Papers of Sir Frank Leonard Engledow

The collection came to the Library in two phases. Boxes 1-4 contain notebooks, typescripts, printed items and a few photographs, mostly relating to Engledow's travels in Africa and Asia and to his agricultural research. Boxes 5-11 contain a broader assortment of notes, correspondence, reminiscences, memorabilia, photographs and artefacts, relating mainly to Engledow's personal (non-academic) life and activities, as well as copies of printed publications by or collected by Engledow. The grouping of material in boxes 5-11 largely preserves the arrangement assigned by Engledow's daughter Ruth Steketee, who presented this part of the collection to the Library in 2014. [N.B. Additional material relating to Engledow and not catalogued here can be found in the Glover collection (Box 8), Yule Box and Pamphlets collection (Box E).]

Engledow was born in Dartford, Kent in 1890. He attended Dartford Grammar School from 1904 until 1909 when he won a one year scholarship to study pure and applied mathematics and physics at University College London. In 1910 he entered St John's College as an exhibitioner to read mathematics but transferred to the natural science tripos, obtaining a first in part I in 1912. Engledow was made a scholar by St John's and also received a scholarship from the Ministry of Agriculture, attending a two year diploma course at the school of agriculture. In 1914 he published important papers on the genetics of wheat and the quality of wool. Engledow had a distinguished war career, serving in the Middle East and India. By 1921 he had been promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. The same year he married Mildred Emmeline Roper and they subsequently had four daughters. After the war Engledow returned to Cambridge and continued his research into genetics and wheat yield whilst teaching at the school of agriculture. At a time of burgeoning interest in agricultural methods, Engledow became an increasingly significant figure, publishing important papers over the next ten years and developing a number of new wheat varieties. In 1930 he was made professor of agriculture and head of the department of agriculture at Cambridge. Engledow's specialism was tropical food production and he was much in demand. He travelled extensively in the pursuit of information for the many royal commissions and enquiries he reported to, and during the Second World War served on many official bodies, including the Agricultural Research Council and the Agricultural Improvement Council, playing a key role in the development of food production policy. Engledow was made CMG in 1935, a knight in 1944 and was elected to the Royal Society in 1946. He retired from his professorship in 1957 but continued to work and publish until his death in 1985.

Open for consultation

Boxes 5-11 were presented to the Library by Engledow's daughter Ruth Steketee in July 2014.

Engledow was born in Dartford, Kent in 1890. He attended Dartford Grammar School from 1904 until 1909 when he won a one year scholarship to study pure and applied mathematics and physics at University College London. In 1910 he entered St John's College as an exhibitioner to read mathematics but transferred to the natural science tripos, obtaining a first in part I in 1912. Engledow was made a scholar by St John's and also received a scholarship from the Ministry of Agriculture, attending a two year diploma course at the school of agriculture. In 1914 he published important papers on the genetics of wheat and the quality of wool. Engledow had a distinguished war career, serving in the Middle East and India. By 1921 he had been promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. The same year he married Mildred Emmeline Roper and they subsequently had four daughters. After the war Engledow returned to Cambridge and continued his research into genetics and wheat yield whilst teaching at the school of agriculture. At a time of burgeoning interest in agricultural methods, Engledow became an increasingly significant figure, publishing important papers over the next ten years and developing a number of new wheat varieties. In 1930 he was made professor of agriculture and head of the department of agriculture at Cambridge. Engledow's specialism was tropical food production and he was much in demand. He travelled extensively in the pursuit of information for the many royal commissions and enquiries he reported to, and during the Second World War served on many official bodies, including the Agricultural Research Council and the Agricultural Improvement Council, playing a key role in the development of food production policy. Engledow was made CMG in 1935, a knight in 1944 and was elected to the Royal Society in 1946. He retired from his professorship in 1957 but continued to work and publish until his death in 1985.

Preferred citation: St John's College Library, Papers of Sir Frank Leonard Engledow

4 Oct 2017

Published