Roger Taylor came to his current position through an unusual route. After graduating from Knox—where he met his wife Anne (Zweifel)—he served in the United States Navy (including a year in Vietnam), received a law degree from Northwestern University and practiced law in Chicago for 30 years with the firm of Kirkland & Ellis before retiring to his family farm south of Galesburg.

In September 2001, leaving his position as chairman of the Knox Board of Trustees, he agreed to serve temporarily as interim president. "Hire Roger" buttons began appearing on campus, and in February 2002, he was selected as Knox's 18th president.

Accessibility and enthusiasm have characterized Taylor's time at Knox. He moved his office from the corner of Old Main to a small hallway office. He and Anne—also a Northwestern educated lawyer, who serves as volunteer Pro Bono Counsel for Knox—regularly eat lunch with students in the cafeteria and make it a point to attend student performances and athletic events. Taylor stops prospective students visiting campus to introduce himself and extol the virtues of a Knox education.

Next to talking with students, Taylor says that his favorite activity is taking the current Knox story to other alumni. "I've lost track of how many alumni tell me that Knox changed their lives. There is an enormous reservoir of good will among our alumni. I want to tell my fellow alumni how Knox still changes lives."

Taylor has set three goals for his tenure as Knox's president: "Nurturing academic excellence—Strengthening institutional self-confidence—Charting a course toward financial impregnability." Taylor elaborates, "We need to build on our strong academic programs. We need to be less bashful in talking about Knox's excellent academic reputation and the accomplishments of Knox graduates. We need to persuade alumni of all ages that we —the alumni— have the responsibility to be good stewards so that Knox will continue to have the financial resources to flourish."