Half a lifetime with the Cardinal
There is not an alumnus who has not said that they spent a lot of time at the Cardinal. Some have said that they have "paid their dues" or "Four years was enough."
Four years? Try telling that to Robert Taylor, who has put in more than 40 as a student on, and advisor. to the Cardinal.
Madison native, Daily Cardinal alumnus, UW-Madison School of Journalism Emeritus Prof. Taylor, 82, will be honored May 8 for his 40 years of service to The Daily Cardinal. He becomes the first recipient of the award to bear his name, the Robert Taylor Service Award. This award will be given annually to an alumnus of the Cardinal, who, through some measure of time, funding or action, has done exceptional service on behalf of the newspaper.
Taylor has the longest association with the newspaper of any individual. From 1934 to 1938, he rose from reporter to night editor to news editor and to managing editor.
When he joined the UW faculty as an assistant professor and director of the University News service in 1948, he was named to the Cardinal Board that year. He served on it until 1963 when he became University Vice President. He returned in 1973, when he returned to full time teaching, until 1986 when he retired.
Among other highlights of his time with the Cardinal were two staff strikes against the Cardinal Board. He was staff strike committee chairman in the month-long strike over editor selection in 1938. Later, when on the board without a vote on staff selection in 1975, the students on the board fired the editor and business manager and the staff struck.
Taylor joined the Decatur Herald and Review on graduation from the School of Journalism. He returned to Madison as News Editor of WIBA for the next decade, except during his service in World War II.
After returning to the UW in 1948, he was named assistant to Pres. E. B. Fred in 1957 and to Pres. Conrad Elvehjem in 1958. Pres. Fred Harvey Harrington named him vice president in 1963 where he served until returning to full-time teaching in 1973.