Fifth-generation tree farmer and family farm champion reflects the University’s land-grant mission

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A life marked by service, stewardship, and impact will take center stage at Kentucky State University’s May 9 Commencement Convocation, as alumnus Frank Taylor returns to address the Class of 2026.

Kentucky State will hold its 2026 Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 9, at the William Exum Center, with ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. honoring graduates across the University’s three academic colleges.

Taylor, a 1980 graduate of Kentucky State, attended the University on a football scholarship and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He later graduated from East Mississippi School of Mortuary Science and completed the Small Farmers Leadership Institute, adding to a life shaped by leadership, entrepreneurship, and service.

A fifth-generation tree farmer based in Louisville, Mississippi, Taylor manages 585 acres of family land and timber. His life and work reflect values that align naturally with Kentucky State’s identity as the Commonwealth’s 1890 land-grant university — stewardship of the land, service to others, and a commitment to strengthening communities across generations.

For decades, Taylor has also been a strong advocate for 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 land and farmland for future generations. He also leads Taylor’s Funeral Home, reflecting a career that has joined agricultural leadership with longstanding service to families and community.

His contributions have been recognized through 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 the Vernon Dahmer Award from the Winston County NAACP. Beyond his professional and civic leadership, Taylor is a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and member of New Galilean Baptist Church.

As Kentucky State prepares to celebrate its 137th Commencement Convocation, Taylor’s selection underscores the enduring connection between alumni achievement and institutional mission. His example offers graduates a message rooted in hard work, stewardship, and service — values that have long defined the University and continue to shape the leaders it sends into the world.

Updates to the Commencement page are ongoing. For more information about the Kentucky State 2026 Commencement, click here.