Kenneth Douglas Taylor, (October 5, 1934 – October 15, 2015) was a Canadian diplomat, educator and businessman, best known for his role in the 1979

covert Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

operation called the " Canadian Caper" when he was the Canadian ambassador to Iran. With the cooperation of the American Central Intelligence Agency, Taylor helped six Americans escape from Iran during the Iran hostage crisis by procuring

Canadian passport A Canadian passport (french: passeport canadien) is the passport issued to citizens of Canada. It enables the bearer to enter or re-enter Canada freely; travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitates the p ...

s for the Americans to deceive the Iranian Revolutionary guard by posing as a Canadian film crew scouting locations. Before the escape, the six Americans spent several weeks hiding in the homes of Taylor and another Canadian diplomat, John Sheardown. Taylor is portrayed by Gordon Pinsent in the Canadian 1981 television film, '' Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper'' which dramatizes the cover story for the operation. The later 2012 American film, ''

Argo In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of sour ...

'', focuses more on the CIA and Hollywood's role, with Taylor played by Canadian actor Victor Garber. After his death, '' The Washington Post'' described Taylor as the "main hero" of the Iran hostage escape "who orchestrated the entire process", quoting former president Jimmy Carter in doing so. In 1981, Taylor was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. Nonetheless, the significance of his role was downplayed in the film ''Argo''.

Early life and education

Taylor was born in Calgary, Alberta. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Victoria College at the University of Toronto and his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of California, Berkeley. He was a brother of the Sigma Chi fraternity and was later honoured with its highest award, Significant Sigma Chi.

Iran hostage crisis

Iranian students invaded the United States embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. During the riot, six Americans managed to escape. They hid for four days before reaching the Canadian embassy, where they met Taylor, who devised the plan to get them out of Iran safely. On January 20, 1981, as

was being sworn in as President, the remaining 52 American hostages were released by Iran into US custody, having spent 444 days in captivity. Taylor played a crucial role in providing intelligence on the hostage crisis to Canadian and American intelligence agencies. Reportedly, he helped scout out landing sites for the abortive Delta Force rescue attempt,

Operation Eagle Claw Operation Eagle Claw, known as Operation Tabas ( fa, عملیات طبس) in Iran, was a failed operation by the United States Armed Forces ordered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to attempt the rescue of 52 embassy staff held captive at the ...

. A made-for-TV movie of the events, '' Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper'', was produced in 1981. In 2012, Ben Affleck produced and starred in a movie titled ''

'', which is based on the book ''The Master of Disguise'' by Tony Mendez, a CIA agent involved in the incident. After the film was previewed at the

2012 Toronto International Film Festival The 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 6 and September 16, 2012. TIFF announced the films that were accepted on August 21, 2012. On its 37th edition the TIFF included a 2 ...

, criticism arose that the film unfairly minimized the participation of the Canadian government, and Taylor in particular, in the extraction operation. This included the addition to the film of several fictional events for dramatic reasons, as well as a postscript text indicating that the CIA let Taylor take the credit for political purposes, implying that he did not deserve the accolades he received. Affleck noted, "Because we say it's based on a true story, rather than this is a true story, we're allowed to take some dramatic license. There's a spirit of truth." However, Affleck did respond by changing the postscript text to read, "The involvement of the CIA complemented efforts of the Canadian embassy to free the six held in Tehran. To this day the story stands as an enduring model of international co-operation between governments." Historical news footage discussing Canada's role in the rescue was also added near the end of the film. Taylor himself said that the film was "fun, it's thrilling, it's pertinent, it's timely," but noted that "Canada was not merely standing around watching events take place. The CIA was a junior partner."

Later life and death

After returning from Iran, Taylor was appointed Canadian Consul-General to New York City. In 1980, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada along with his wife Pat and other Canadian personnel involved in the escape, and was also awarded the United States Congressional Gold Medal that same year. He also received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1980. He returned to the University of Toronto for several years as the

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of Victoria College. Taylor left the foreign service in 1984 and served as Senior Vice-President of Nabisco (RJR Nabisco after 1986) from 1984 to 1989. Taylor moved to the United States and resided in New York City until his death at the age of 81 on October 15, 2015. Taylor died at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, where he had been treated for Stage 4

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...

. Taylor's funeral service was held at

Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Timothy Eaton Memorial Church is a church located at 230 St. Clair Avenue West in Forest Hill, Toronto, Forest Hill, Toronto, Ontario. Originally Methodist Church, Canada, Methodist, since 1925, it has belonged to the United Church of Canada. The ...

in Toronto on October 27, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, his son, Douglas, and two grandchildren, Tristan and Kassia.

Notes and references

a. Taylor did not present credentials because of the Canadian government's decision to change residency and accreditation from Iran to Kuwait, with the opening of a Canadian Embassy in Kuwait.

External links

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Complete List of Posts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Kenneth Douglas 1934 births 2015 deaths Officers of the Order of Canada People from Calgary University of Toronto alumni Congressional Gold Medal recipients High Commissioners of Canada to Bermuda Ambassadors of Canada to Iran Ambassadors of Canada to Bahrain Ambassadors of Canada to Qatar Ambassadors of Canada to Oman Ambassadors of Canada to Kuwait Ambassadors of Canada to the United Arab Emirates Haas School of Business alumni Nabisco Iran hostage crisis