A Life to Remember
The Life of Robert Lorenzen
by Margaret Lorenzen
There are many people with whom we cross paths over a lifetime, some whom we never really get to know and some with whom we strike a real bond that lasts and deepens over time. Bob and I arrived in Ithaca, both from the west, at almost the same time, although Bob arrived as a faculty member and I came as a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Cornell University in a relative newly constructed Riley-Robb Hall. As my interests shifted from machinery to structures and environments, our paths were destined to cross and develop into a connection.
My first in-depth experience to get to know and work with Professor Lorenzen was as a teaching assistant for his Farm Structures course for agricultural engineering technology students. It was through this experience that I first came to know the meticulous, serious and dedicated structural engineer, Professor Robert T. Lorenzen. Rather than saddle me with a somewhat meaningless task for the teaching assistantship, Professor Lorenzen asked me to be responsible for two weeks of lectures in the course. Wow, what a challenge that turned out to be! Of course, the first lesson learned was the amount of time required to prepare a lecture in a university class. Professor Lorenzen was there to offer advice and assistance with this assignment and while I probably did a rather poor job in this first effort, it did have a significant impact in starting me along a professorial path
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Along the way I reflect on numerous shared experiences in discussing structural problems, ranging from log houses to contemporary animal structures. I recall memorable experiences like driving through snow storms between Ithaca and Chicago for ASAE Winter meetings in December. One trip we drove almost all the way in one day from Ithaca to Stillwater, OK because our plans to find a motel around St. Louis failed due to no available rooms
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As I became the Department Chairman, Professor Lorenzen graciously agreed to take over the structures class which I had been teaching for engineering students. Bob Lorenzen was always one to step up to help do what needed to be done. His distinguished academic career was completed upon retirement in June 1982, during my time as the department chair. As a teaching assistant for Professor Lorenzen, a faculty colleague and as department chair I came to appreciate Bob’s outstanding engineering skills. However, as I have read this wonderful tribute prepared by Bob’s loving wife, Margaret, I have come to learn many new and interesting things about Robert T. Lorenzen and I believe you, the reader, will find this book to provide a very warm tribute to a man for “all seasons.”
Norman R. Scott
Professor
Biological and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University
Price of Book
$50.00 US
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