At 12, Taube left his hometown and moved to Regina to attend Luther College where he completed high school.  After graduating, Taube stayed at Luther College and worked as laboratory assistant for Paul Liefeld, allowing him to take first year university classes.  Taube attended the University of Saskatchewan, receiving his BSc in 1935 and his MSc in 1937.  His thesis advisor at the University of Saskatchewan was John Spinks.  While at the University of Saskatchewan, Taube studied with Gerhard Herzberg, who would be awarded the 1971 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.  He moved to University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his PhD studies in 1940.  His PhD mentor was William C. Bray.  Taube's graduate research focused on the photodecomposition of chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide in solution.