Walter was born November 21, 1942, in Lafayette, Indiana to parents Mildred & Harold Taylor. He was the middle brother of John and Karl. He graduated from WLHS, Purdue University and Indiana University Medical School.
He grew up with his brothers doing weekend work on his father’s farm. In WLHS, he was Student Council President, Junior & Senior Class President. National Honor Society, football, baseball, track, and wrestling Captain. He and Karl were avid outdoors enthusiasts, spelunking, mountain climbing, and skiing.
In the fall of 1964, he entered the Indiana University Medical School. He was one of 24 students who were chosen to work on their MD degree and PhD degrees simultaneously. He would have completed his graduate study in the spring of 1968. Elvis Stahr, President of IU said: He was an outstanding young man who exemplified intellectual curiosity in his great breadth of interests and his many skills.
The only time I climbed with Walter was one summer up on Capital Peak in Colorado.
Walter joined a group of mountain climbers in July of 1967 to climb Alaska’s Mount Denali. His group joined a second group for climbing Denali. Walter reached the summit, but on the way down, was caught in a whiteout that resulted in his death, July 7, 1967.
This Walter W. Taylor Search and Rescue Endowment Fund is dedicated to Walter and the dedicated Search and Rescue personnel who did everything they could to rescue Walter and others in distress.
– John T. Taylor, Older Brother, Tampa, Florida