Taylor, Frederick Winslow

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Taylor, Frederick Winslow (20 March 1856–21 March 1915), engineer and industrial manager, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Franklin Taylor, a lawyer, and Emily Winslow. Taylor’s parents, members of Quaker merchant families, were independently wealthy and devoted to the arts and philanthropy; their children had private tutors and attended exclusive schools. The Taylors’ contact with other wealthy Philadelphians included ties to the family of Edward W. Clark, the city’s most important investment banker. Frederick was particularly close to Clark’s son, Clarence M. Clark, who became his tennis partner (Taylor and Clark won the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association doubles championship in 1881), brother-in-law, and business adviser. Taylor’s later career as a management theorist and publicist was possible because of a fortune he made from Clark-inspired investments in West Virginia coal mines and other enterprises in the 1890s and afterward....