A onetime member of the Class of 2007 died unexpectedly this week, two years after he left the University at the end of his sophomore year.
Austin Taylor passed away at his home, University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt '96 said, but she could provide no details yesterday about the manner of his death except that it was "unexpected." As of last night, Taylor's parents had not yet decided how much information to release.
The Rev. David Kim — who heads the campus group Manna Christian Fellowship, of which Taylor was a member — said his memories of the deceased are uniformly positive. "He was a really sweet guy," Kim said. "I just have good things to say about Austin."
The 2004-05 campus directory lists Taylor's hometown as Springfield, Va., a Washington, D.C., suburb located just outside the Capital Beltway. Taylor's listed high school, Heidelberg American High School, is operated by the Department of Defense and located on a U.S. Army installation in southwest Germany.
A piece Taylor wrote for the February 2005 issue of "Revisions," Manna's monthly publication, describes an experience he had with a classmate as a sixth grader on a U.S. army base in Seoul, South Korea.
Taylor is listed as a prospective physics major on a department web page that dates to his sophomore year. But he appears to have left Princeton after the 2004-05 academic year, as he is not listed in the 2005-06 campus directory.
Chris Willis '07, who knew Taylor through Princeton's Anime-Manga club, remembered him as "quiet but sincere, very humble and earnestly devoted to bettering himself."
Taylor was president of the club during his sophomore year but quit late in his presidency to focus on schoolwork and join Manna, Willis said.
Cliatt said the University has no formal plans to hold a memorial, but she added that friends of Taylor are planning to remember him as a group. The University will "reach out to people who are believed to be friends [of Taylor] and offer them counseling," she added.
"We recognize that it often hits students pretty hard to be faced with the death of someone so young, especially if that person is a friend," she said.
Read More
Princeton awards 1,293 degrees to the Class of 2025 as speakers reference political headwinds
Maya MukherjeeReunions and graduation speakers referenced the tense political climate around higher education, adding urgent undertones — and sometimes overtones — to otherwise standard ceremonial speech fare.
Reunions and graduation speakers referenced the tense political climate around higher education, adding urgent undertones — and sometimes overtones — to otherwise standard ceremonial speech fare.
Joseph ’25 next Young Alumni Trustee in 21 percent turnout election
Vitus LarrieuGil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
Gil Joseph ’25 won the Young Alumni Trustee election, which saw 21 percent turnout. Joseph, Stephen Padlo ’25 and Ben Wachspress ’25 competed in the final round of elections after advancing from a notably large primary in April.
‘A brilliant young contemporary writer and a beautiful human being’: Remembering Lauren Blackburn ’26
Victoria Davies and Caitlyn TabladaBlackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”
Blackburn was found deceased by authorities on April 25, several days after he was reported missing. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is remembered by friends and mentors as a brilliant writer, voracious learner, and loving friend. A family obituary said he passed away after a “courageous battle with bipolar disorder.”