Remembering past Grand President Ed "Prof" Lidvall, Jr.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dec. 28, 2010 – Past Grand President and Hall of Famer Ed Lidvall, Jr., passed away on December 26, 2010 in the Shannondale Health Center in Maryville, TN. The entire fraternity grieves. But we remember a great man, a great brother, a great husband, a great father, and a GREAT ADVISER TO ALL. Prof will be remembered as a great and wonderful man who was fair, tough, compassionate and loving – all in the same package. May God bless all the great memories of Prof.Prof had four spinal discs that fractured since last spring. Surgery on the first one was successful but the second was not. At age 87, the doctors felt surgery to correct additional medical problems would be far too risky.
As a dedicated professor of Animal Science, Brother Ed “Prof” Lidvall has contributed to the improvement of agriculture through his research and publications while touching the lives of the thousands of students that passed through his classrooms and laboratories.
Ed was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1923. After service as pilot in the United States Army Air Corps, Brother Lidvall attended Iowa State College where he received a degree in Animal Husbandry in 1948. As an Eta Chapter Brother, Lidvall served as Sergeant at Arms, Pledge Trainer, and Intramural Manager. Prof also was a member of several campus organizations including Agricultural Council – serving as president for two years, Veishea, Block and Bridle, the Dairy Club, and numerous award-winning livestock judging teams. He went on to earn his masters degree in Animal Husbandry from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1952 and was a founding member of Alpha Kappa Chapter there. Brother Lidvall’s work in Animal Science at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville spans 39 years, from 1949 through 1988, taking time out only for a two-year stint as a Ralston Purina feed salesman in the fifties. He received the UT Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award in 1969, the College of Agriculture Outstanding Teacher Award in 1979, and the Gamma Sigma Delta Teaching Merit Award in 1980.
In 1988, he received the Progressive Farmer Man of the Year in Service to Tennessee Agriculture Awards for his accomplishments in the field of agricultural education. Progressive Farmer characterized Prof as “the kind of teacher that no student ever forgot; thorough, demanding, and tough; yet, always sensitive and 100 per cent interested in every student. The professor’s affection for each young scholar was as genuine as his stern look or his warm, ready smile.”
A strong supporter of the National Fraternity, Brother Lidvall served on the National Board of Directors and as Grand President from 1982-84. Ed served as Regional Vice President from 1976-78, and as Chairman of the Nominating Committee and Hall of Fame Committee. He also served as Alpha Kappa’s Chapter Adviser for many years.
Brother Lidvall’s career as a dedicated professor has influenced the lives of many young men and women across the nation. He joined a visionary group of leaders in our Hall of Fame who have helped shape AGR through their commitment in people.
At his wish, no funeral services will be held, but rather Prof’s memory should be celebrated individually. Cards may be sent to his wife of over 60 years, Dorothe (Dee), and his three sons and daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren. Please call 816-891-9200 or email the Home Office at AGR@AlphaGammaRho.org for the family's contact information.
Fraternally,
Philip Josephson
Executive Director
