Former longtime Quad Cities newspaper publisher, and community and industry leader Gerald J. “Jerry” Taylor died on Thursday, Dec. 8, after a battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma.
Mr. Taylor, 74, retired in 2017 after 44 years of leading the then Dispatch-Argus-QCOnline.com.
A consummate family man, he leaves behind his wife, Martha, six children, 17 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
The Taylor family was well known in the community and Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were tireless champions of a number of causes and organizations, such as the Quad City Music Guild.
The Taylors, who met on a multi-high school United Nations trip in 1966, were married for 57 years.
Mr. Taylor began his newspaper career as a copy boy and later police reporter for the Salt Lake City (Utah) Tribune. After being drafted and serving in Vietnam, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star in 1971, he joined the Associated Press in Chicago before returning to Salt Lake as city editor.
He was hired in 1975 by the Illinois-based Small Newspaper Group (SNG) as city editor of the Moline Dispatch and was eventually promoted to managing editor, general manager and then editor and publisher of The Dispatch-Argus.
During his tenure, SNG bought the Rock Island Argus. The two papers operated separately for several years, before eventually merging. Mr. Taylor also led modernization of the publications. Under his direction, the papers added a Sunday edition, moved from afternoon to morning publication, were among the first in the nation to post stories on a digital bulletin board and, significantly, launched QCOnline.com, the Quad Cities region’s first online newspaper website. He retired in 2017 when SNG sold the news operation to Davenport-based newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises.
Mr. Taylor also was an innovative media industry leader. On Aug. 11, 2022, he was honored by the Illinois Press Association with the IPA’s Distinguished Service Award for significant contributions to journalism.
He was, as former IPA Executive Director Dave Bennet, once said “a crusader for protecting First Amendment rights and he was personally involved with all the legislative battles that made IPA a successful lobbying force during his tenure.”
The wins included putting teeth in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), creation of the Public Access Counselor in the Attorney General’s office, and establishing the “verbatim records” provision in the Open Meetings Act (OMA) requiring closed meetings to be taped.
Also a leader in the community, Mr. Taylor was named Moline Rotarian of the Year in 2017 and championed many Quad Cities organizations and causes.
His efforts included leading the multi-million restoration of Moline’s historic Prospect Park. Doug House, who at the time was Moline’s public works director, told the QCBJ in August, “I was the project manager and it would have been impossible to do without Jerry’s leadership and his commitment to serving his community.”
Mr. Taylor also helped lead critical business organizations including the former Illinois Quad Cities Chamber and he promoted fledgling community development organizations including Renew Moline and Renaissance Rock Island, which became essential for growing the Quad Cities.
In an August interview with the QCBJ, Paul Mulcahey, former Rock Island County Board chair, called Mr. Taylor “a tireless supporter of the Quad Cities region” economic development and the region.
“As much as he was dedicated to journalism, his strongest commitment was always to his family and his faith,” he added. “He and Martha are a couple that all of us admire because of their commitment to one another and to their children.”
