En esta noticia
At 86, Hurl Taylor completed another college degree. In 2025, he finished a master’s degree in business for military veterans at Emory University and again became the oldest graduate in his class.
According to a university profile, Taylor served in the U.S. Army and was a Vietnam combat veteran. He described himself as semi-retired and said he wanted to use his new knowledge to help family and friends with small businesses.
His fourth Emory degree and a distinction he had already earned
The Goizueta Business School master’s degree was his fourth degree from Emory. His previous degrees were in law, earned in 1985, a master’s in litigation in 1986 and another in religion and public life in 2016.
That last degree had already made him the oldest graduate in his class. His academic record also included five graduate degrees from other institutions.
A path that linked the Army, law and community work
An earlier Emory story says Taylor spent 20 years in the Army. Toward the end of that period, in Heidelberg, Germany, he took part in prison visits for English-speaking inmates.
As president of a religious organization in the Army, he worked with inmates to write letters and keep in touch with their families.
He later built a career as a lawyer. His work with young people involved in the criminal justice system also led him to pursue religious training, as he wanted more tools to support them.
The challenge of learning technology and sharing classrooms with other veterans
In the business master’s program, one of his biggest challenges was technology. According to Emory, he had never owned a computer, and his classmates helped him improve his digital skills.
Studying with other veterans was one of the reasons he decided to return. Sharing military experiences made it easier to connect in the classroom.
His goal was to apply what he learned to practical tasks, from drawing up business plans to better understanding the legal requirements for small businesses.