IN MEMORIAM: Frank W. Andrew

Resource, Nov 2004

ASAE Fellow Frank W. Andrew, P.E., 90, of Tucson, Ariz., died Sept. 26, 2004. He received bachelor degrees in both agriculture and engineering at the University of Illinois. He has been a member of ASAE for 57 years.

Andrew's inventiveness and creativity blossomed in the world of agricultural mechanization, rural electrification, and farmstead management. Notable achievements included his design and use of spiral farming technology. This technique allowed Andrew to use an automatic tractor guidance system. The automatic spiral farming allowed the tractor to run by itself. The automatic tractor and the spiral farming techniques he developed led to a patent for his automotive controls. He led efforts to bring electrification to the rural areas of Illinois. From 1940 to 1946 he also worked part-time in research and extension in electric farming applications for Public Service Company of Northern Illinois.

Andrew was also employed as a University of Illinois Farm Extension educator. A pilot, he logged over 200,000 miles as part of his agricultural engineering extension work to rural farmsteads. He retired from the University of Illinois Agricultural Engineering Department in 1972.

Survivors include his wife, Rose; a son Paul; and two grandsons.

Contributions may be made to the Northwestern Area Educational Foundation, 30953 Route 111, Palmyra, IL 62674, in memory of Frank W. and Rose S. Andrew Student Scholarship Memorial for education in agriculture, natural and renewable resources, aviation, and forestry and wildlife conservation and management.