Necrology

Dr. William Arthur Drew, Professor Emeritus, age 91, died in Stillwater on January 21, 2021.  He was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan on April 29, 1929.

He received his A.B. degree in Biology from Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio in 1951 and his Ph.D. degree in Entomology from Michigan State University, East Lansing in 1958.  His dissertation was titled, “The Nearctic Genera of the Tribe Anthomyiini (Muscidae, Diptera) with a List of the Nearctic Species.”

Dr. Drew joined the Department of Entomology at OSU in 1958.  He was an Assistant Professor from 1958-1962, Associate Professor from 1962-1969, and became a Professor in 1969.  He was the Curator for the K.C. Emerson Entomology Museum, and he taught courses including Introductory Entomology, Insects and Man, Apiculture, Insect Biology and Classification, Classification of Immature Insects, Araneology, Systemic Entomology, and Aquatic Insects.  Dr. Drew advised ten M.S. students and four Ph.D. students. He had 11 national refereed journal articles and 30 other refereed articles.  He served as Interim Head of Entomology from 1984 - Mar 17, 1985, and was Chair of OSU Faculty Council in 1985-1986.  He received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America in 1980 and 1981.  Dr. Drew retired on April 30, 1990, but continued to teach Apiculture and Insect Biology and Classification for a few years.

In 1977 he married Rosalie Riggs, his second wife, at his home in Stillwater. He enjoyed traveling, playing golf and tennis, working in the garden, and dancing.

He is survived by his daughter Denise Drew of Monrovia, California, four stepchildren, and several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.  No memorial service was held.

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