Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo declared June 8, 2015, as Robert Robinson Taylor Day during a Wilmington City Council meeting Tuesday, June 2.
“Robert Robinson Taylor was a highly notable Wilmington resident born June 8, 1868, in Wilmington, North Carolina,” Saffo said. “In 1888, Robert Robinson Taylor enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, known as MIT. … Robert Robinson Taylor is believed to have been the first African American of record at MIT and the nation’s first academically trained black architect.”
Saffo continued to describe Taylor’s career.
“Robert Robinson Taylor was a distinguished architect and teacher for three decades. He retired in 1932 and returned back to Wilmington.”
Saffo also discussed Taylor’s impact on the Wilmington community as an advocate of public service and the vice chair of the Wilmington Interracial Commission.
“As mayor, I hereby declare June 8, 2015, as Robert Robinson Taylor Day and we honor his contributions to our city, our state and our nation,” Saffo said.
The United States Postal Service and Wilmington Housing Authority extended an open public invitation to a ceremony at the Wilmington Main Post Office on Front Street Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. to celebrate Taylor’s accomplishments. A stamp will be dedicated in his honor.
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