John Taylor was born at Thacher, where his father was a mathematics teacher. He graduated from the school in 1965 and went on to obtain a master's of science degree in nuclear engineering from Stanford. He served as a nuclear submarine officer and retired after 35 years as a systems analyst and manager at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. Taylor has authored or coauthored several books on New Mexico history, including Arcadia's Catholics Along the Rio Grande. This book about his alma mater contains more than 200 images that trace the history and traditions of The Thacher School from its founding to the present.