CONNECTED spoke to 1959 graduate, Alan Taylor, as he shared some of his memorable life moments – from Arctic expeditions, to career highlights at NASA, to flying Spitfires at 86 years old.
When Alan joined the University of Reading in 1956, he could hardly have imagined the extraordinary path his career, and life, would take. With dreams of pursuing a PhD, life had other plans in mind.
Rich experiences
Alan remembered: “I have so many fond memories, such as when I was selected to lead the Reading University Arctic Expedition in 1958.
“I was part of the Reading Exploration Society and the 1958 expedition was to Iceland. There was an informal society discussion, at which I wasn’t present and where my appointment as leader was made without my knowledge!”
News of the expedition soon reached Sir John Wolfenden, the Vice-Chancellor at the time, who requested to meet with Alan ahead of the trip. Alan said: “I suppose he wanted to ensure that we upheld the good name of the University. I remember sitting to the side of his desk and I could see that the bottom right hand drawer was open and contained a cushion.
“He kicked off his shoes and rested his feet on the cushion as we discussed the expedition, which I wasn’t expecting”
The expedition was filled with unforgettable moments. “Our truck from Reykjavik to Kalfafell got jammed on a narrow bridge,” Alan recalled. “We had to climb out of the window, onto the outside of the bridge, traverse about ten feet, then climb back on the bridge in order to get to the back of the truck to push it and set it free.”
After the Arctic exploration, Alan’s interests turned to the exploration of deserts. This included trips to Iran, Oman, Yemen, Egypt and Jordan, to look for sites of archaeological interest. He remembered: “The most notable trip was a repeat of Lawrence of Arabia’s journey across northern Arabia which took 12 days by camel.
“The trip certainly had its memories. From becoming dangerously dehydrated in Iran to travelling for up to 12 hours a day on a camel. They are amazingly sure-footed creatures, which I discovered while guiding them down a cliff face.”
During his time at Reading, Alan also earned Colours in Fencing and joined in on the traditional St. Patrick’s Hall RAGs, celebrations, and formal dinners. He also found himself on the rumour mill once or twice. He explained: “I always wore a white tracksuit for fencing matches. After one competition a bunch of us were invited into St George’s for tea. By 8pm everyone except me had left, but I stayed chatting until well after hours, about 11.30pm. I left by the downstairs toilet window but was seen!
“Gossip soon flew around the University that I had been seen leaving St George’s in the middle of the night in my pyjamas.”
Thrust into leadership
After graduating Alan’s career quickly took off. By 1960, he was working for the Ministry of Aviation, developing materials for use in rockets. He recalled:
“I visited NASA and saw my material being used on the Apollo spacecraft.”
After the civil service, Alan joined American chemical business, W. R. Grace and Co, in 1963 where he took on the role of department head at a new research centre near Cambridge. Alan’s early career was marked by moments of rapid learning and unexpected responsibility. “One of the most memorable experiences was when I was sent with one day’s notice to a petrochemical plant in South Wales. It required very fast learning on my part,” he recalled.
Alan took over the operation – for six weeks, he and his assistant worked around the clock, testing his resilience but also proving his capabilities.
Over the next few years, Alan’s reputation and expertise grew as the only trained microbiologist in a chemical company with 40,000 employees. He shared: “I solved a major sewage problem in both the UK and USA using my microbiology knowledge. This brought my ‘biological’ expertise to the notice of senior management in New York and I was given the responsibility of obtaining government approval for the company’s food products in the UK, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Poland, CSSR, and Bulgaria.”
By 1972, Alan had been appointed Managing Director of Baxenden Chemicals, a small company with just 60 employees. Under Alan’s 26-year leadership, it grew to 1,000 employees with three factories in the UK, one in Denmark and one in France.
A return to academia
After retirement, at the age of 60, he returned to academia to pursue the PhD he had always dreamed of. His PhD research led to ten published papers, lecturing in Greece and Sweden and completing an MSc in Bioinformatics at 65.
Today, Alan enjoys a well-earned retirement, filled with gardening and the satisfaction of a career well-lived. Of course, he still has a thirst for exploration and on his 86th birthday took to the skies in a Spitfire. Alan said:
“Flying a Spitfire over the hills of Lancashire was a dream fulfilled.”
To those embarking on their scientific journey he advised: “As a scientist, never stop asking yourself ‘why?’ and ‘what if?’
Do you have memories you’d like to share? Share your story with us by emailing us at: alumni@reading.ac.uk
