Frazier Rogers Hall

Honoree

Professor Frazier Rogers

In 1918, UF hired Professor Frazier Rogers to teach agricultural engineering courses within the Agronomy Department. The farm tractor was just beginning to appear on Florida farms and Professor Rogers immediately recognized the engineering problems that rural farmers would face and the economic significance that agriculture would have on the state economy. By 1923, UF established the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and appointed Professor Rogers as the first Chairman of the fledgling department.

Like the rest of the departments within the college, Agricultural Engineering was staffed by only one person. Professor Rogers remained a staff of one until 1945 when additional funds were allocated for one additional instructor. Besides his duties as department chair, Rogers also was assigned to teach physics to military personnel in the 1940’s. Due to a lack of staff, most of Professor Rogers' professional abilities were devoted to teaching. However, it was Rogers’ ideals and foresight that served as the guiding vision for a fledgling department that anticipated and met the needs of Florida's booming agricultural industry.

Throughout his career at UF, Professor Rogers made significant contributions to many departments of the College of Agriculture until his death in 1958. Rogers was dedicated not only to the science of agriculture, serving as head of the Poultry Science Department for more than 20 years, but he also contributed to intercollegiate athletics where he faithfully served on the faculty committee for more than 30 years.

Facility History

Frazier-Rogers Hall opened in 1955. After undergoing a complete renovation to include state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, the home of the Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department was reopened during fall 2001.

Click here to visit Rogers Hall virtually through UF's campus map