Jack C. Taylor

Jack Crawford Taylor
Jack Crawford Taylor
Born	Template:Birth date; St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	July 2, 2016 (aged 94); St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, businessman
Known for	Founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Jack Crawford Taylor (April 14, 1922 – July 2, 2016) was a prominent American entrepreneur and billionaire recognized for founding the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company. Additionally, he served as a fighter pilot in the United States Navy during World War II.

Early life and education

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Taylor was the older son of Melburne Martling Taylor and Dorothy Crawford Taylor. In 1940, he began studies at the Olin Business School of Washington University in St. Louis but soon left to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Throughout World War II, he flew an F6F Hellcat fighter from the decks of the and the , earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses along with the Navy Air Medal for his service.

Career

Following his military service, Taylor returned to St. Louis and initiated a delivery business. By 1948, he joined the Lindburg Cadillac dealership and rose to become sales manager. In 1957, together with Arthur R. Lindburg, his employer, he co-established a car leasing firm, investing $25,000 for a 25% share while accepting a 50% reduction in salary. The Executive Leasing Company began operations with seven vehicles, catering primarily to clients whose cars were undergoing repairs.

In 1969, Taylor broadened the company’s reach beyond St. Louis and renamed it Enterprise, inspired by the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier where he had served during WWII. Differentiating from competitors who focused on airport rentals, he targeted local markets by offering home pickup services—giving rise to Enterprise’s well-known slogan, "We'll Pick You Up." By 1980, the fleet expanded to 6,000 vehicles; by 1989, it had grown to 50,000 cars, prompting a rebranding to Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Revenue exceeded $1 billion in 1992 and doubled to over $2 billion by 1995. In 2007, Enterprise acquired both National Car Rental and Alamo Rent-A-Car. Today, his son Andrew C. Taylor serves as executive chairman.

Taylor’s guiding business principle was: "Take care of your customers and employees first, and profits will follow." Currently, his granddaughter Chrissy Taylor holds the position of CEO.

Philanthropy

Taylor was a generous benefactor to numerous institutions in St. Louis:

Donated $45 million to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, including support for the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute dedicated to green energy research.
Contributed $40 million to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Provided $30 million—the largest donation ever made to a U.S. botanical garden—to the Missouri Botanical Garden for global plant science initiatives.
Allocated $25 million to create the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis, aimed at assisting minority and economically disadvantaged students.
Gave $1 million to Ranken Technical College.
Directed $22 million toward ten charitable and educational groups supporting underserved youth in St. Louis.
Distributed $92.5 million among thirteen cultural organizations and charities primarily based in the St. Louis region.

Personal life

Taylor was married twice over his lifetime. In 1945, he wed Mary Ann MacCarthy; together they had two children: Andrew C. Taylor, current executive chairman of Enterprise, and Jo Ann Taylor, who oversees family philanthropic activities. After a prolonged separation, Taylor and Mary Ann divorced in 1977. He remarried Susan Orrison in 1979; their marriage ended in divorce in 2000. In 1978, Mary Ann married E. Desmond Lee, a notable businessman and philanthropist.

Taylor passed away on July 2, 2016, in St. Louis at the age of 94.

Honors

In 2021, the United States Naval Institute located in Annapolis dedicated its newly established conference facility in honor of Taylor.

External links