Friends remember prof Taylor

Students, colleagues and friends gathered Friday in the library to celebrate the life of Dr. Brian Taylor, a chemistry professor who died in his home Nov. 3.

“We always talked about how we had a ‘chemistry family,’” Dr. Neil Gray, chemistry professor, said. “That was more true than we realized.”

Friends of Taylor’s spoke of his insatiable desire to teach students – as well as his great love for his children.

“Brian was a role model and mentor as much as he was a teacher,” Gray said. “He was dedicated to his students. He thought of students as ‘academic kids.’”

But they also talked about his other insatiable desire – food.

Both Dr.’s Gray and Jason Smee spoke about Taylor’s ability to eat faster than anyone else. “He would say, ‘you’re just slow,’” Gray said.

They also spoke of his love for a daily lunch with co-workers.

“Brian would come into my office and ask me if I wanted to go to lunch,” Smee said. “And I would say ‘Brian, it’s a quarter ‘till 10.’”

Among other speakers was Dr. Robert Hindie, from the University of Tennessee. Hindi was Taylor’s first graduate professor and mentor.

Hindie said Taylor’s graduate work influenced his own, and they spoke often about teaching. Hindie advised Taylor when he interviewed for a job at the University.

Dr. Donald L. McClaugherty, the chemistry department chairman, recalled when he first interviewed, and how nervous he was.

The department hired him, and Taylor worked at the University since 2000, becoming part of the “chemistry family.”

“In the eight years I knew him, I never had a better friend.” Gray said.

Throughout the celebration, pictures of Taylor were displayed on a projection screen.

A quote from Taylor also was shown, “I’m an educator. I’ll never do anything big myself, but I hope that I am able to educate my students so they can go and do great things.”

“I would argue that he did do great things by being an educator,” Gray said.

University students attended as well as members of Taylor’s family. Taylor was buried in his home town of White Hall, Ark.

By Allen Arrick Editor in Chief