Robert E. L. Taylor
Encyclopedia
Robert E. Lee Taylor, Jr. (June 8, 1913 – July 2, 2009) was an American
publisher and chairman of the Philadelphia Bulletin
in the years leading up to the paper's demise. He was jailed in 1963 for his refusal to testify before a grand jury about his paper's reporting, and was released after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that his actions were protected under the state's shield law.
and grew up in Baltimore
, Maryland
. He attended Princeton University
, graduating in 1935. Taylor started work at the Philadelphia Bulletin after graduating from college — where his uncle Robert McLean
was publisher, and owned the paper together with his brothers and sisters — and worked at the paper for nearly 40 years, other than during World War II
, when he served in the United States Navy
.
investigating municipal corruption and demanded details of the sources for the paper's stories. Upon refusing, Taylor and city editor Earl Selby were held in jail for contempt of court
. By a 6–1 vote, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
overturned the sentences to five days in jail and a fine of $1,000, ruling that the state's 1937 shield law covered documents and individuals. In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John C. Bell, Jr.
stated that in cases where there is a doubt, "the statute must be liberally construed in favor of the newspaper and the media".
In March 1964, McClean stepped down as publisher, having served in that position since 1961, with Taylor succeeding him as publisher and keeping his post as the paper's president. At the time, the Bulletin's daily circulation of 700,000 made it the city's largest and one of the largest of all afternoon papers nationwide. The ascendancy of The Philadelphia Inquirer
combined with the loss of popularity of afternoon papers led to a significant drop in both advertisers and readership. McLean stepped down as chairman after 61 years at the paper in April 1975, and Taylor was named as his successor as chairman and chief executive officer, with William L. McLean 3rd named editor and publisher to succeed Taylor. In his role as chairman, he oversaw the paper's sale in 1981. The paper ceased publication as of January 29, 1982, after 135 years in business, having dominated its market for most of its life.
. He was survived by two daughters, a son, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His two marriages, to Leonore McAlpin Shiland and Jane Matthews Jackson, both ended with the death of his spouse.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
publisher and chairman of the Philadelphia Bulletin
Philadelphia Bulletin
For the 2004 resurrection of the Bulletin, see The Bulletin .The Philadelphia Bulletin was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the...
in the years leading up to the paper's demise. He was jailed in 1963 for his refusal to testify before a grand jury about his paper's reporting, and was released after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that his actions were protected under the state's shield law.
Early life and education
Taylor was born in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and grew up in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, graduating in 1935. Taylor started work at the Philadelphia Bulletin after graduating from college — where his uncle Robert McLean
Robert McLean
Robert Donald Douglas McLean was an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He represented the Napier electorate from 1896 to 1899, when he was defeated.-References:...
was publisher, and owned the paper together with his brothers and sisters — and worked at the paper for nearly 40 years, other than during 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...
, when he served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
The Philadelphia Bulletin
As the paper's president in 1963, he and other staff members at the Bulletin were ordered to testify before a grand juryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
investigating municipal corruption and demanded details of the sources for the paper's stories. Upon refusing, Taylor and city editor Earl Selby were held in jail for contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
. By a 6–1 vote, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
overturned the sentences to five days in jail and a fine of $1,000, ruling that the state's 1937 shield law covered documents and individuals. In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John C. Bell, Jr.
John C. Bell, Jr.
John Cromwell Bell, Jr. was a Pennsylvania politician and judge.He served as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, 1943–47, and the 33rd Governor briefly in 1947, succeeding Edward Martin, who had resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate...
stated that in cases where there is a doubt, "the statute must be liberally construed in favor of the newspaper and the media".
In March 1964, McClean stepped down as publisher, having served in that position since 1961, with Taylor succeeding him as publisher and keeping his post as the paper's president. At the time, the Bulletin's daily circulation of 700,000 made it the city's largest and one of the largest of all afternoon papers nationwide. The ascendancy of The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
combined with the loss of popularity of afternoon papers led to a significant drop in both advertisers and readership. McLean stepped down as chairman after 61 years at the paper in April 1975, and Taylor was named as his successor as chairman and chief executive officer, with William L. McLean 3rd named editor and publisher to succeed Taylor. In his role as chairman, he oversaw the paper's sale in 1981. The paper ceased publication as of January 29, 1982, after 135 years in business, having dominated its market for most of its life.
Personal
Taylor died at age 96 on July 2, 2009, at his home in Bryn Mawr, PennsylvaniaBryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr from Welsh for "big hill") is a census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue and the border with Delaware County...
. He was survived by two daughters, a son, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His two marriages, to Leonore McAlpin Shiland and Jane Matthews Jackson, both ended with the death of his spouse.