Spotlight
The Blount County Alumni Association is proud to recognize the outstanding contributions of Maryville College alumni and current students. Explore below to see some of their accomplishments!
TOM TAYLOR - CLASS OF 1970
Tom Taylor is a Maryville native who graduated from Maryville High School and received a BS and Honorary Doctorate from Maryville College. He did graduate work at the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Department of Ecology.
Tom is a former owner of Commercial Cutting Equipment, Inc., (1995-2017) a commercial lawn equipment dealership in Maryville. From 1974 until 2004, he was a partner in Drake Auto Parts along with other family members. From 1985 until 1992, he and his wife Nan founded and operated Morningside Inn restaurant, now RT Lodge in the former home of Maryville College presidents in the Maryville College woods. Currently, Tom works part-time as a substitute teacher for Maryville City Schools and as a sales associate for MowerWorx.
From 1971 through 1976, he held a faculty position in the Department of Biology at Maryville College and was Director of the National Park Service Youth Conservation Corps at Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. During his tenure as Director with the Youth Conservation Corps, the Great Smoky Mounts YCC at Tremont was the largest residential program in the nation, was selected to open the first co-ed residential program, was the first program in the nation to attain EEO goals for youth and staff, and was the first to offer YCC employment to disabled youth. From 1973-1976 he chaired the National Training Cadre of the YCC and worked with Southern Illinois University to create the national YCC education program entitled Acclimatization.
Active in Boy Scouts since his youth, he is an Eagle Scout and Silver Beaver as well as serving as a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster and Explorer Advisor. Both his sons are Eagle Scouts. Besides his tenure on the Tuckaleechee District Scout Committee and the Local Troop Committee, he is a member of the Executive board of the Great Smoky Mountains Council, BSA.
His special passion is the public library system, and he served as Chairman of the Blount County Board of Trustees during the building of the current Blount County Public Library. In addition, he chaired the Fort Loudoun Regional Library Board and chaired the State of Tennessee Advisory Council on Libraries. He is a life member of the Friends of the Library and was instrumental in creating the Foundation for the Blount County Public Library.
Ton serves on several state and local boards, but is particularly involved as one of the founders and current board chair of SMiles, a ride sharing program for seniors sponsored by the Blount County Community Action Agency.
Having served four terms on the Board of the Great Smoky Mountains Association, during his three years as chair, the Association planned and opened three new retail outlets, remodeled the Sugarlands Visitors Center in Gatlinburg, created an independent Board of Directors for the Tremont Center, and provided the initial funding for Discover Life in America while still tripling funding to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Tom currently focuses his attention toward public housing and affordable housing as Board Chair of the Maryville Housing Authority.