In Memoriam: Professor Emeritus Leonard “Len” Taylor

Electrical and Computer Engineering Emeritus Professor Leonard “Len” Taylor of Silver Spring, MD, passed away on December 9, 2019 at the age of 90.

Taylor was born in Brooklyn, NY on December 28, 1928. He graduated from Harvard University in 1951 with an A.B. in Physics. He received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from New Mexico State University in 1956 and 1960, respectively.

Taylor was a professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland from 1967-1996. He then was appointed Professor Emeritus and continued teaching well into his 80s.

Taylor received many awards during his career. He was a Fulbright Scholar and Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Among his achievements was the invention of the microwave scalpel.

He is the author of over 150 journal articles and conference papers, has had 48 funded research grants, contracts and projects, and holds six U.S. and 16 foreign patents. He has served as a consultant for the U.S. Navy, the National Institutes of Health, the Strategic Defense Initiative Program, and a number of private corporations. Prior to coming to Maryland, he held positions at Case-Western Reserve University, General Electric, White Sands Proving Ground, and Raytheon. He taught at the University of Madrid as a Fulbright Lecturer and at the National Polytechnic University of Mexico under a Ford Foundation program.

Taylor is survived by his wife, Lillian Taylor; daughters Robin Hershey and Allyn Taylor; sons-in-law David Hershey and Larry Kleinberg; and his beloved grandchildren, Josh, Dina and Sam Hershey, and Lauren Taylor. He was a professor, inventor, avid tennis player, and world traveler who was devoted to his family.

Published December 17, 2019