Rate My Professor Jon Taylor

Dr. Jon Taylor is a Professor of History and BA/BS Program Coordinator in the Department of History at the University of Central Missouri. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia, M.A. from Baylor University, B.S. from Southwest Baptist University, and A.A. from Bacone College. His research specializations include U.S. History from 1877 to 1945, Public History, Historic Preservation, and Missouri History. Taylor specializes in American/Public History and is recognized as a university expert on Harry Truman and Missouri History. He has served in his current position as Professor of History since 2004.

Dr. Taylor is the author of four books on the life, political career, and legacy of Harry S. Truman. These include A President, a Church and Trails West: Competing Histories in Independence (University of Missouri Press, 2008), Truman’s Grandview Farm (History Press, 2011), Freedom to Serve: Truman, Civil Rights, and EO 9981 (Routledge, 2012), and Harry Truman’s Independence: The Center of the World (History Press, 2013). Since 2021, he has served as the Founding Project Director for Historic Missouri, a free mobile app and website that provides access to information about important places, people, and stories unique to Missouri history. The project features sixteen tours written by University of Central Missouri faculty, students, and partners. From 2023 to 2024, Taylor acted as Lead Co-PI on the Veteran Voices from the Heartland project, a grant funded by the Veterans Administration. This initiative uncovered stories of Civil War and World War II veterans interred at specific cemeteries and delivered professional development sessions to secondary teachers on researching veterans' lives. Through his scholarly publications, leadership in public history projects, and expertise in key areas of American and Missouri history, Dr. Taylor contributes significantly to academic research and public engagement in historical preservation and education.