Ronald Taylor
KNOXVILLE - Ronald E. Taylor, Ph.D., passed away at home in Knoxville on September 11, 2023. He was a devoted scholar, teacher, mentor, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Dr. Taylor was born in Camden, SC, on July 31, 1948, to Earl Franklin Taylor and Mae Valentine Taylor. The fourth of five children, he spent his early years in the Altan community of Union County, NC. After graduating from Parkwood High School in Monroe, NC, he received an AB in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MS and PhD in advertising from the University of Illinois. While earning his doctorate, he also taught advertising at Parkland College in Champaign, IL.
Dr. Taylor came to the University of Tennessee in January of 1984. Although he was new to East Tennessee, his mother’s family had roots in Sevier and Cocke counties that stretched back to the 1700s. At UT, he was the head of the Department of Advertising, where he built a nationally recognized program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. During his tenure, the department was rated by US News and World Report as one of the top 8 advertising graduate programs in the country. After a reorganization of the college, he served as the director of the School of Advertising and Public Relations until 2011.
Dr. Taylor was an active member of the American Academy of Advertising, where he served as secretary. In 2013, he was awarded the Academy’s Charles H. Sandage Award for Teaching Excellence, an award that recognizes outstanding contributions to advertising education. An ardent supporter and advocate for his faculty members and students all over the world, he was known for his imposing presence and warm heart.
As a researcher, he was a champion of qualitative research and a recognized leader in the area of advertising message strategy. He is best known for his “Six Segment Strategy Wheel” conceptualization, which he published in the Journal of Advertising Research in 1999.
During his time at UT, he also conducted research on French advertising and lectured at the Sorbonne in Paris. When he retired from UT in 2018, he was named a Professor Emeritus.
While his love for education was strong, his love for his family was even stronger. He is preceded in death by his parents; sister, Margaret Taylor Melton; brother, Dan Erskin Taylor; nephew, Richard Wallace; and brothers-in-law, Eddie Long and Alan Senter. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Maurine Pacenta Taylor; daughter, Abigail Taylor-Sansom; son-in-law, Rockford Sansom; granddaughter, Mae Sansom; sisters, Frankie Taylor Long and Dorothy Taylor-Senter; and several nephews and nieces.
He was a member of Graystone Presbyterian Church in Knoxville and served several times as an Elder.
An avid walker, he would log up to eight miles per day at Sam Duff Memorial Park and other local parks. Having grown up in North Carolina, his heart never strayed far from his roots, and he loved the mountains, the beach, and Carolina apples.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM at Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike, Knoxville, TN 37920. A memorial service will begin at 2:00 PM, officiated by Reverend Dr. Leslie D. Rust. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.berryfuneralhome.com for the Taylor family.