Austin Starke Taylor Jr. (July 2, 1922 – October 27, 2014) was mayor of

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, from 1983 to 1987, and a

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

investor.

Biography

Taylor was born on July 2, 1922, in

Paris, Texas Paris is a city and county seat of Lamar County, Texas, United States. Located in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods, the population of the city was 24,171 in 2020. History Present-day Lamar County was part of Red River ...

, in Lamar County to Austin Starke Taylor Sr. and Veryl Georgette Lamb. He married Delores Myrlee Burris, daughter of Clarke E. Burris on August 29, 1942, in

Durant, Oklahoma Durant () is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,589 in the 2020 census. It serves as the capital of the Choctaw Nation, and is the largest settlement on the reservation, ranking ahead of McAlester and Po ...

. They had three children: Austin Starke III, Janet Charlene, and Charles Claiborne. He and Mrs. Taylor divorced in 1973. He married Carolyn Wray Norman Markle on April 7, 1973, in Dallas. Starke Taylor graduated from Highland Park High School in 1939 where he was editor of the yearbook. In 1943 he graduated from

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

, at the time called Rice Institute. While there he was elected president of the sophomore class. He served in the Navy during World War II. His father, Starke Taylor Sr., was involved in buying and selling cotton and served a term as mayor of Highland Park. Stark Taylor Jr. joined his father's firm in 1946 and assumed control when is father retired in 1962. He sold the firm in 1982. He served on the Parks and Recreation Board under Jack Evans. He defeated City Councilman and former Mayor

Wes Wise Wes Wise (November 25, 1928 – December 9, 2022) was an American journalist and politician who served from 1971 to 1976 as a three-term mayor of Dallas, Texas. Early life and TV news career Wise was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on November 2 ...

in an election where he outspent the other candidate 10 to 1. In his 1985 re-election campaign, he defeated Max Goldblatt. Starke Taylor Jr., CEO, Taylor Investments was on the 2012 AT&T College Bowl Board. He was also president of the Cotton Council International.

Death

Taylor died at his home in Dallas on October 27, 2014.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Starke 1922 births 2014 deaths Businesspeople from Texas Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas) alumni Rice University alumni Mayors of Dallas People from Paris, Texas Texas Republicans United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century mayors of places in Texas