Despite his family having lost both its broom factory and farm during the Great Depression, Bauer was able to work his way through school to earn both his B.S.

[1] Upon graduating from the University of Iowa Medical School, Bauer took internships and residencies in Chicago and New York City, furthering his interest in public health epidemiology.

[1][3] Bauer's first major act in his career in the United States Public Health Service was the establishment of a Venereal Disease Center in Chicago in 1942.

[1] Bauer also served on numerous expert committees for the World Health Organization between 1948 and 1957.

[1][2] In 1962, Bauer went to work for Becton Dickinson and Company, where he was senior vice president for research and medical affairs until 1975.