As a captain in World War II and later as the CEO of Field Enterprises, Inc., Bailey K. Howard served with distinction in roles befitting a leader of men. He headed a combat intelligence division in the Army Air Forces and he oversaw major publications like The Chicago Sun-Times and The Chicago Daily News, and the growth of the World Book Encyclopedia. Given his commitment to the journalistic tenets of clarity, accuracy, and transparency, concealing information from his peers must have been especially trying for Howard.

Now, 50 years after his passing, the truth is finally being revealed.

Bailey K. Howard, war veteran, media executive, and aerospace enthusiast, has been identified as the architect of the legendary Fliteline Medallions, a sought-after mission-flown collectible whose numismatic origins had remained an industry mystery for decades.

A visionary who recognized the historical importance of the American space program, Howard conceived the idea of minting small coin-sized medallions to be flown on the forthcoming flights of the Gemini Program. Mercury pilots had successfully carried items like coins and little personal effects into space, but Howard had a different plan. These brave astronauts deserved more, they deserved better, and the result was Fliteline. Except for a few NASA 'insiders,' the entire concept and execution was deemed hush-hush. Howard had the medallions minted and then discretely presented to the mission astronauts.

Although not a household name, Howard was intimately involved in the space program from its onset. As head of Field Enterprises, he negotiated a deal that gave the company the exclusive rights to the stories of NASA's 'Next Nine' astronauts, which were distributed through the World Book Encyclopedia Science Service to news outlets worldwide. In exchange for these rights, Field Enterprises paid each of the nine astronauts $16,250 (over $160,000 today) per annum over the next four years and created the World Book Life Insurance Company to provide them with $100,000 in life insurance policies, the equivalent to over $1,000,000 in 2024.

These deals and policies brought Howard close to the astronauts, many of whom he remained close friends with until his death in 1974. The issue of LIFE Magazine from February 3, 1967, for example, which detailed the events of the Apollo 1 tragedy, featured an iconic cover image of astronauts Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White. This picture was taken by Howard at his secluded home in the Hollywood Hills, which he offered to the prime and backup crews as a quiet retreat for them to study their flight plans.