FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2006


Taylor to be inducted into National High School Hall of Fame

GAINESVILLE – Wayne Taylor, a former Miami area coach and athletic administrator, will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame at the National Federation of State High School Associations annual meeting at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort on June 29. Taylor will be the 10th Floridian to enter the Hall of Fame.

A student, husband, father, grandfather, teacher, coach and athletic administrator, Taylor has given much to interscholastic athletics over the last 40 years in the state of Florida. Taylor, who graduated from Elon College in North Carolina in 1959, began his coaching and teaching career at Newport News High School in Virginia.

In 1963, Taylor moved to Miami and spent 11 years at Miami Coral Park Senior High School as a teacher and coach, serving as athletic business manager, director of student activities and acting athletic director. Thereafter, he served 15 years as director of athletics at Miami Palmetto Senior High School before assuming duties as the director of athletics for Dade County Public Schools. From 1965-1991, Taylor directed many Greater Miami Athletic Conference contests and FHSAA district, regional and state tournaments in the sports of volleyball, football, basketball, wrestling, track & field, baseball, swimming, tennis, golf, soccer and softball. From 1991-94, Taylor was director of competition for the Miami Mega City Special Olympics that served more than 4,000 special athletes. He retired in 1994 and moved to Summerfield, Florida. Taylor was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

Taylor was one of the founding fathers of the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (FIAAA), serving on the 1977 organization committee. He has been on the FIAAA Board of Directors since 1978 and has served the organization as president-elect, president and past president.

In 1980-81 Taylor became the first athletic administrator from the FIAAA to serve on the Board of Directors of the Florida High School Activities Association. He received the FIAAA's National Recognition Award in 1982 and 1984, and, in 1986, was named the Athletic Administrator of the Year in Florida. Taylor was honored in 1997 by the FIAAA when he was presented with a Lifetime Membership.

Taylor is a charter member of the NIAAA and has been one of the organization's top leaders. He served on the NIAAA Board of Directors from 1985 to 1990, at one time serving as President. At the 1991 National Conference, he received the Award of Merit – the most prestigious award presented by the NIAAA – and a Lifetime Membership. He received the National Federation Citation for his contributions to interscholastic athletics in 1980 and has since been elected to a four-year term on the National Federation Athletic Directors Advisory Committee. Taylor also co-chaired the 1983 and 1996 National Conference and was the Host Committee Treasurer for the 1991 National Conference.

About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle and senior high schools.

Contact:
Laurel Ring
Communications Coordinator, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 350
lring@fhsaa.org