Who Was Major Taylor?

"Life is too short for a man to hold bitterness in his heart."
Marshall W. "Major" Taylor

American bicycle racer Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor (1878-1932) was the world’s first black sports superstar. He was world cycling champion in 1899, American sprint champion in 1900, and set numerous track cycling records. Nicknamed “Major” in his youth in Indianapolis and later known as “the Worcester Whirlwind” after his adopted hometown in Massachusetts, he was the second African-American world champion in any sport (after Canadian-born bantamweight boxer George Dixon of Boston won his title in 1891). In the Jim Crow era of strict racial segregation, Taylor had to fight prejudice just to get on the starting line. He faced closed doors and open hostility with remarkable dignity. In his retirement he wrote his autobiography, “The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World.”

Worcester Whirlwind flier
(printer-friendly 1-page handout)

The following newspaper articles by Major Taylor Association board member Lynne Tolman originally appeared in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Champion cyclist beat Jim Crow

"Worcester Whirlwind" overcame bias

Major Taylor biography at a glance

Major Taylor's influence continues

League rights a wrong

The story behind the "Black vs. White" button
- A head-to-head bike race in 1898 was billed simply as "Black vs. White," but the reality for Major Taylor and Eddie McDuffee was more complicated.

"The Other Side"
- an 1894 letter to the editor from Major Taylor about the proposed "white only" membership rule for the League of American Wheelmen

The Value of Good Habits and Clean Living
- from "The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World," Major Taylor's autobiography

"The Early Years"
- Buck Peacock explores Major Taylor's namesake, his father's transition from slavery to freedom, his time with the Southard family, his first bicycle, and his possible appearance with Louis "Birdie" Munger at a very early age.

A Forgotten Hero
- an essay by Ken Kifer on Major Taylor's life

Neighborhood Fought Sports Hero's Residency
- Albert B. Southwick details one of Major Taylor's many struggles against prejudice.

Major Taylor was Much More than Just a Bicyclist
- Albert B. Southwick discusses Major Taylor's pioneering role as an African American athlete.

Cyclists Armstrong, Taylor Have Much in Common
- Albert B. Southwick compares cycling greats Major Taylor and Lance Armstrong.

"Only A Game,"
- National Public Radio's sports program broadcast a 13-minute segment on Major Taylor on Nov. 13, 1999. Click here to listen. Fast forward about a quarter of the way into the file to hear the Major Taylor segment. More stories: Major Taylor in Today's Media.

Books about Major Taylor