Harvard Business School.