Robert A. Taylor is Professor Emeritus of History and former Dean of the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts at the Florida Institute of Technology. He received a Ph.D. in American History from the Florida State University in 1991. The author, co-author, co-editor or editor of eight books, Taylor's latest is a co-edition of THE GOVERNORS OF FLORIDA (2022), winner of the Florida Book Award for Florida Non-Fiction. He co-edited THIS WAR SO HORRIBLE: THE CIVIL WAR DIARY OF HIRAM SMITH WILLIAMS, which was a History Book Club Alternative election and a Lincoln Prize nominee. His articles and reviews have appeared in journals like JOURNAL OF AMERICAN HISTORY, JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY, SOUTHERN STUDIES, NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICA, Florida Humanities Council FORUM, and the FLORIDA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY. Taylor is also a graduate of the Military Instructor Course offered at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, and holds the 2022 U.S. Army Cadet Command's William E. DePuy Award.
Taylor is President Emeritus of the Florida Historical Society and has commented on Florida history and society for a number of years. He has published op-ed pieces in newspapers like FLORIDA TODAY and the ORLANDO SENTINEL and frequently comments on Florida issues in newspaper like the PALM BEACH POST and the WALL STREET JOURNAL as well as British and German television.
Professor Taylor resides in Malabar, Florida with his wife Virginia and a house full of pets.