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CLARENCE FRANCIS KELLY
1906-1976
BY ROY BAINER
THE DEATH OF Clarence Francis Kelly, on May 5, 1976, following
a prolonged illness, terminated a highly productive career in ag-
ricultural engineering of more than four decades. At the time of
his passing, he was Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Engineering
and Agricultural Engineer Emeritus in the Agricultural Experi-
ment Station, University of California, Davis. During the final ten
years of his career, he served as Director of the California Agricul-
tural Experiment Station, Statewide.
"Kelly," as he was known to everyone (he disliked his given
name), was born in Lawton, North Dakota, on October 18, 1906.
He received the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master of
Science from North Dakota State College in 1931 and 1933, respec-
tively. In 1964, his alma mater awarded him the honorary degree
of Doctor of Science.
During the first three years, following graduation, he served his
Alma Mater as Agricultural Engineer and Project Manager with
the North Dakota Rural Rehabilitation Corporation, Bismarck.
In 1936 he joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to
work on grain conditioning and storage problems in Washington,
D.C. This work was transferred to Iowa State College, Ames, in
1941. The results of this investigation received international rec-
ognition. The work was suspended, however, for the duration of
World War II, when Kelly served the U.S. Navy in antisubmarine
warfare. Following the war he returned to Ames to continue the
. . .. . .
stuc les on grain conultlonlng.
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A major change in his career occurred in 1946, when the USDA
transferred him to the Davis campus of the University of Califor-
nia. His new responsibility was to initiate research, in cooperation
with the Animal Science Department, on the effects of environ-
ment on the production of swine and beef cattle. He soon demon-
strated the ability of working harmoniously with scientists in other
disciplines.
Dr. Kelly and animal scientist Herbert Heitman, working on a
study of swine conducted in the psychrometric chambers at Davis,
obtained basic data on the metabolism of animals held under con-
trolled environmental conditions. Differences of 300 percent were
shown in food consumption for swine of the same weight, with
temperature changes of only 30 percent (70°F versus 100°F). These
results were crucial to the development of swine housing environ-
ment throughout the United States.
A field laboratory for studying the effect of heat stress on beef
cattle was established at the Imperial Valley Experiment Station,
where summer temperatures often reach 110°F to 120°F. Animal
scientist Nicholas Ittner and USDA Agriculture Engineer T. E. Bond
cooperated in these studies. Through modification of the envi-
ronment in the feeding yards, they were able to show gains in
weight exceeding two-and-one-half pounds per day (comparable
with gains obtained in the Corn Belt). As a result, thousands of
cattle are now fed under controlled environmental conditions in
hot regions.
During the late 1950's, Dr. Kelly cooperated with Dr. Milton
Smith of the Animal Physiology Department in the study of the
behavior of chickens held in an environment where accelerating
forces exceeded one G. This work was supported by grants from
the Office of Naval Research, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and the National Science Foundation. Kelly de-
signed and supervised the construction of huge centrifuges in
which the chickens were studied. This study covered several gener-
ations of chickens. Whereas there were no final results, there were
physiological changes in the birds. For example, a sixfold resistance
to chronic acceleration (one- to three-G range) was obtained by
several generation selections.
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Dr. Kelly left the USDA and joined the agricultural engineering
{acuity of the University of California in 1950. In addition to
continuing his research on animal environmental problems, he
taught a senior-level course in farm structures and a freshman
orientation course. He also directed graduate student thesis re-
search. He became chairman of the department in 1961. In 1963,
he was transferred to Berkeley to serve as Associate Director of the
California Agricultural Experiment Station. He was made Director
in 1965, a position that he held until retirement. In this position, he
was responsible for coordinating agricultural research on four
campuses of the university and at ten agricultural field stations. Dr.
Kelly retired from the University in 1973 and devoted a year to
administration service with the USDA in Washington, D.C.
In 1958 Kelly was elected a Fellow in the American Society of
Agricultural Engineers (ASAE). He was chosen the first corre-
spondent representative of ASAE in the International Society of
Agricultural Engineers in 1959. He served as Vice-President and
on the Board of Directors of ASAE in 1960-63 and President in
1972-73. During the annual meeting of the Society in Lexington,
the Governor made him a Kentucky colonel.
In recognition of his exceptional and meritorious achievement
in agricultural engineering, Dr. Kelly was awarded the Cyrus Hall
McCormick Gold Medal by ASAE in 1963. In 1968 he was the second
agricultural engineer elected to the National Academy of Engineer-
ing. His contribution to the Academy included serving on the
Committee on Agricultural Production Efficiency and the Commit-
tee on Membership—General Engineering Peer Group.
Dr. Kelly's bibliography lists some 140 papers. He received
national recognition for four of them. He was a recognized pioneer
for his contributions related to livestock production with emphasis
on thermal stress and environmental modification for improved
efficiency in production. He had a pleasing personality and was a
close friend to all that knew him. He had a subtle sense of humor
that was enjoyed by all.
Clarence Kelly is survived by his wile, Elizabeth, a son, Robert,
and a brother, Laddie' in all of whom he took a great pride.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
agricultural engineering
