Myron Charles Taylor
Encyclopedia
Myron Charles Taylor was one of the major figures in American
life during the first half of the twentieth century. He was probably America's leading industrialist
, and later a key diplomatic
figure at the hub of many of the most-important geopolitical
events before, during, and after World War II
.
In addition he was a philanthropist
giving generously to his alma mater
, Cornell University
, and a number of other causes.
, New York
, to William Delling Taylor and Mary (née Underhill) Taylor. His father owned and operated a tannery
business.
Taylor graduated from the Cornell Law School
of Cornell University
in Ithaca
, New York, in 1894.
as a Democrat
, and both times was defeated.
(Cornell, A.B., class of 1891) on Wall Street
in New York City
, New York
. His focus turned to corporate law
and his legal career began to flourish.
Taylor won a U.S. government contract for mail pouches and related products. He quickly exploited this lucrative business and began not only to introduce innovations such as the transparent "window" in envelopes through which an address is displayed, but also to buy up competitors.
His efforts expanded to the cotton
markets, identifying opportunities to acquire struggling cotton mill
s, transform their labor practices, and modernize their technology. This approach later became known as the "Taylor Formula".
Seeing the potential of the infant automotive industry
, he established a textile
firm that became the leading supplier of combined tire fabric. During World War I
his plants became the leading suppliers to the American military
effort. Following the war he saw a boom-bust cycle
coming and disposed of all his interests in the mills.
(also one of the founders of United States Steel
) and George F. Baker—Taylor was recruited to help turn around the finances of U.S. Steel, once the largest steel
producer and largest corporation
in the world. On September 15, 1925, he was elected a director and member of its powerful finance
committee
. He became the committee's chairman in 1929. From March 29, 1932, until April 5, 1938, he was U.S. Steel's chairman and chief executive officer
.
During the desperate years of the Great Depression
, he applied the Taylor Formula again—closing or selling plants; reorganizing the corporate structure; and upgrading and modernizing the company's operations and technology.
One defining moment occurred in 1937, when Taylor struck a deal with John L. Lewis
who, at the time, was head of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
(CIO). Through the deal, U.S. Steel agreed to recognize a CIO subsidiary for purposes of representing and organizing U.S. Steel workers. U.S. Steel became the first major industrial corporation to take this historic step. The basis for the deal later became known as the Myron Taylor Labor Formula, defining how to bring about labor stability and long-term prosperity for the company:
Taylor was a looming presence over the affairs of U.S. Steel, leaving an indelible mark on its history. He soon was featured on the covers of or in articles in Time
, Fortune
, Business Week
, The New Yorker
, and The Saturday Evening Post
. He did not officially retire from the board until January 12, 1956.
, in Évian-les-Bains
, France
, convened at the initiative of U.S. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
to discuss the issue of increasing numbers of Jewish refugees
fleeing Nazi
persecution
leading up to the onset of World War II. Before German
Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
turned to mass extermination
of Jews by way of The Holocaust
, the possibility of having refugee
s sent to willing countries was posed. Sumner Welles
, the U.S. Under Secretary of State
had proposed an international conference to address the immigration
issue. Going into the conference Roosevelt gave Taylor the instruction: "All you need to do is get these people together." Taylor was appointed chairman, and while he was not able to get concessions on immigration, a proposal to create the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees was approved.
. Taylor's appointment was announced on December 23, 1939, and confirmed in Rome
, Italy
, on February 28, 1940. Taylor served from 1940 throughout the rest of Roosevelt's presidency (his death in 1945) and continued as President Harry S. Truman
's "personal envoy" until 1950.
Although appointed as a "Peace Ambassador" and "personal envoy", Taylor was extended ambassador
status by the Holy See
on February 13, 1940.
His appointment to that diplomatic position was officially protested by many American Protestant Christian
denominations, including Methodists
, Presbyterians
, Lutherans
, Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists
.
He left Rome on September 22, 1941, flying to Lisbon
, Portugal
, and London
, United Kingdom
, on the way back to the U.S. Initially his direction was to prevent Italy from joining the war with Germany. Later he would be influential in urging limited bombing of Rome in 1943–1944 by the Allies of World War II
, and then to only specific military targets. Harold J. Tittmann, Jr. remained as chargé d'affaires
after Taylor's departure, and was required to move from Italy into Vatican City
on December 13, 1941. Taylor arrived again in Rome in September 1942, but returned in October.
In the summer of 1942, Taylor went on his most significant mission yet. He was asked to convey to the Pope that the U.S. would win the war and there would be no peace without victory. Another accomplishment of this trip was to influence the Pope to speak out in the atrocities being perpetuated against the Jews.
Taylor was also successful in persuading Spain
's military general and dictator
Francisco Franco
not to join the Axis powers of World War II
. Later he was able to lobby for an Allied military airbase in neutral Portugal that was ultimately granted.
As the war approached its end and afterwards, Taylor recognized the Italian people were in dire need of necessities. He established American Relief for Italy, an organization that became the primary means to provide food, clothing and medicine to millions of suffering Italians. In a short time approximately US$
6 million in public funds were raised and over $37 million in relief supplies were distributed.
Taylor intended to step down after the war ended, but following Roosevelt's death he agreed to stay on and to help Truman. Truman charged Taylor to work "not only with the Pope but with other leaders in the spiritual world and in the world of politics and secular affairs as he travels through Europe
in the fulfillment of his mission." For the next four years he traveled throughout Europe to get helpful Cold War
information to which no other westerner had access, and to shore up opposition by the church to the Soviet Union
.
Taylor resigned in January 1950, after which Truman recalled his assistant Franklin C. Gowan, prompting speculation that U.S.–Vatican ties (strongly opposed by many Protestant leaders) would end. Although there were interim informal diplomacy assignments, the U.S. did not appoint an official U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
until 1984.
of the Order of Pius IX
, First Degree.
His country home in Locust Valley
, New York, was situated on the site of a farm started by a Colonial ancestor, Captain John Underhill
. After the Underhill house was damaged in a fire, he did not tear it down. Instead, he encased it in a new façade
designed by the architect Harriet Lindeberg. Taylor took an active interest in Underhill — placing a marker at the entrance to the Underhill Burying Ground
in 1953 and creating an endowment
to assist with the perpetual
maintenance. The marker reads: "Erected by Myron C. Taylor in honor of his mother Mary Morgan Underhill Taylor, 1953".
five floors of stacks for over 200,000 volumes.
The dedication was in the Moot Court Room on October 15, 1932, with a buffet
luncheon in the Reading Room following. Taylor and his wife Anabel C. Taylor presented the keys to the hall to then-Cornell University President Livingston Farrand.
Among his last-remaining projects after his retirement was overseeing his 1949 gift to Cornell to build a $1.5 million structure adjoining its Law School (which he had also helped to build). The new building, Anabel Taylor Hall, was named in his wife's honor and built to serve as an interdenominational religious center. Funds from Taylor also went toward the establishment of the Myron Taylor Lectures on Foreign Affairs, and for the Charles Evans Hughes residence center.
Myron and Anabel Taylor contributed several items to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, or owned artwork that was later given by another collector. Among these items include:
Truman paid tribute noting, "The Honorable Myron C. Taylor performed great services for both me and my predecessor in the White House to the Vatican at a time when it was essential that the United States be represented in that quarter. Undoubtedly, no one could have performed the job as well as he did... All of this should be deeply grateful for the unselfish works of this fine man and able public servant."
Leaders in government, finance and industry were among the 200 people who attended the funeral service at his home on 16 East Seventieth Street. Honorary pallbearer
s included Welles; Deane Waldo Malott
, president of Cornell University; Roger M. Blough, chairman of U.S. Steel; and Benjamin F. Fairless and Irving S. Olds, former chairmen of U.S. Steel.
Four clergymen, led by the Right Rev. Horace Donegan, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of New York, participated in the service held in the music room of the residence.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
life during the first half of the twentieth century. He was probably America's leading industrialist
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
, and later a key diplomatic
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
figure at the hub of many of the most-important geopolitical
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
events before, during, and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In addition he was a philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
giving generously to his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, and a number of other causes.
Early life and education
He war born in LyonsLyons (town), New York
Lyons is a town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 5,831 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Lyons , France....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, to William Delling Taylor and Mary (née Underhill) Taylor. His father owned and operated a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
business.
Taylor graduated from the Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New York, in 1894.
Early career
He returned to Lyons and for the next five years struggled to establish a small-town law practice. He also twice ran for the New York State AssemblyNew York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, and both times was defeated.
Amassing his fortune
In 1900, Taylor left Lyons to join his brother William TaylorWilliam Taylor
William Taylor was a British scholar, polyglot, and translator of German romantic literature.-Early life:He was born in Norwich, East Anglia, England on 7 November 1765, the only child of William Taylor , a wealthy Norwich merchant with European trade connections, by his wife Sarah , second...
(Cornell, A.B., class of 1891) on Wall Street
Financial District, Manhattan
The Financial District of New York City is a neighborhood on the southernmost section of the borough of Manhattan which comprises the offices and headquarters of many of the city's major financial institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His focus turned to corporate law
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
and his legal career began to flourish.
Taylor won a U.S. government contract for mail pouches and related products. He quickly exploited this lucrative business and began not only to introduce innovations such as the transparent "window" in envelopes through which an address is displayed, but also to buy up competitors.
His efforts expanded to the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
markets, identifying opportunities to acquire struggling cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s, transform their labor practices, and modernize their technology. This approach later became known as the "Taylor Formula".
Seeing the potential of the infant automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, he established a textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
firm that became the leading supplier of combined tire fabric. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
his plants became the leading suppliers to the American military
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
effort. Following the war he saw a boom-bust cycle
Boom and bust
A credit boom-bust cycle is an episode characterized by a sustained increase in several economics indicators followed by a sharp and rapid contraction. Commonly the boom is driven by a rapid expansion of credit to the private sector accompanied with rising prices of commodities and stock market index...
coming and disposed of all his interests in the mills.
U.S. Steel
With his now-sizable fortune he could have retired, but at the urging of two leading Wall Street bankers—J.P. MorganJ. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan was an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric...
(also one of the founders of United States Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
) and George F. Baker—Taylor was recruited to help turn around the finances of U.S. Steel, once the largest steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
producer and largest corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
in the world. On September 15, 1925, he was elected a director and member of its powerful finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
. He became the committee's chairman in 1929. From March 29, 1932, until April 5, 1938, he was U.S. Steel's chairman and chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
.
During the desperate years of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, he applied the Taylor Formula again—closing or selling plants; reorganizing the corporate structure; and upgrading and modernizing the company's operations and technology.
One defining moment occurred in 1937, when Taylor struck a deal with John L. Lewis
John L. Lewis
John Llewellyn Lewis was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960...
who, at the time, was head of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
(CIO). Through the deal, U.S. Steel agreed to recognize a CIO subsidiary for purposes of representing and organizing U.S. Steel workers. U.S. Steel became the first major industrial corporation to take this historic step. The basis for the deal later became known as the Myron Taylor Labor Formula, defining how to bring about labor stability and long-term prosperity for the company:
The Company recognizes the right of its
employees to bargain collectively through
representatives freely chosen by them without
dictation, coercion or intimidation in any form
or from any source. It will negotiate and
contract with the representatives of any group
of its employees so chosen and with any
organization as the representative of its
members, subject to the recognition of the
principle that the right to work is not dependent
on membership or non-membership in
any organization and subject to the right of
every employee freely to bargain in such
manner and through such representatives, if
any, as he chooses
Taylor was a looming presence over the affairs of U.S. Steel, leaving an indelible mark on its history. He soon was featured on the covers of or in articles in Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
, Business Week
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, and The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. He did not officially retire from the board until January 12, 1956.
International affairs
In July 1938 he represented the U.S. at the Évian ConferenceEvian Conference
The Évian Conference was convened at the initiative of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in July 1938 to discuss the issue of increasing numbers of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. For eight days, from July 6 to July 13, representatives from 31 countries met at Évian-les-Bains, France...
, in Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains or Évian is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, convened at the initiative of U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to discuss the issue of increasing numbers of Jewish refugees
Jewish refugees
In the course of history, Jewish populations have been expelled or ostracised by various local authorities and have sought asylum from antisemitism numerous times...
fleeing Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
persecution
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
leading up to the onset of World War II. Before German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Nazi leader Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
turned to mass extermination
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
of Jews by way of The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, the possibility of having refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s sent to willing countries was posed. Sumner Welles
Sumner Welles
Benjamin Sumner Welles was an American government official and diplomat in the Foreign Service. He was a major foreign policy adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served as Under Secretary of State from 1937 to 1943, during FDR's presidency.-Early life:Benjamin Sumner Welles was born in...
, the U.S. Under Secretary of State
Under Secretary of State
The Under Secretary of State, from 1919 to 1972, was the second-ranking official at the United States Department of State , serving as the Secretary's principal deputy, chief assistant, and Acting Secretary in the event of the Secretary's absence...
had proposed an international conference to address the immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
issue. Going into the conference Roosevelt gave Taylor the instruction: "All you need to do is get these people together." Taylor was appointed chairman, and while he was not able to get concessions on immigration, a proposal to create the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees was approved.
Personal envoy to Pope Pius XII
On December 22, 1939, Roosevelt asked Taylor "to take on a special mission for me" — to be Roosevelt's "personal envoy" to Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. Taylor's appointment was announced on December 23, 1939, and confirmed in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, on February 28, 1940. Taylor served from 1940 throughout the rest of Roosevelt's presidency (his death in 1945) and continued as President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
's "personal envoy" until 1950.
Although appointed as a "Peace Ambassador" and "personal envoy", Taylor was extended ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
status by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
on February 13, 1940.
His appointment to that diplomatic position was officially protested by many American Protestant Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations, including Methodists
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, Presbyterians
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
, Lutherans
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
.
He left Rome on September 22, 1941, flying to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, on the way back to the U.S. Initially his direction was to prevent Italy from joining the war with Germany. Later he would be influential in urging limited bombing of Rome in 1943–1944 by the Allies of World War II
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
, and then to only specific military targets. Harold J. Tittmann, Jr. remained as chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
after Taylor's departure, and was required to move from Italy into Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
on December 13, 1941. Taylor arrived again in Rome in September 1942, but returned in October.
In the summer of 1942, Taylor went on his most significant mission yet. He was asked to convey to the Pope that the U.S. would win the war and there would be no peace without victory. Another accomplishment of this trip was to influence the Pope to speak out in the atrocities being perpetuated against the Jews.
Taylor was also successful in persuading Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's military general and dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
not to join the Axis powers of World War II
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. Later he was able to lobby for an Allied military airbase in neutral Portugal that was ultimately granted.
As the war approached its end and afterwards, Taylor recognized the Italian people were in dire need of necessities. He established American Relief for Italy, an organization that became the primary means to provide food, clothing and medicine to millions of suffering Italians. In a short time approximately US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
6 million in public funds were raised and over $37 million in relief supplies were distributed.
Taylor intended to step down after the war ended, but following Roosevelt's death he agreed to stay on and to help Truman. Truman charged Taylor to work "not only with the Pope but with other leaders in the spiritual world and in the world of politics and secular affairs as he travels through Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in the fulfillment of his mission." For the next four years he traveled throughout Europe to get helpful Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
information to which no other westerner had access, and to shore up opposition by the church to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Taylor resigned in January 1950, after which Truman recalled his assistant Franklin C. Gowan, prompting speculation that U.S.–Vatican ties (strongly opposed by many Protestant leaders) would end. Although there were interim informal diplomacy assignments, the U.S. did not appoint an official U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
United States Ambassador to the Holy See
A U.S. Ambassador serves as that country's official representative to the Holy See since formal diplomatic relations began in 1984. Before the establishment of official relations, Myron Taylor served during World War II as an emissary for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1951, President Harry S....
until 1984.
Awards
On December 20, 1948, President Truman awarded Taylor the Medal for Merit — one of the highest civilian decoration of the U.S. awarded to civilians for exceptionally meritorious conduct. He was also named a KnightKnight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of the Order of Pius IX
Order of Pius IX
The Order of Pius IX , also referred as the Pian Order , is a Papal order of knighthood founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX.-Classes:The Order comprises five classes:...
, First Degree.
Retirement
In early 1950 Taylor officially retired.His country home in Locust Valley
Locust Valley, New York
Locust Valley is a hamlet located in Nassau County, New York. Locust Valley is an unincorporated area of the Town of Oyster Bay...
, New York, was situated on the site of a farm started by a Colonial ancestor, Captain John Underhill
Captain John Underhill
John Underhill was an early English settler and soldier in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Province of New Hampshire, the New Haven Colony, New Netherland, and later the Province of New York...
. After the Underhill house was damaged in a fire, he did not tear it down. Instead, he encased it in a new façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
designed by the architect Harriet Lindeberg. Taylor took an active interest in Underhill — placing a marker at the entrance to the Underhill Burying Ground
Underhill Burying Ground
The Underhill Burying Ground is a cemetery located within the Village of Lattingtown, in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York. The cemetery has been in continuous operation since the burial of Captain John Underhill in 1672.-Origins and history:...
in 1953 and creating an endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
to assist with the perpetual
Perpetual
Perpetual may refer to:*Perpetual bond, a bond which pays coupons forever*Perpetual curacy, a type of Christian priesthood*Perpetual virginity, a Christian doctrine concerning the Virgin Mary*Perpetual Entertainment, a software development company...
maintenance. The marker reads: "Erected by Myron C. Taylor in honor of his mother Mary Morgan Underhill Taylor, 1953".
Philanthropy and Charitable Activity
Taylor gave $1.5 million in 1928 to Cornell University for the construction of a new building complex for its Cornell Law School and Law Library. The new space allowed the libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
five floors of stacks for over 200,000 volumes.
The dedication was in the Moot Court Room on October 15, 1932, with a buffet
Buffet
A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events...
luncheon in the Reading Room following. Taylor and his wife Anabel C. Taylor presented the keys to the hall to then-Cornell University President Livingston Farrand.
Among his last-remaining projects after his retirement was overseeing his 1949 gift to Cornell to build a $1.5 million structure adjoining its Law School (which he had also helped to build). The new building, Anabel Taylor Hall, was named in his wife's honor and built to serve as an interdenominational religious center. Funds from Taylor also went toward the establishment of the Myron Taylor Lectures on Foreign Affairs, and for the Charles Evans Hughes residence center.
Myron and Anabel Taylor contributed several items to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, or owned artwork that was later given by another collector. Among these items include:
- a statueStatueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
tte of the god AnubisAnubisAnubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu . According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized as Anapa...
as embalmerEmbalmingEmbalming, in most modern cultures, is the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall decomposition and to make them suitable for public display at a funeral. The three goals of embalming are thus sanitization, presentation and preservation of a corpse to achieve this...
, Ptolemaic Period, circaCircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
332-30 B.C.Anno Dominiand Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
(given by Mr. and Mrs. Myron Taylor in 1938) - Bouquet of Chrysanthemums, Pierre-Auguste RenoirPierre-Auguste RenoirPierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty, and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Renoir is the final representative of a tradition which runs directly from Rubens to...
, 1881 (purchased by Taylor by 1937, sold in 1961 to Annenberg, bequest to The Met in 2002).
Death
Taylor quietly lived out his final years, never seeking public accolades or recognition. When his wife died on December 12, 1958, he lost his raison d'etre and he died five months later on May 5, 1959, at his home in New York City at age 85.Truman paid tribute noting, "The Honorable Myron C. Taylor performed great services for both me and my predecessor in the White House to the Vatican at a time when it was essential that the United States be represented in that quarter. Undoubtedly, no one could have performed the job as well as he did... All of this should be deeply grateful for the unselfish works of this fine man and able public servant."
Leaders in government, finance and industry were among the 200 people who attended the funeral service at his home on 16 East Seventieth Street. Honorary pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
s included Welles; Deane Waldo Malott
Deane Waldo Malott
Deane Waldo Malott was an American academic and administrator.The son of a banker, Malott was born in Abilene, Kansas and went on to study at the University of Kansas. While at school there, he wrote for the University Daily Kansan and was a brother in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity...
, president of Cornell University; Roger M. Blough, chairman of U.S. Steel; and Benjamin F. Fairless and Irving S. Olds, former chairmen of U.S. Steel.
Four clergymen, led by the Right Rev. Horace Donegan, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of New York, participated in the service held in the music room of the residence.
See also
- Foreign relations of Pope Pius XIIForeign relations of Pope Pius XIIForeign relations of Pope Pius XII extended to most of Europe and a few states outside Europe. Pius XII was pope from 1939 to 1958, during World War II and the beginning of the Cold War.- Background :...
- United States Ambassador to the Holy SeeUnited States Ambassador to the Holy SeeA U.S. Ambassador serves as that country's official representative to the Holy See since formal diplomatic relations began in 1984. Before the establishment of official relations, Myron Taylor served during World War II as an emissary for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1951, President Harry S....
- United States SteelU.S. SteelThe United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...