Emily Taylor

Emily Taylor, a longtime champion of women's causes and a former director of the Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) at the American Council on Education (ACE), died May 1 at the age of 89.

Taylor served as director of the OWHE from 1975 to 1981. During her tenure, OWHE published the first “Table of Women CEO’s in U.S. Colleges and Universities” and received a $195,000 grant from The Carnegie Corporation of New York to start the ACE/National Identification Program for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education Administration (ACE/NIP).

Known today as the ACE Network and operating in all 50 states, ACE/NIP was established to increase the number of women in higher education administration, especially presidencies. California, New York, and Florida became the first states to participate in the program, which grew to include the 12 largest states. Taylor also organized the first National Forum, which became the primary means of identifying and enhancing careers of women ready for presidencies. Over the years, hundreds of women from that program have gone on to become presidents or chancellors of U.S. colleges and universities or to serve in high administrative posts.

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