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Emily Taylor: A Champion for Women

Emily Taylor was a longtime champion of women's causes and a former director of the Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE). Emily served as director of OWHE from 1975 to 1981. During her tenure, OWHE published the first "Table of Women CEOs 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). Emily 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.

"Emily Taylor was a champion of women in higher education throughout her career and a pioneer in helping women develop the leadership skills necessary to succeed in higher education," said Claire Van Ummersen, ACE's vice president of the Center for Effective Leadership.

Prior to joining ACE, Emily served as dean of women at the University of Kansas from 1956 to 1975. She established what now is known as the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center for students of both sexes. She also founded the nation's first university student commission on the status of women, which still exists. She also served on the Kansas Governor's Commission on the Status of Women from 1969 to 1975 and was appointed to the Maryland Commission on the Status of Women in 1975. She was president of the National Association of Commissions for Women from 1975 to 1977.

Among Emily's many honors were induction to the Kansas Women's Hall of Fame, Kansas' Distinguished Service Citation, the Leadership Lawrence Don Volker Award, the Kiwanis Substantial Citizen Award, Kansan of Achievement for Civil Rights, induction to the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, induction to the Urbana University Hall of Distinction and induction to the Ohio Independent colleges Foundation Hall of Excellence.

Emily Taylor passed away in May 2004 at 89 years of age. She was a graduate of DeGraff High School (OH) and had earned an associate degree from Urbana Junior College, bachelor's and master's degrees from Ohio State University and a doctorate from Indiana University.