Robert Kinder Taylor was born in Evanston, Ill., in 1902. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry in June 1928. In the fall of that year, he entered the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas, and upon graduation in November 1929 was rated an airplane pilot and transferred to the Army Air Corps.
General Taylor's first assignment was with the Third Attack Group at Fort Crockett, Texas. He subsequently served successively at Randolph Field, Texas; Chanute Field, Ill.; the Panama Canal Zone; Lowry Field, Colo., and graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala.
During the early part of World War II, General Taylor served as chief of staff of the Air Force Technical Training Command in Denver, Colo., and then as deputy commander of the First Air Support Command at Morris Field, N.C. In October 1943 he served briefly with the Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Air Forces in England and then was assigned to Italy as chief of staff of the 15th Air Force. In June 1945 he was assigned to the 20th Air Force in the Pacific Theater.
Following the war, General Taylor served at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, and as commander of the San Antonio Air Materiel Area at Kelly Field, Texas. From January 1948 to November 1949 he was commanding general of the Mobile (Alabama) Air Materiel Area.
General Taylor then became director of intelligence of the European Command, with headquarters at Heidelberg, Germany. In April 1951 he was appointed commander of the Allied Air Forces Northern Europe, with station at Oslo, Norway.
In August 1952 General Taylor became chief of staff of the U.S. European Command, with headquarters at Frankfurt, Germany. A year later he was appointed commander of the Atlantic Division of Military Air Transport Service at Westover Air Force Base, Mass.
General Taylor has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal and Air Medal.
(Up to date as of Aug. 17, 1952)