Melvin “Mully” Taylor

Compiled by Jacinda Marquis, UWSP, 2024

Biographical Summary

Melvin “Mully” Taylor

(1903-1984)

Taylor was born in Merrill Wisconsin, and his father was a river log driver. His first job was as a newsman in Chicago and later took a position with the Merrill Herald as advertising manager. The Wisconsin Vally paper mills had a short supply of pulpwood, and Taylor was asked to publicize the North Central Wisconsin Pulpwood-Roundup by a local mill representative. This was part of a national war effort, and it connected timber cutting to patriotism and profit.

Mully Taylor promoted and launched reforestation experiments with the goal of evolving his research into a center for education.

Trees for Tomorrow

At the time no one thought they could persuade people to plant trees as they were being cut, which would establish sustainable raw materials and future income. The solution was Trees for Tomorrow, which was launched in 1944 as a nonprofit organization to encourage reforestation. Mully Taylor served as the executive director for 31 years and supported numerous conservation projects.

Trees for Tomorrow originally worked with kids that planted trees in the Rhinelander school forest and on Boy Scout land. Within the first 20 years they had successfully planted 15 million trees on private and public land. The organization expanded to provide forest management plans and other services for 39 counties in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan.

The education component of Trees for Tomorrow developed in Eagle River at a former US Forest Service training facility. The workshop created for educators that took the “learning through doing approach” was so successful that the organization was able to lease the camp for a permanent education center starting in 1946. Mully Taylor was instrumental in encouraging others to work together for the common good. Currently, the camp has many partnerships with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, University of Wisconsin System, state department of Public Instruction, Soil Conservation Service, and other paper mills and corporations.

 

UWSP Archives

The Nelis R. Kampenga University Archives and Area Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has fully digitized this portion of the collection, which is described in the folder list below, and the original documents returned to Trees for Tomorrow. For access to the collection please contact the archives at 715-346-2586 or email archives@uwsp.edu.

Collection 104 – Forest History Association of Wisconsin

Box 1

1            Box 1 folder 1: Mailing List/Anniversary booklet/ speakers

2            Reservations of members and guests

3            The story of Trees for tomorrow

4            Invitation list + letters for the 20th anniversary

5            Anniversary celebration May 22nd 1964

6            Recognition Scrolls- presented by D.B. Smith

7            Guidelines, timetable arrangements

8            Correspondence with newsmen

9            List of Rhinelander students who participated in 1944 planting

10          Congratulatory letters and comments

11          The first 20 years of Trees for Tomorrow Booklet

12          Letters of appreciation + proclamation by Gov. Reynolds

13          Copies of talks

14          Interview with John Baker, Erest Swift, Herman Smith

15          Proposal 20th anniversary

16          Booklet requests and distribution for program

17          Meeting of planning committee in Wausau

Box 2

1            Correspondence Preliminary and subsequent planning for anniversary booklet

2            Anniversary planning meeting at port Edwards 1963

3            Progress report to members on plans for 20th anniversary meeting

4            Photocopies of 1944 Rheinlander school forest dedication and reforestation

5            Story: Pulpwood goes to war

6            Binder 1 folder 1: History of Trees for Tomorrow

7            Articles and Interviews

8            TFT Archives

9            Trees history Archives

10          Mully Taylor records

Box 3

1            Binder 2 folder 1: Fund for Tomorrow campaign

2            Fundng information 1977-1979

3            Binder 3 folder 1: TFT Supplement to minute book – reports and agendas

4            Supplement to minute book

5            14th annual report

Box 4

1            Binder 4 folder 1: Program planning 1965 records

2            Program planning records

3            Binder 5 folder 1: Trees for Tomorrow files

4            T.V. movie 20th anniversary

5            Meeting of executives committee in Kaukauna

6            20th anniversary letters

7            T.V. documentary

 

Additional Resources

https://www.wisaf.org/wisconsin-forestry-hall-of-fame/1985-m-n-mully-taylor/

Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame: https://wchf.org/melvin-mully-taylor/

Trees for Tomorrow: https://treesfortomorrow.com/History/

Biography:  https://wchf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/TaylorBio.pdf

Mully Taylor Day: https://wchf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Taylor-Legislative-Citation-Mully-Taylor-Day.pdf