Frank Taylor, a fifth-generation tree farmer and advocate for family farms, will deliver the keynote address at Kentucky State University’s Commencement Convocation on May 9. The ceremony will take place at the William Exum Center, with events scheduled for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., honoring graduates from the university’s three academic colleges.
Taylor graduated from Kentucky State in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice after attending on a football scholarship. He later completed studies at East Mississippi School of Mortuary Science and the Small Farmers Leadership Institute. Taylor manages 585 acres of family land and timber in Louisville, Mississippi, reflecting what the university describes as values aligned with its mission as an 1890 land-grant institution—stewardship of land, service to others, and strengthening communities across generations.
For decades, Taylor has led efforts to support farmers and rural communities. Since 1997 he has served as president of the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative, an organization focused on helping landowners maintain farmland for future generations. He also leads Taylor’s Funeral Home in Louisville.
Taylor’s work has been recognized through several honors including the Lloyd Wright NRCS Leadership Award, induction into Alcorn State University’s School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Alumni Hall of Fame, and receiving the Vernon Dahmer Award from the Winston County NAACP. In addition to his professional roles, he is described as a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and member of New Galilean Baptist Church.
The university said that selecting Taylor as speaker highlights “the enduring connection between alumni achievement and institutional mission.” As Kentucky State marks its 137th Commencement Convocation this year, officials say his example offers graduates “a message rooted in hard work, stewardship, and service—values that have long defined the University.” Updates regarding commencement are ongoing.
