National Archives’ Legendary Archivist John E. Taylor Honored by OSS Society
Press Release · Thursday, November 2, 2006

Washington, DC

Acclaimed by researchers worldwide for his grasp of history and ability to locate pertinent documents, Mr. Taylor is known for his sound advice and resourceful assistance to authors, scholars and historians. The National Archives has a special John E. Taylor Collection of nearly one thousand books on espionage and intelligence, mainly works in which Mr. Taylor provided critical assistance, and most cite him in the acknowledgements.

John Taylor, a graduate of the University of Arkansas, joined the National Archives in 1945. In his over six decades of work at the National Archives, Mr. Taylor been honored by numerous groups, including the National Archives, the National Intelligence Study Center, the Embassy of Japan, and the American Jewish Historical Society. He is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the honorary History Fraternity, and Psi Chi, the honorary Psychology Fraternity. He is also a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. From 1947 to 1995, he was the lead archivist for the Records of the War Production Board.

Asked about plans for retirement, Mr. Taylor characteristically smiles and says: "not this week."

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For more information, please call the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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