[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 109 (Thursday, June 22, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. FRANK G. ``DOC'' TAYLOR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2023

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Frank G. 
Taylor of Stafford, Connecticut, known affectionately as Doc. Doc 
passed away on May 28, 2023, at the peaceful age of 88. He was a giant 
in the neighboring community of Enfield, touching countless lives 
through more than a half-century of service as an educator.
  Born in Concord, New Hampshire on July 4, 1934, to Hazel and Frank 
Taylor Sr., Doc's birthdate would prove prophetic as he would quickly 
dedicate his life to advancing the story of a nation as a prolific 
social studies teacher. After a brief stint in the Army as a company 
clerk, Doc graduated from Keene Teachers College in 1958 and commenced 
a career path which would positively change the trajectory of 
thousands.
  While at Keene, Doc met the love of his life, Eveline Binmore, whom 
he married in the same year as his graduation. Together, they would go 
on to have two sons, Andrew and Jeffrey, who meant the world to them. 
In 1976, the family settled permanently in Suffield, Connecticut. Doc 
dutifully cared for Eveline until her passing in 2009 due to 
complications from Alzheimer's.
  Turning the page back to 1958, the origin of Doc's long education 
career, Doc first set out from college with a brief stint of teaching 
in the Stafford school district. From there, he and Eveline travelled 
to Germany so that he could serve in the military yet again, this time 
as a teacher for the children of personnel stationed abroad. In 1963, 
the Taylor family returned to Connecticut where Doc began his legendary 
career at Enfield High School. Teaching at Enfield until his retirement 
in 2012, Doc made it his mission to engage students, reinforce and 
promote those who were gifted and challenge those who may have 
otherwise seemed disinterested to another educator. Through frequent 
field trips to historic locations and landmarks, he developed in his 
students a keen awareness of how history is a living narrative around 
us, setting examples and guiding decisions. Through it all, his 
kindness and dedication never wavered, and to this day countless 
students, many who are now teachers themselves, regard him as the best 
teacher they ever had.
  Doc Taylor was such a stalwart in the education industry because he, 
himself, was a sponge for knowledge. In the 1970s, Taylor received his 
Doctorate in Education from the University of Connecticut, an 
accomplishment from which his nickname of ``Doc'' was derived. His 
thesis was focused on Shaker Education. Completing such a feat involved 
him interviewing every living descendent of the ``shaking Quaker,'' 
better known as Shaker, community. This experience quenched an intense 
thirst of local history, and he would mission onto new Enfield 
archeological projects for much of his remaining life. Doc was an 
invaluable curator of all aspects of north-central Connecticut's 
heritage, particularly through his famous, self-made courses on Enfield 
and Connecticut history. Were it not for his life's work, this region 
comprised of smaller communities could have seen their knowledge of 
stories like the Shakers--who had Enfield roots dating back to the 18th 
century--otherwise forgotten. In one anecdote that typifies the value 
of his work, Doc recalled preparing to take a picture of a Shaker 
building before it was demolished only to look up and see a wrecking 
ball smash through the home.
  For years, Doc went above and beyond not just to preserve, but also 
craft a more self-sustaining community eco-system. He helped coach the 
``As Schools Match Wits'' team, an experience which helped cause some 
participants to go onto become teachers themselves. In 1970, he and his 
student coordinated the clean-up for the Scantic River, which had once 
been heavily polluted. So inspirational were their efforts that the 
Scantic River Park was developed as a result. He continued with his 
global travels after serving in the Army, posting photographs from his 
trips around the school as a small yet impactful opportunity to broaden 
any students' perspectives. In recognition of his excellence, he was 
honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution as the Connecticut 
Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 1982, and as Enfield's Teacher of 
the Year in 1985. The students were always his primary motivation, 
though; one of his greatest delights was teaching the children (and 
even grandchildren) of past students.
  Mr. Speaker, Doc Taylor's life was an institution in itself. He had 
this industrious, infectious love for history. He guided a town with a 
soft yet impactful touch, sewing seeds along the way, for three 
generations. He was a recruiter of several decades' worth of public 
servants--literally mentoring some from student to teacher and 
colleague. No one could ever hope to duplicate the impact of Doc's 
generous spirit. However, there are thousands out there, both in 
Enfield and beyond, who are unknowingly working as a collective to fill 
his shoes and extend that same spirit. His mission to education saw no 
horizon and will therefore see no end. He is also survived by his sons, 
Andrew at Jeffrey Taylor, his sisters Donna and Frances, his stepmother 
Lillian and all their respective partners. I humbly request that my 
colleagues join me in honoring Doc's storied service, as he joins his 
wife Eveline in this next chapter.

                          ____________________