MUHLENBERG COLLEGE TRUSTEES NEGOTIATE TERMINATION OF PRESIDENT ARTHUR TAYLOR
Following a negotiated settlement, Dr. David M. Long Jr. '51 resigned as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Arthur R. Taylor will no longer serve as President. The action came at a special meeting of the Muhlenberg College Board of Trustees July 12.Friday, July 12, 2002 03:04 PM
Following a negotiated settlement, Dr. David M. Long Jr. '51 resigned as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Arthur R. Taylor will no longer serve as President. The action came at a special meeting of the Muhlenberg College Board of Trustees July 12. Taylor had been President since August 1992. Dr. Long will remain an active member of the Board of Trustees.
"Most Trustees felt a change was warranted," said John Heffer and Rich Brueckner '71, Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. "Muhlenberg College has achieved spectacular results during Arthur Taylor's presidency. Arthur had tremendous vision and brought the College to new heights. The College is flourishing. The trustees, alumni, faculty and staff are extremely grateful for the efforts of Dr. Long and Arthur Taylor."
"We are confident that Muhlenberg College will maintain its momentum and its place among highly selective liberal arts colleges."
Vice President for Finance Kent Dyer will be Acting President. A national search for Taylor's replacement will begin immediately.
Taylor was named the 10th President of Muhlenberg College in August 1992. In his 10 years as President, Muhlenberg has nearly tripled its endowment, halved its debt and seen a spectacular rise in student quality. Muhlenberg is regarded as one of the finest small liberal arts colleges in the country, and is among the top 15 in terms of student retention rate. The College is also among the top 80 liberal arts colleges in the nation in terms of selectivity and acceptance rate.
During Taylor's presidency, Muhlenberg College has gained a national reputation for its caring environment and is increasing its reputation for its initiatives in character education. Since his arrival, the College completed a $23 million fund drive and is in the midst of a $70 million capital campaign, with more than $37 million already raised.
During the past 10 years, the College has constructed the Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance; Forrest G. Moyer M.D. '35 Hall; Scotty Wood Stadium and Frank Marino Field; and three residence halls. The Taylors will maintain their residence in Allentown, where they will continue their philanthropic and civic endeavors.
Taylor came to Muhlenberg from Fordham University, where he served eight years as Dean of the Graduate School of Business. Prior to that, he served as President of CBS Inc., and was the founder of the Entertainment Channel, now the Arts and Entertainment Network. Taylor began his business career at The First Boston Corporation where he served as vice president and a director. He was also executive vice president and chief financial officer of International Paper Company.
He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University, where he also earned his master's degree. He has served on the board of dozens of corporate and philanthropic organizations.
