Date Range

1870-1989

Description Level

Fonds

Creator

Duncan Tracy Anderson

Physical Description

3.2 m of textual records; 32 photos

History Biographical

Duncan “Tracy” Anderson was an agricultural engineer at the Lethbridge Research Centre and an internationally renowned specialist in dry-land tillage and erosion control. He was also an active member of the Lethbridge Historical Society and independent researcher into the history and use of agricultural machinery on the Canadian prairies. Duncan Tracy Anderson was born in Magrath, Alberta on 2 January 1916. He was the son of John Forbes Anderson Junior and Sarah Elizabeth Tracy Anderson. His parents were both teachers at Magrath, Kimball and Raymond. His father farmed as well. Tracy’s sisters and brothers included Almina, Jacquie, Ross, Bruce, Glen and Ken. In 1943 Tracy married Ann Bridarolli in Saskatoon. They had two daughters, Leslie and Laurel. Tracy received his primary and secondary education in Raymond and Lethbridge. In 1943 he earned a Bachelor of Science Agriculture degree in agricultural mechanics from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1949 he earned a Master of Science Agriculture degree in agricultural mechanics from the same university. Tracy worked at the Lethbridge Research Centre while he was a student, and in 1945 returned there to work after service in the Canadian Army. His career at the Research Centre was as an agricultural engineer. From 1972 to 1980 Ann and Tracy Anderson were in India, where Tracy worked as part of the Canadian contingent to the All India Coordinated Research Project on Dryland Agriculture. Tracy ended his time there as the project’s principal advisor. His honours as an agricultural scientist include the Distinguished Agrologist Award of the Alberta Institute of Agrologists (1975), Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agricultural Engineering (1975), and Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada (1976). After his retirement from the Lethbridge Research Centre, Tracy Anderson served on the province’s Oldman River Dam Environmental Assessment Review Panel, from its creation in1990 until the panel’s final report in 1992. Tracy was also active in the Lethbridge Historical Society, serving in a number of capacities including President. He also did extensive research into the history of farm machinery on the Canadian prairies, and in southern Alberta in particular. In 1985 Tracy wrote “A History of Seeding Practices and Machines in Alberta Agriculture, 1870-1955” for the Reynolds Alberta Museum. Duncan Tracy Anderson died on 21 May 2004, and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Lethbridge. More biographical materials are found in file 2006.1065/001

Custodial History

Materials donated by Laurel Anderson in 2006

Scope and Content

Materials include biographical materials and articles by Tracy Anderson, research papers on agriculture and technology, including co-operation with the Reynolds Alberta Museum, materials related to his participation in committee work on the Oldman River Dam proposal and related correspondence, reports and publications. The list of subjects include the following: tillage, cultivation implements, farm machinery dryland agriculture, dust storm, wheat production, soil errosion, soil management, field sprayers, environmental protection, experimental stations, moisture conservation, irrigation, weed control, agricultural meteorology, agricultural engineering, mulching, seeding semi-arid farming.

Accession No.

20061065

Collection

Archive

Less detail