New president from Washington named at Samford University March 10, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Trustees at Samford University have selected a college administrator from Washington state as the new president, the school announced Wednesday. Beck A. Taylor will take over at the school in suburban Birmingham on July 1. He will replace Andrew Westmoreland, who is retiring. Taylor, 51, has worked since 2010 as president of Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. He was dean of Samford’s business school for five years before that. The Baptist-affiliated Samford has an enrollment of about 5,700 students. Top Picks In Shopping