Biographical note

Sherwood Searle DeForest was born September 20, 1921 in Ames, Iowa to Frank Ray and Maude Searle DeForest. He received his B.S. (1943) and his M.S. (1947) in agricultural engineering from Iowa State University.

DeForest joined the Army Air Corps, as a First Lieutenant (1942-1946) where he trained to be an engineering officer in charge of aircraft maintenance and a flight engineer on B-29 bombers. He became an Extension Agricultural Engineer (1947-1952) at Iowa State College (University), where he specialized in rural electrification and farm structures. DeForest left Iowa State to join the staff of Successful Farming magazine, as Engineering Editor (1952-1959). He also worked for the Agricultural Marketing department (1954-1977) of US Steel (USX) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and held the positions of Marketing Representative and Manager Marketing – Agricultural Equipment. After he retired from US Steel, DeForest started his own consulting service, DeForest Agri-Services (1977-1999). In addition, DeForest ran a farm (1960-1995) in Fredonia, Pennsylvania and was Vice President of Walt Montgomery Associates (1977-1997).

DeForest is a member of several professional and honor societies including Sigma Delta Chi, Society of Professional Journalists, Society for Engineering in Agricultural, Food and Biological Systems, and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE)(President, 1975-1976; Fellow, 1977). He also received the ASAE Metal Buildings Manufacturers Award (1964). In addition, he holds three patents.

DeForest married Virginia Mary Flynn on June 20, 1947. They have four children: David, Debra, Denise, and Kimberly.

 

Collection description

This collection (1966-2005) consists mostly of documents concerning DeForest’s tenure as President (1975-1976) of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, including committee information and correspondence with many other groups and committees such as the American Society for Engineering Education, Engineers Council for Professional Development, Association for Cooperation in Engineering, and the National Academy of Engineering. The collection also includes a small amount of biographical information. In addition, there are memories of J.B. Davidson (Head,1905-1915, 1919-1946, Department of Agricultural Enginneering, Iowa State University) that DeForest collected to present at the 2005 ASAE Annual International Meeting.

Organization

The collection is arranged with biographical information in front and alphabetically thereafter. 

1

1

Biographical information – vita, biography, and news clippings

1975-2004

1

2

ASAE – Ad Hoc Committee, Nominating Procedures and Structure - correspondence

1976

1

3

ASAE – Ad Hoc Committee, Programs for Managers – correspondence

1975-1976

1

4

ASAE – Administrative Council – correspondence

1974-1977

1

5

ASAE – American Association for the Advancement of Science – correspondence

1975-1976

7

6

ASAE – American Society for Engineering Education – newsletters

1975

1

6

ASAE – appointments to committees – correspondence

1974-1976

1

7 - 9

ASAE – Association for Cooperation in Engineering – correspondence

1975-1977

1

10

ASAE – Butt, J.L. – correspondence

1975-1976

1

11

ASAE – Congressional Fellowship Program – correspondence

1974-1975

2

1

ASAE – continuing education – correspondence

1975-1976

2

2

ASAE – Department Chair Committee

1975

2

3

ASAE – editorial board – correspondence

1973-1975

2

4

ASAE – editorials – correspondence

1975-1976

2

5

ASAE – Engineers Council for Professional Development – correspondence

1975-1977

7

7 – 8

ASAE – Engineers Joint Council – correspondence and meeting minutes

1976

2

6 - 7

ASAE – Executive Committee Board of Directors – correspondence

1976-1977

2

8

ASAE – Farm and Industrial Equipment Institute – correspondence

1975

2

9

ASAE – Finance Committee – correspondence

1974-1976

2

10

ASAE – Forward Planning Committee – correspondence

1974

2

11

ASAE – general correspondence (1 of 4)

1974-1976

3

1

ASAE – general correspondence (2 of 4)

1974-1976

3

2

ASAE – general correspondence (3 of 4)

1974-1976

3

3

ASAE – general correspondence (4 of 4)

1974-1976

3

4

ASAE – geographic area program meeting – correspondence

1975-1976

3

5 - 6

ASAE – Government Affairs Committee – correspondence

1975-1977

3

7

ASAE – historic landmarks  - correspondence

1975

4

1 - 2

ASAE – International Congress of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR) – correspondence

1966-1975

7

10

ASAE – International Congress on Engineering and Food – correspondence and proposal

1976

4

3 - 4

ASAE – International Relations Committee

1974-1977

7

9

ASAE – League for International Food Education – correspondence and newsletter

1975

4

5

ASAE – Meetings Committee – correspondence

1974-1975

4

6

ASAE – National Academy of Engineering – correspondence

1976-1978

4

7

ASAE – National Council of Engineering Examiners – correspondence and yearbook

1974

4

8

ASAE – National Research Council – correspondence

1975-1976

4

9

ASAE – National Society of Professional Engineers – correspondence (1 of 2)

1973-1976

5

1

ASAE – National Society of Professional Engineers – correspondence (2 of 2)

1973-1976

5

2 - 4

ASAE – Polish Exchange Program – correspondence

1974-1977

5

5 - 7

ASAE – President Elect – correspondence as

1975

5

8

ASAE – President Elect – correspondence as

1976

6

1

ASAE – Public Relations Committee – correspondence

1975-1976

6

2

ASAE – publications – correspondence

1974-1796

6

3

ASAE – recruitment – correspondence

1975

6

4 - 5

ASAE – Regional Council – correspondence

1974-1976

6

6

ASAE – report, “Heritage and Horizons in Agricultural Engineering”

1976

6

7

ASAE – special editorial about ASAE – correspondence

1975-1976

6

8 - 9

ASAE – standards

1975-1976

7

1

ASAE – student programs – correspondence

1975-1976

7

2 - 3

ASAE – talks – correspondence and typescripts

1975-1976

7

4

ASAE – technical problems – correspondence

1974-1976

7

5

ASAE – World Food Conference – correspondence

1975

8

1-4

J. B. Davidson tribute materials collected for presentation at the 2005 ASAE Annual International Meeting

2004-2005