Samuel Harvey Taylor (October 3, 1807 – January 29, 1871) was an American educator and 6th Principal[a] of Phillips Academy Andover from 1837 to 1871, the longest to hold the office to date.

[4] From an early age he worked on his father's farm, but when he permanently injured himself after falling off a wagon, he began to grow an interest in books and pursuing an academic career.

[4] While at the Andover Theological Seminary, Taylor met the current principal of the neighboring Phillips Academy, Osgood Johnson.

Johnson had heard good things of Taylor from his Dartmouth professors and consequently urged him to accept a one-year assistant role at Phillips Academy in 1834,[5] which he did.

He considered candidates for admission, assessed and made decisions on disciplinary cases, and taught classes, all while managing other administrative duties.

He worked for three years after his appointment to update the curriculum, his solution in 1841 being in part a split of the student body into three classes: Senior, Middle, and Junior.

He received criticism from colleagues because the curriculum failed to prepare students for college entrance exams, but chose to ignore their demands.

"[12][13] In a lot ways, his teaching style and philosophy closely resembled that of Phillips Academy's first Principal, Eliphalet Pearson.

[16] A funeral service took place on February 2 in the large hall of the main school building[17] and was buried in the Phillips Academy Cemetery.

His skill in letters; his love for the wisdom of the ancients; his veneration for law, order, duty; his enterprising, vigilant and faithful life made him a man of mark.

On February 27, the senior class voted unanimously to publish a memorial of their late Principal, assigning a committee of five to conduct research and compile the volume: H. S. Van Duzer, C. F. Cutter, Charles Isham, C. F. Thwing, and F. C. S. Bartlett.