[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 146 (Thursday, November 15, 2012)] [Senate] [Pages S6849-S6850] TRIBUTE TO DR. TAYLOR W. LAWRENCE Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to Dr. Taylor Lawrence, Jr. who, on Friday, October 12, 2012, was honored as one of four ``Hometown Heroes'' at the City of Montevallo's 2nd Annual Mayor's Breakfast Honoring Hometown Heroes. Taylor, who grew up in Montevallo, AL, was the keynote speaker at the event and was honored along with former Montevallo Mayor Sharon Anderson, World War II veteran Grady Parker, and former University of Montevallo English professor Dr. Elizabeth ``Libbie'' Rodgers. He graduated first in his class from the California Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in physics and from Stanford University with a master's degree and doctorate, both in applied physics. Taylor has had an accomplished professional career in the defense field and has held positions as vice president of Raytheon's Engineering, Technology and Mission Assurance and a vice president and general manager for the C4ISR and Space Sensors division for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. He served as my staff director when I was chairman for the Select Committee on Intelligence and prior to that position, as the deputy director of the Information Systems Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Currently, Taylor serves as the president of Raytheon Company's Missile Systems business, the world's leading producer of weapons systems for the United States military as well as allied forces of more than 50 countries. In 1996, Taylor was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service due to his exemplary work in his field. He is a [[Page S6850]] former member of the Defense Science Board and vice chairman emeritus of the Air Force Studies Board of the National Academies, as well as a fellow at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Taylor is extremely bright, highly respected, and committed to excellence in his field. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him during his time as my staff director in the Senate, and am proud to represent a State that so many of today's professional leaders, Taylor included, also call home. I congratulate Taylor on his ``Hometown Hero'' award, and know that it was well-deserved. ____________________