[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO FRED TAYLOR

 Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity 
to recognize and honor an outstanding citizen of Mississippi. Mr. Fred 
Taylor of Oxford, MS has recently retired from the Board of Directors 
of First National Bank. Mr. Taylor and his wife of 70 years, Jewett, 
have served the Oxford and Lafayette County community for 45 years.
  Fred Taylor has a history of outstanding achievements that can be 
traced back to his high school days in Gallman, MS. Mr. Taylor was a 
standout in football, basketball, and baseball at Copiah-Lincoln 
Agricultural High School and, for his ability, was inducted into the 
Copiah-Lincoln Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. After high school Mr. 
Taylor attended Mississippi State University before transferring to 
Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, where he lettered in football 
and basketball and received a degree in economics.
  In his professional career, Mr. Taylor has spent time in a variety of 
jobs, from coaching high school football and basketball, to selling 
insurance, to operating his 600-acre cattle farm in Oxford, 
Mississippi. He has also served as the Commissioner for the Lafayette 
County Soil and Water Conservation District, Director of the State Soil 
and Water Conservation Commissioners, President of the Mississippi 
Cattlemen's Association, Director of the Oxford/Lafayette County 
Chamber of Commerce, and numerous other prestigious positions of public 
service.
  During these years, Mr. Taylor has been recognized numerous times by 
his colleagues and peers for excellence in his work and dedication to 
his community. In 1984 he was inducted into the Mississippi Agriculture 
and Forestry Museum Hall of Fame. He has also been the recipient of the 
Citizen of the Year Award given by the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of 
Commerce, as well as numerous agricultural, soil, and conservation 
awards.
  As I am sure you can see, Mr. Taylor has distinguished himself both 
personally and professionally, and he has been a valued asset to 
Mississippi. His record of service is not only a testament to his 
abilities, but also to the quality of his personal character. Oxford 
and Lafayette County have been well served by his commitment, guidance, 
and leadership and would not have been the same if it were not for his 
direction. It is for these reasons that I feel the need to pay tribute 
to him and to share his record of contributions to Mississippi with all 
of you here today.

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