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William James Taggart, Jr. '41

Feb. 4, 1920-Oct. 27, 2004

William James Taggart, Jr. ’41, a retired physician long dedicated to family practice, was born on February 4, 1920, to William J., a railroad conductor, and Amelia Augusta Bickhardt Taggart, a secretary, in New York City. Bill Taggart came to Hamilton in 1937 from Katonah (NY) High School and joined Psi Upsilon. When not pursuing his premedical studies he played varsity basketball and marched with the Band. Manager of the tennis team in his senior year, he was awarded his B.S. degree in 1941.

Bill Taggart proceeded to Cornell University’s Medical College in New York City and, with the country involved in World War II, took part as a medical student in the U.S. Army’s special training program. He obtained his M.D. from Cornell in 1944. In 1946, after interning at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn and serving a residency at Clifton Springs Clinic in the Rochester area, he went on active duty as an officer in the Army Medical Corps. He was released from military service as a captain in 1947, only to be recalled by the Army in 1951 for a brief tour of duty during the Korean War.

In the meantime, Bill Taggart had completed his residency in the Boston area, where he met Joan E. Mitchell, a pediatric nursing supervisor. They were married in Newton Center, MA, on November 6, 1948. The couple settled down in Wellesley Hills, where Dr. Taggart established his family practice. Over the next 26 years as a general practitioner, he devoted himself to his patients, putting in long hours each week. Arriving at his office only a few yards from his home at 7 each morning, he would hold calling hours between hospital visits and remain in his office often into the evening. A staunch advocate of family medicine, he also devoted much professional time as a director and committee chairman of the American Academy of General Practice and served as president of its Massachusetts chapter. In addition, he chaired and served on various committees of the Massachusetts Medical Society and as a member of the board of directors of Blue Shield of Massachusetts as well as the executive committee of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where he was a resident physician.

In 1974, Bill Taggart decided to ease up on his demanding schedule and leave Wellesley for what he thought would be a more tranquil life in Maine, a state he and Joan came to know and love because of their summer home in the Belgrade Lakes region. The Taggarts took up residence in nearby Waterville, where Bill signed up as an emergency room physician at Thayer Hospital. Before long he was working full-time in the emergency room and also involved in the merger of two large hospitals. He became director of emergency services for the resulting Mid-Maine Medical Center, which also included training advanced emergency medical technicians and paramedics. In addition, he taught in the Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency Program.

After 10 years in emergency care and six months as interim physician at Colby College, Bill Taggart retired in 1985. In the years that followed, he and Joan annually spent six months at their home overlooking China Lake in Maine, where he gardened, mowed, and golfed, and six months in Florida, golfing, biking, and playing tennis and bridge. Throughout the years, Bill Taggart, an ever loyal and generous supporter of Hamilton, served his alma mater as president of the Eastern New England Alumni Association and a member of the Alumni Council as well as reunion chairman and Annual Fund volunteer.

William J. Taggart, died on October 27, 2004, while residing in Ft. Myers, FL. Predeceased by his wife six months earlier, he is survived by their four sons, William J. III, Jeffrey M., Peter W., and Mark A. Taggart; a daughter, Sandra Schniepp; and 12 grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

Necrology Home

Note: Memorial biographies published prior to 2004 will not appear on this list.



Necrology Writer and Contact:
Christopher Wilkinson '68
Email: Chris.Wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu

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