Lifetime Member Induction- William Taylor...

William (Wild Willie) Taylor, Southington Rotary Lifetime Member Inductee
(John Kennedy, Presenter)

I am proud have been selected to present Bill Taylor as a Lifetime Member of the Rotary Club of Southington. I feel a bit put out about being passed up for the John Mullett or Tom McKnerney gig, but we are all team players here and you do what you’re asked to do. S0 here we go….(some of the following was taken from sketchy notes of a Dolores Fanelli biographical interview with Mr. Taylor about one month ago. Any inaccuracies can be blamed on my reading of the notes)

Born and raised in the streets of New York City, Bill early on fell in with ruffians and the like, living out the rough and tumble West Side Story. In his teens, while running numbers for the Mob under the moniker “Willie the Tailor,” he actually served some ‘hard time’ at Attica.

Yet, being the complex guy that he is, Bill also loved to sing streetcorner harmony- accapella, forming Dion & the Belmonts with his buddy, Dion DiMucci. Yes, it’s Bill’s soaring background falcetto you hear on “Why Must I Be A Teenager in Love.” The album jacket shows a tall, skinny kid with a greased-back DA haircut, cigarette dangling from his scowling lips, looking something like a 50’s Kevin Mezzanotte.

And in the early 60’s, yes, it was Bill, who, while traveling and co-writing with a young poet-folksinger named Bob Dylan, whom Bill had met down in the Village coffeehouses while reciting his fiery ‘beat’ verses, urged a reluctant Dylan to ‘go-electric’ at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, telling him, ‘Bobby, trust me, they’ll love it!”

After winning the Heisman trophy at the University of Alabama and editing the Harvard Law Review, Bill decided it was time to focus on his real passion- banking. And bank he did…......bank, bank, bank, bank, bank......Even as he married his lovely and talented wife, Rita, and raised their two boys, Brian and Jeffrey, he continued to bank.....

It was at this point in his career, 1984, that Bill joined the Southington Rotary, garnering a solid 58% approval rating by the Club membership. He immediately made his mark, teaming with Tom McKnerney to pass legislation that every Club event be an open bar, even breakfast meetings. He rose through the chairs eventually becoming President in 1990, succeeding a true Rotary legend (whose name escapes me at the moment), using the campaign slogan ‘Hey, back off, it’s MY turn!’ Unfortunately, during his term as President, Bill hurt his back and, according to legend, was out of action for 6 YEARS! But, regardless, Bill left his mark on our Club:

During his reign, Bill focused on making education the primary focus of the Club, with scholarships increasing from $1,000 to $6,000.

In addition to serving as President, Bill was the voice of reason as the chair, for over six years, of the sometimes-stormy Gifts & Grants committee.

He also chaired the Scholarship Committee for two years.

He was a silky-smooth voice of the airwaves on Rotary Radio Days

and the deadpan sidekick to yours truly in some truly memorable (many would say, and have said, truly forgettable) Rotary skits and tributes.

Bill Taylor has been what a Rotarian should be- someone who works hard for the good of the Club, someone who has a vision of what can be done and needs to be done, and, most importantly, someone who has the character/intellect/leadership skills to make that vision reality.

I am honored to introduce one of the three new Lifetime Members of the Southington Rotary Club - my fellow Rotarian – and my friend – Bill Taylor.