Margaret West Taylor ’39 grew up in a large family near Portland, Oregon. At Beaverton High School, she met a fellow student named Kenneth Taylor. She was smitten.

Ken and Margaret heard about Wheaton College—all the way across the country in Illinois—when a traveling student group (including Harv Chrouser) came to their church. Ken and his brother Doug decided to make the long trek. Margaret stayed closer to home, choosing to study home economics at Oregon State University. They corresponded, and Ken encouraged Margaret to come to Wheaton for her sophomore year. She acquiesced, assuming that their friendship would blossom into a full-blown romance. Unfortunately, Ken ignored Margaret, and she had a miserable year. She went back to OSU, wondering why she had followed Ken in the first place. He graduated in 1938, and she graduated from OSU in 1939.

Nonetheless, Ken and Margaret did eventually get engaged. In September 1940, Ken was getting ready to go to Dallas Seminary. He assumed they would get married when he finished there. Margaret had a better idea: “We can get married this week, then go to Dallas together!” So they did.

Over the next 16 years they would have 10 children, and Margaret put her home economics major to practical use. In the meantime, with almost no money, the Taylors started a little publishing company in their Wheaton home. Margaret worked alongside Ken as Tyndale House Publishers grew and flourished.

Ken and Margaret received the 2000 Alumni of the Year Award for Distinguished Service to Family.