Harry Baals

Harry William Baals (/bɔːlz/ BAWLZ; November 16, 1886 – May 9, 1954) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, from 1934 to 1947, and from 1951 until his death in 1954. When Baals first took office, he consolidated city departments and lowered city tax rates. He launched construction of Fort Wayne's massive underground sewage system and had the city sewage treatment plant built, which is still being used today. During the Great Depression, Baals directed war materials drives, upgraded city equipment and services, and broke ground for Baer Field, now Fort Wayne International Airport. In the 1930s, one of his major accomplishments was getting the old Nickel Plate Railroad tracks, running through downtown, to be elevated. This opened up the north side of the city for development. Fort Wayne newscaster Bob Chase, of WOWO-AM, once mispronounced the mayor's name /beɪlz/. Baals personally called Chase to correct his pronunciation, saying, "son, this is your Mayor. I pronounce my name /bɔːlz/."