Brothers Ronald Kent and John Kristopher Taylor shared a love of the outdoors and the Boilermakers. Known as “Kent and Kris,” their family honors the brothers’ close bond with a new endowment created for Purdue University Extension and Indiana 4-H, to inspire future generations of students with similar passions.
Kent received his bachelor’s degree in plant protection from the College of Agriculture in 1982. Along with being a nature enthusiast, he had a 40-year career in agricultural chemical sales, working for companies such as Bayer and Vive Crop Protection. He enjoyed traveling, talking to farmers and building client relationships.
We explored the world with Dad: hiking to the top of mountains, paddling across lakes, fishing, hunting and diving in the ocean. He taught us along the way, pausing to identify plants and animals and explaining the intricacies of each ecosystem.”
- April Taylor - daughter of Kent Taylor
Kris, who is also an alumnus of Purdue, received his bachelor’s degree in management from the Daniels School of Business in 1986. “We wanted to include our Uncle Kris in this endowment because he and our dad were like two peas in a pod,” shares Ashley Neuenschwander, Kent’s daughter. She continues, “They were like night and day in some respects, but the best of friends. They spent a lot of time outdoors together growing up and went on hunting and fishing trips every year.”
Their family’s gift creates the Ronald Kent and John Kristopher Taylor 4-H Endowment. Its purpose is to provide funding for Indiana 4-H programs and initiatives of strategic importance, particularly Mini 4-H and Nature of Teaching.
James Kristopher Taylor, Kent’s son, says, “To us, the Mini 4-H program is the perfect fit for their legacies. It also allows us to spread the joy of nature with children the way Dad shared it with us.”
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