Horace Traylor, who served as president of Zion College in Chattanooga, Tennessee, died late last month in Miami. He was 90 years old.
Dr. Traylor graduated from Zion College in Chattanooga in 1953, becoming the first African American to earn a bachelor’s degree in the city. Dr. Traylor was the first African American to graduate from the University of Chattanooga in 1965 , when he earned a master’s degree in education. He served as president of Zion College from 1959 to 1964, when the institution was renamed Chattanooga City College. In 1969 Chattanooga City College and the University of Chattanooga merged to form the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Dr. Traylor was named vice chancellor of the new educational institution.
Steven Angle, the current chancellor of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, said that Dr. Tarylor’s “commitment to higher education paved the way for generations of young people and lifelong learners to experience the transformational impact of achieving a college degree. Our city and our university are better because of his leadership.”
Dr. Traylor joined the administration of Miami-Dade Community College in 1971 as president of the foundation and vice president for institutional advancement.
