William L. Taylor facts for kids

William Lewis Taylor (born October 4, 1931 – died June 28, 2010) was an American lawyer. He was a big supporter of civil rights for African Americans. He helped write important laws that protected people's rights.

Growing Up and School

William Taylor grew up in Brooklyn, New York. As a Jewish teenager, he sometimes faced unfair treatment from neighbors. This helped him understand what it felt like to be treated differently.

He first saw unfair treatment against African Americans when he saw people bothering Jackie Robinson. Robinson was a famous baseball player who broke the baseball color line while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

College Days

Taylor went to Brooklyn College. He was the editor of the school newspaper. Once, he was suspended because he published an article. The article said a professor was not given a permanent job because of their political ideas.

Even though he had some trouble, Brooklyn College gave Taylor an honorary degree in 2001. The college president said Taylor showed what the school was all about.

Law School and Teaching

In 1954, Taylor earned his law degree from Yale Law School. Later, he taught law at several universities. These included Catholic University, Georgetown University, and Stanford Law School.

During the 1950s, Taylor was a contestant on a game show called Tic-Tac-Dough. He was very successful and won a lot of money. The show's producers offered him answers, but he always refused to cheat.

Working for Civil Rights

William Taylor spent most of his career fighting for civil rights. He wanted everyone to be treated fairly, no matter their race.

Early Legal Work

Taylor worked with Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. This group helped with civil rights cases after the Supreme Court made a big decision in 1954. This decision was called Brown v. Board of Education. It said that separate schools for different races were not fair.

In 1958, the school board in Little Rock, Arkansas tried to stop mixing schools. Taylor wrote a legal paper that convinced the court to keep the schools integrated.

Helping Write Important Laws

In the 1960s, Taylor worked for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. His research helped create very important laws:

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964: This law made it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
• The Voting Rights Act in 1965: This law protected the right of all citizens to vote.
• The Fair Housing Act of 1968: This law made it illegal to discriminate in housing.

He also helped create a plan in the 1980s to mix schools in St. Louis, Missouri. He helped avoid a court order by suggesting a program that allowed students to transfer between city and county schools. This plan was agreed upon by both school districts.

Fighting for Justice

Starting in 1982, Taylor was a leader at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. He helped update civil rights laws. He led a team of lawyers who wrote a report that criticized the government's views on civil rights.

He also helped stop Robert Bork from becoming a Supreme Court judge. Taylor's team studied everything Bork had said or written. This information helped convince the United States Senate not to approve Bork.

Education Reform

Taylor also helped write the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. This law aimed to improve education quality. It did this by checking how students performed on tests. Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said Taylor was a "huge champion" for making sure all students had a chance to succeed.

Personal Life

William Taylor lived in Washington, D.C.. He passed away on June 28, 2010, at age 78. He died from fluid in his lungs after an accidental fall.

He was married to Harriett Elaine Rosen, who passed away in 1997. Taylor was survived by his son, two daughters, and three grandchildren.

Taylor's important papers and records were given to the Library of Congress and The George Washington University.