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Meetings with Herbert Taylor |
| It was with great good fortune
that my wife. Ele, and I had an opportunity [actually two opportunities]
to meet and enjoy great conversations with PPRI Herb Taylor and his
wife, Gloria. I don’t remember the exact dates of those two meetings,
but they occurred sometime during the late 1970’s, or possibly the early
1980’s. At that time they would quietly visit the Dallas-Fort Worth area
to spend time with their granddaughter who lived in Dallas. My very good
friends, PDG Austin Watson and his wife, Millie, had met and become
friends with Herb and Gloria. On two such occasions PDG Austin hosted small dinner parties at the Petroleum Club in Dallas to honor Herb and Gloria. My wife and I were pleased and greatly honored to be included, along with [later to be DG] Vactor Stanford and his wife, Patsy, and PDG Doyle McKinney and his wife, Faye. There were two such gatherings at which my wife and I were grateful to be. Each of the dinners included just four couples, allowing for great inclusive conversations. Inevitably those talks included references to the Four-Way Test and its conception. My recollection is as follows: recalling his experience in taking over the Aluminum Company of America in its state of near bankruptcy, he told of putting $6,000 of his own money [mortgaged his home, I believe] to help the floundering company. As he sat at his desk one day, praying for guidance and wondering how he was going to proceed, he opened his ever-present Bible. He seemed uncertain whether it was by chance or purposefully that it opened at Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and his eye fell on Chapter 4, verses 8 & 9: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is honorable, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely, whatsoever is gracious, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.” From those words of the Scripture he wrote the Four-Way Test: “Of the things we think, say, or do: First, is it the TRUTH? Second, is it FAIR to all concerned? Third, will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Fourth,, will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?” The application of that test to the everyday business of the Aluminum Company of America was greatly responsible, he said, for the turnaround of that company’s fortunes. PDG Wallace Bailey District 5810, 1974-75 |
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