Willene Pulliam Taylor

Dr. Willene Pulliam Taylor Dr. Willene P. Taylor was born in Camphill, Alabama on October 20th, 1936 to Bozie and Cassie Pulliam. She often spoke of her home which was humble but rich in the Baptist faith. She was a woman of great intellectual strength and moral fortitude. She spoke softly and explicitly but had the gift of strong character combined with human understanding. She graduated from Laurel High School in Alexander City, Alabama at the age of 15. She taught at Anniston High school at the age of 19. Always a diligent student, she received honors and accolades during her school years. Dr. Taylor received an undergraduate degree in English from Alabama State University at the age of nineteen. She graduated with highest honors also while attending Alabama State she pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She enrolled in graduate school at the University of Madison, Wisconsin where she was awarded a Master of Arts degree in the field of English. At that time, on campus in Madison, she was recruited by the late Dr. Emmit Bashful to become a founding faculty member of the newly organized campus of Southern University in New Orleans. Due to limited housing facilities in New Orleans during that era, she boarded at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Addison Carey. During that period of time, she met Jesse Frederick Taylor, also on the faculty of SUNO and they married. Several years later, to their union was born their son, Darryl Kenyatta Taylor. She remained married until his death in 1999. Prior to Darryl's birth, Willene enrolled in the graduate program at Tulane University, becoming one of three students to be enrolled during a turbulent period of civil unrest. Her tenacity and intellectual fiber enabled her to matriculate successfully although she was assigned security service for her protection. As a result, she achieved the distinction of being the first African-American woman to receive a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Medieval Literature in 1967. Dr. Taylor's tenure at SUNO spanned forty-two years in combined professorial and leadership roles. She was an outstanding instructor to students enrolled in the English department classes. Over the years she was appointed to leadership roles as the Chairperson of the Humanities Division and Chair of the Department of English. She achieved the professorial rank of Professor of English based on her instructional excellence, professional publications and university service. An impeccable grammarian, Dr. Taylor loved her areas of expertise, namely Medieval, American and Afro-American Literature. She was nationally acclaimed for her review of the book, "Things Fall Apart" written by the African author Chinua Achebe. In addition, she is published in numerous articles in editions of the Journal of English. She was active in her professional organizations, attended annual meetings and made oral presentations of her writings. As a classroom instructor, she encouraged students to develop analytical skills through the writings of Shakespeare, Chaucer and other literary giants. She believed literature transcended lifelong learning and understanding. Dr. Taylor leaves to cherish her memories her son Darryl Kenyatta, her daughter-in- law, Bianca Noble Taylor, grandchildren Charles James and Tia Breishi of Avon, IN. Her sister Ruth Burton of Tennessee. In addition she will be remembered by her former students, advisees and colleagues.

Willene Pulliam Taylor

September 24, 2015