A Note on Dr. William H. Taylor II
All of us at Vandalia Research are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Mountaineer Capital's Managing General Partner and Vandalia Research's Board Chairman Bill Taylor. Bill's insight and experience was invaluable to Vandalia since our founding. He was a mentor and dear friend to all of us and he will be greatly missed.
Dr. William H. Taylor II, 72, of Lexington, KY and Sausalito, CA died Monday, June 13, 2011 at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital. Bill was born in Philadelphia, PA on December 17, 1938, a son of the late W. Howard Taylor and Ruth Schwender Taylor of Huntington, WV. He attended Marshall Laboratory School in Huntington and graduated from Staunton Military Academy, The Johns Hopkins University, and received his Ph.D. in Solid State and Material Sciences, an A.M. in Solid State Physics and an M.S.E. in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences from Princeton University.
He was also a Distinguished Military Graduate and Corps Commander, R.O.T.C. of The Johns Hopkins University, followed by two years on active duty (1964-1966), U.S. ARMY, as a 1st Lieutenant, Ordnance Corps.
Dr. Taylor's career as a venture capitalist spanned over 30 years and several successful technology funds in New York and San Francisco. At his death he was the Managing General Partner of Mountaineer Capital, LP, in Charleston, WV, a $25 Million Equity Base SBIC dedicated to supplying venture capital to West Virginia small businesses. He served on numerous boards of directors and held memberships and affiliations with several honorary and national organizations. Additionally, he was an owner and the manager of the W. Howard Taylor Family, Agent LLC, a natural gas production business in Huntington, WV.
He is survived by his wife, Martha Stump Taylor, his son, Dr Craig S. Taylor, his step-son, Dr. James H. Forsythe (Jennifer), and two step-daughters, Alison G Forsythe, and Dr. Ann C. Forsythe, his brother Dr. Stephen L. Taylor, his step-sister JoAnn R. Hodges (Ray) and numerous grandchildren. His son, Bryan H. Taylor, preceded him in death.
Donations may be sent to:
W. Howard Taylor and Ann P. Taylor Scholarship Fund
The Marshall University Foundation, Inc.
One John Marshall Drive
Huntington, West Virginia 25755
or to an organization of one's choice.
