John Wilkinson Taylor a lifetime educator and former managing director of WTTW in Chicago.
Background
Mr. Taylor grew up in Nashville and traveled the world before landing in Chicago, where he also served as chairman of the City Colleges of Chicago from 1966 to 1983. "From the beginning, he loved education," said his stepson Kellogg Fairbank. "He loved educating people. He was always excited about it." Died Tuesday, Dec. 11, at a retirement home in Denver, where he had been living the past year
Education
Mr. Taylor attended George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, where he followed his mentor, Thomas Alexander, in the teaching field. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Columbia University and was a former president of the University of Louisville. For a number of years, Mr. Taylor taught at the University of Berlin in Germany. He was an early supporter of "distance learning," having introduced radio-assisted correspondence courses
Career
Mr. Taylor attended George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, where he followed his mentor, Thomas Alexander, in the teaching field. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Columbia University and was a former president of the University of Louisville. For a number of years, Mr. Taylor taught at the University of Berlin in Germany. He was an early supporter of "distance learning," having introduced radio-assisted correspondence courses. That was a precursor for his work in starting up the Chicago Educational Television Association, home of educational television Channels 11 and 20.