To the Editor:
This letter is to show my wholehearted support of Jim and Dinah Taylor with respect to the lawsuit they have been forced to file against the University of the Cumberlands.
My family has a long history with UC going back to when my father and grandfather attended Cumberland College. Under the 35-year leadership of Dr. Jim Taylor, my husband Luther and I watched UC grow from a small 2-year college into a thriving 4-year university.
We have witnessed the transformation of the campus, the expanding curriculum and the growth of student projects like Mountain Outreach that has built 147 houses since 1982.
We have seen students from our economically deprived area of eastern KY graduate from UC and achieve goals even they thought impossible.
We have proudly contributed to UC knowing that under the leadership of Dr. Taylor and his esteemed staff that the goals he set would be consummated.
Jim and Dinah Taylor’s altruism has extended far beyond the UC campus. Their bereavement work since their only child Jim died in 1991 has touched thousands of families across the country. For 35 years they have given tirelessly to both the UC and bereavement communities. To think their retirement hangs in the balance of an administration unwilling to abide by a legitimate contract is unconscionable.
Rosemary C. Smith
Beattyville, KY
