Biographical Note

James B. Taylor was a former president and CEO of Gates Learjet Corp. during the late 1980s.

Born in New York in 1921, James B. Taylor was a Navy test pilot, flight instructor, and carrier-based fighter pilot during World War II. After the war, he briefly flew a commercial DC-3 before moving into sales. A short time later in 1976, Taylor joined Canadair as a sales rep for the Canadair Challenger, formerly the LearStar 600. He left in 1985 to join Gates Learjet Corp. and replaced Bermar S. ″Bib″ Stillwell as president and CEO. Taylor left the company in 1988 after its sale to Integrated Resources. He formed his own consultancy company in Southport, Connecticut and remained active on various board until his death in January 2003.