William O. Taylor

Return to main article:

We note with sadness the death on May 1, at home in Boston, of William O. Taylor ’54, chairman emeritus of the Boston Globe, where he had served with distinction as publisher. Among his many other pro bono activities, Bill was a member of the Harvard Magazine Incorporated board of directors from 1995 to 2001 (much of that time alongside his classmate, Daniel Steiner ’54, LL.B. ’58)—a critical period when the forces now transforming publishing and the media took form and accelerated. His early insights into these changes regularly informed the magazine’s evolving responses. Even after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009, Bill remained a magazine incorporator and an informal counselor—roles that we especially remember and value. The Editors

Related topics

You might also like

Making Waves with Philosophy

A conversation with Harvard professor Michael Sandel

For Campus Speech, Civility is a Cultural Practice

A former Harvard College dean reviews Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber’s book Terms of Respect.

Your Views on Conservatism on Campus, Doxxing, and More

Readers write in about international students at Harvard, the September-October cover, and changes at the Chan School of Public Health.

Most popular

Harvard Faculty Debate Plan to Cap A Grades

At a lively meeting, faculty members weighed a grade inflation plan that most agreed is imperfect.

The Health Benefits of Owning a Pet

Animal companions help their owners live longer, happier lives.

Harvard Kennedy School Offers Contingency Plans for U.S. Military Applicants

Active-duty service members can defer admissions or have their applications considered at peer institutions. 

Explore More From Current Issue

A woman gazes at large decorative letters with her reflection and two stylized faces beside them.

The True Cost of Grade Inflation at Harvard

How an abundance of A’s created “the most stressed-out world of all.”

Four Labrador puppies—two black and two yellow—sitting in green grass.

What Do Puppies Know?

Canine capabilities emerge early and continue into adulthood.

A lively street scene at night with people in colorful costumes dancing joyfully.

Rabbi, Drag Queen, Film Star

Sabbath Queen, a new documentary, follows one man’s quest to make Judaism more expansive.