Former Knox president appointed to Illinois State Museum Board

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s appointment to the Illinois State Museum Board is the man who was the head of Knox College for over a decade.

Over the last five years Roger Taylor has been splitting time between a rural Galesburg farm and teaching trial practice and pro bono work with Chicago Law Firm, Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

He believes his vast experience sitting on several boards including Knox College, Illinois Humanities and acting as a trustee with Historic Preservation Agency prepares him well.

He tells WGIL he’ll have to get further settled in the position before planning specifics for his time on the museum board, but his desire to promote the Dickson Mounds Museum branch is clear.

“I’m a native of Fulton County and one of the state museum’s principle facilities is the Dickson Mounds Museum which is located in Fulton County,” Taylor says.

In addition to being a branch of the Illinois State Museum, Dickson Mounds is also a National Historic Site.

Taylor will start immediately as a temporary appointment.

“It still waits confirmation by the Illinois Senate to be a permanent appointment,” Taylor says.

He retired from practicing law after 30 years but it hasn’t often looked like it.

“I was getting into my retirement and Knox College asked if I would be interim president of the college and that morphed into a ten year term,” Taylor says.

Taylor would be the only current member of the state museum board from West Central Illinois.

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