Born in Henderson, Texas, Taylor earned a B.A. degree from Baylor University in 1933. He then entered the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, completing an M.Th. degree in 1936 and a D.Th. degree in 1939. Taylor served as pastor of the South Fort Worth Baptist Church until becoming a U.S. Army chaplain in September 1940. After his release from captivity in 1945, he was reassigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces in January 1946. Taylor became part of the new U.S. Air Force the following year.[2]