Joseph L. Baldwin was born in Pulaski, VA and graduated from Roanoke High School in 1924. He then attended and graduated from Roanoke College in 1928 with a Bachelor of Arts. Joseph retired May 1, 1972, as Special Counsel in the Law Department of the Association of American Railroads. He spent 42 years in various positions with this association.
At Roanoke College, Joseph was on the Debate Team and never lost an intercollegiate debate. He was the manager of the Debate Team, Tau Kappa Alpha, and the recipient of De Molay Legion of Honor Membership. Joseph was the Vice President of the Alumni Association, President of the Maroon Club, and was awarded the Roanoke College Medal in 1973. Joseph received a law degree from George Washington University in 1931. He was a member of the bar in Virginia, Illinois, and the District of Columbia. Joseph also belonged to the American Patent Law Association. He wrote a legal article and was published in the June 1935 edition of Journal of the Patent Office Society. Joseph's article "Ten Years After Graduation" was also published in the May 1938 issue of Roanoke Collegian. During his working life, he lived in Alexandria. While there he served as President of the Belle Haven Citizens Association and was a Director of Belle Haven Country Club. Other civic activities included President-Dutch Blub, Roanoke; member of Roanoke Country Club; member of Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria and Second Presbyterian Church in Roanoke. Joseph was married to the former Claire Anderson Black and they had two children together-Joseph L. Bladwin, JR. '53 of Palo Alto, California and Gordon T. Baldwin '61 who died of brain cancer in October 1976. Joseph has a sister Janet B. Davis who lives in Roanoke, and he has three granddaughters in California and one grandson in Bowie, MD.
Joseph Lyle Baldwin received the Roanoke College Medal in 1973.