Maxwell D. Taylor

Maxwell D. Taylor
Official portrait, c. 1956
Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board
In office February 29, 1968 – May 1, 1970
President	Lyndon B. Johnson Richard M. Nixon
Preceded by	Clark Clifford
Succeeded by	George Whelan Anderson Jr.
United States Ambassador to South Vietnam
In office July 14, 1964 – July 30, 1965
President	Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
Succeeded by	Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
In office October 1, 1962 – July 1, 1964
President	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Lyman Lemnitzer
Succeeded by	Earle Wheeler
Chief of Staff of the Army
In office June 30, 1955 – June 30, 1959
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Deputy	Williston B. Palmer Lyman Lemnitzer
Preceded by	Matthew Ridgway
Succeeded by	Lyman Lemnitzer
Commander of the United Nations Command
In office April 1, 1955 – June 5, 1955
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Deputy	Williston B. Palmer Lyman Lemnitzer
Preceded by	John E. Hull
Succeeded by	Lyman Lemnitzer
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Occupied Japan
In office April 1, 1955 – June 5, 1955
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	John E. Hull
Succeeded by	Lyman Lemnitzer
Superintendent of the United States Military Academy
In office September 4, 1945 – January 28, 1949
Preceded by	Francis Bowditch Wilby
Succeeded by	Bryant Moore
Personal details
Born	Maxwell Davenport Taylor (1901-08-26)August 26, 1901 Keytesville, Missouri, U.S.
Died	April 19, 1987(1987-04-19) (aged 85) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Education	United States Military Academy (BS) Metropolitan Community College, Missouri
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1922–1959 1961–1964
Rank	General
Unit	Engineer Branch Field Artillery Branch
Commands	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief of Staff of the United States Army United States Military Academy 101st Airborne Division 82nd Airborne Division Artillery 12th Field Artillery Battalion
Battles/wars	World War II Italian campaign Operation Husky Allied invasion of Italy Operation Overlord Battle of Normandy Battle of Carentan Operation Market Garden Battle of the Bulge Siege of Bastogne Occupation of Japan Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal (4) Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart

Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was a senior United States Army officer and diplomat of the mid-20th century.^[1] He served with distinction in World War II, most notably as commander of the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed "The Screaming Eagles."

After the war, he served as the fifth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, having been appointed by President John F. Kennedy. He is the father of biographer and historian John Maxwell Taylor and of military historian and author Thomas Happer Taylor.

A controversial figure, Taylor was considered, along with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, to have played a major role during the early days of the Vietnam War in the decision to deploy US combat troops to Vietnam and to escalate the conflict more generally.