Local business owner Charles Taylor, Jr. was honored Wednesday, May 11 at Catawba College as the recipient of the prestigious Adrian L. Shuford, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service.  The award was presented during the College’s annual President’s Circle Dinner, held to recognize the institution’s major donors, in the Cannon Student Center.
 
Approximately 300 people were in attendance as Catawba President Robert Knott presented the award to Taylor, citing his personal and corporate example of good citizenship and community responsibility.  The award is given each year to the individual who has played a major role in supporting the college and its programs through their time, talent and resources.  It was established in 1983 in honor of trustee emeritus Adrian L. Shuford, Jr. of Conover, who died in 2000.

Knott described Taylor as “a stalwart supporter of Catawba whose familial support has improved the campus over several decades.”   Thanks to in-kind donations of brick and other materials from Taylor Clay Products, Inc., the College has built brick gateways to mark the entrance to the campus proper on Innes Street, constructed exterior walls at Shuford Stadium, made improvements to Newman Park, and constructed the Hayes Field House on campus.

Similar donations of building materials have made possible other large construction projects in the Rowan County area, including those at Nazareth Children’s Home, the Salisbury YMCA, the South Rowan YMCA, and the Waterworks Visual Arts Center.

A native of Salisbury, Taylor runs the company founded by his late father, Charles D. Taylor, Sr.  He earned his degree in ceramic engineering from Clemson University and came back home to Salisbury where he married his wife, the former Prudy Goodman.  The couple has three adult children, C.D., Elizabeth, and Charlotte, and six grandchildren.

Taylor was a charter member of Catawba’s Board of Visitors, and is an active supporter of athletics and other events on campus.  The Taylor Concourse in Shuford Stadium is named in his honor.  He and his company were recognized by Catawba in 2002 with an Exemplary Life Service Award for contributions to Catawba and the greater Rowan County area.

Taylor is the twenty-fourth recipient of the Shuford Award.  Other recipients and the year in which they received the award include Dr. Theodore P. Leonard, 1983; Enoch A. Goodman, 1984; Clifford A. Peeler, 1985; James F. Hurley, 1986; Ralph W. Ketner, 1987; Elizabeth C. Stanback, 1988; Roy E. Leinbach, Jr., 1989; Frances H. Johnson, 1990; Patricia P. Rendleman, 1991; Mariam Cannon Hayes, 1992; Tom E. Smith, 1993; Claude S. Abernethy, Jr., 1994; Millard F. Wilson, 1995; Fred J. Stanback, Jr., 1996; Paul E. Fisher, 1997; Daniel E. Kirk, 1998; Mary O. Dearborn, 1999; Wilson L. Smith, 2000; Marion M. Richard, 2001; J. Fred and Bonnie Corriher, 2002; William C. Stanback, 2003; and Jacqueline C. Leonard, 2004.