Austin Edward George Taylor ’52

Austin Taylor died in Vancouver on Dec. 19, 1996, after an 18-month battle with prostate cancer. The only son of a mining, lumber, and oil magnate in Vancouver, he had returned for treatment to the city of his birth.

Austin's nickname was "Austintatious," referring to his physical size, 6'4" and 300 lbs. Perhaps it also reflected the awe in which he was held for turning McLeod Young Weir Ltd., a second-tier firm, into Scotia-McLeod Inc., a giant of Toronto's financial district. In a 1987 interview, Austin said, "I was an utter failure until I turned 40. I was filled with impatience, boredom, and greed...I was a disappointment to my family."

Having dropped out of Princeton and the U. of British Columbia, Austin drifted through several jobs. His energies were mobilized when he took over the Vancouver office of McLeod Young Weir in 1964. He became CEO in 1978, and from its Toronto headquarters established himself as the last of the great, charismatic leaders in the Canadian investment business, knowing all 2,300 employees by their first name. The firm was sold to the Bank of Nova Scotia in 1987, and, frustrated by its style of management, Austin took early retirement in 1993.

Austin is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Newbold Taylor, and daughters Michelle and Patricia. We offer them profound sympathy.

The Class of 1952