The “Canadian caper” and brave diplomat, Kenneth Taylor

On my walk to the small but beautifully appointed chapel at the historic Necropolis Cemetery in Toronto, I stopped at the urn niche of diplomat Ken Taylor—whom Americans came to nickname the “Scarlet Pimpernel.”

The name references the fictional hero Sir Percy Blakeney, the Scarlet Pimpernel, who used disguises and secret identities to rescue people from danger during the French Revolution. Ken Taylor earned this moniker for his actions during the 1980 Iran hostage crisis, when he helped six American diplomats escape Tehran. Taylor provided them with forged Canadian passports and a meticulously crafted cover story, presenting them as a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a fictitious movie titled Argo.

This extraordinary act of courage later inspired the film Argo, starring Ben Affleck, with Canadian actor Victor Garber portraying Ken Taylor.

Taylor was honoured for this daring endeavour in numerous ways. In 1981, he received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal—the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. Congress—becoming the first foreign citizen ever to receive the honour. He was also made an Officer of the Order of Canada and later served as Chancellor of Victoria College at the University of Toronto.

Kenneth Douglas Taylor died in New York City on October 15, 2015. He was 81.