Professor George Wallace Giles

Emeritus Legacy

Professor George Giles
Department Head 1948-1961

Professor emeritus of Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural Mechanization

Biographical

George Wallace Giles, died July 21, 2003, having lived to age 93. Such an age is an accomplishment reflective of a life lived well and long. Wallace was born March 30, 1910 in Nebraska City, Nebraska. He received his B. S. degree at the University of Nebraska and his M. S. degree at the University of Missouri, both in Agricultural Engineering.

tractor pulling a seed harvester from 1937.
The first research project a lespedeza seed
harvester 1937-38. It used one of the first
axial-feed auger type threshing cylinders.

He joined the departments faculty in 1936 interested in mechanical agricultural operations. In 1937. Giles undertook the department first research project. He spent his summer, money and trips to the local junk yard for parts to work on the lespedeza harvester. Even thought the machine was never very useful it did use one of the first axial-feed auger type threshing cylinders. Though not a stunning success this project highlighted the need for research funding. The appropriations for future projects were spurred by Giles initial project. Giles and E. R. Collins of the Agronomy Department convinced Agronomy to fund the second Agricultural Engineering research project the one-row mule-drawn cotton planter which was commercially produced and used for only a short period because tractors were becoming more common in use. The most important outcome of this project was not the planter but the concept of seeking out funding and collaborating on interdepartmental research to accomplish engineering goals. His first two research projects set the departments research path for the future decades.

tractor pulling a seed harvester from 1937.
The second research project was a one-row
planter with a side placement of fertilizer.

Giles advanced to head of the department in 1948, where he remained until 1961 with the exception of 2 years where he taught diesel engineering to Navy Ensigns during WW II in a special school on campus. During this 13-year period the department grew from a staff of 12 to around 40 and the need to move the department from Mangum Hall to another facility was the vision.

Two appropriations for a new building were secured under Giles tenure the first from private industry and individual donations . The second appropriation was secured in 1953 and the building was completed in 1957. Giles made sure this building had plenty of room for designing and working on agricultural equipment and a spacious shop area was part of the buildings design.

It was in these years that the departments name emerged to become the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the BS in Biological Engineering was developed, which was unique to the times and the world's first.

In 1961 Professor Giles left the department and went abroad to work as consultant in the countries of India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and Ghana for various organizations including the Ford Foundation and the United Nations. His proudest service was on President Lyndon Johnson's sub panel the "World Food Study". He also was a representative to Vienna, developing objectives for the manufacture of agriculture equipment under the United Nation's Industrial Development Organization.