|
|
|
|
Leon “Tex” Taylor
Honorary First Recipient of the 2003 Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award
Former vice president at Trinity University, Leon “Tex” Taylor was widely considered the dean of San Antonio public relations. During four decades at Trinity, he staged more than 40 building dedications, produced Trinity’s student recruiting materials, and managed the university’s successful million Centennial Development Program.
Tex is a founding member of this PRSA chapter and was one of the first Texans to be accredited by PRSA. Even after his retirement 1986 until his death in 1999, Tex’s enthusiastic face was often present at chapter events. He was also a founding member of the local Sigma Delta Chi chapter and held numerous positions with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
A veteran of World War II, Tex served in Army intelligence and Air Force public relations. He retired with the rank of colonel in the Air Force Reserve. Before and after the war, he worked in radio broadcasting in Beaumont and Des Moines as a sportscaster, news director, and manager of promotion and programming. He also was a columnist for the Beaumont Journal.
He joined the staff at Trinity University in 1947 as director of public relations. He became vice president for university relations and assistant to the president under Duncan Wimpress in 1970 and was appointed vice president for special services in 1983.
Tex had several tenets that he liked to share with others, like the importance of telling the truth and being sensitive in dealing with people. In the 80s, he foresaw something we face all the time now. He said: “In this day of impersonal computers and mag-card machines, it’s a great temptation to turn the whole thing over to technology, to flip switches and push buttons and pull levers. Well don’t do it. Because there’s a lot of romance in your business or profession. When you lose that personal touch, you’re about as passionate as shredded wheat.”
Despite the name we all know him by, Tex, he is not a native. But he came here at age 13, and we adopted him as one of our own.
Our own Charlie Kenworthey had this to say upon Tex’s retirement: “Tex has maintained a strong love of his work, an undying devotion to the impact of theatrics on the spirit and enthusiasm of the moment, an extraordinary sense of humor, an ability to bring light and the spirit of good fellowship to any gathering and finally an unusually strong personal ethic that has shone through everything he has done.”
This is why our lifetime achievement award bears the name Tex Taylor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|