Robert Flint Chandler Jr. (June 22, 1907 - March 23, 1999) was an American

horticulturalist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

. He obtained a degree in Horticulture from the University of Maine in 1929, and his Ph.D. in Pomology from the University of Maryland in 1934. He first taught at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

and went on to become the Dean of the College of Agriculture, and then the ninth President, of the

University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant college in Hanover in connection with Dartmouth College, mo ...

. From 1959 to 1972, Dr. Chandler was the founding Director of the

International Rice Research Institute The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international agricultural research and training organization with its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, and offices in seventeen countries. IRRI is known for its wor ...

(IRRI) in Los Banos, Philippines.Rice today: Breeding history
/ref> Working with a team of twenty-four researchers from numerous countries in Southeast Asia, Dr. Chandler gathered thousands of rice varieties to be tested and eventually selected to be grown under various conditions. Dr. Chandler's leadership was instrumental in developing over two dozen new varieties of rice that produced higher yields than traditional strains and increased rice production. These varieties helped the Philippines to achieve self-sufficiency in rice by 1968, and still provide food for millions across Asia. In 1971, Chandler was appointed as first Director General of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC). which was later renamed World Vegetable Center. (AVRD) in Taiwan. In 1975, the government of the Republic of China awarded Chandler with the

Order of Brilliant Star Order of Brilliant Star () is a civilian order of the Republic of China (Taiwan) recognizing outstanding contributions to the development of the nation. The order is instituted in 1941 and can be awarded to both domestic and foreign nationals. ...

. Dr. Chandler was awarded the Presidential End Hunger Award, and in 1988, he was awarded the

World Food Prize The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nor ...

for his leadership in building the agricultural research capacity at

IRRI The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international agricultural research and training organization with its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, and offices in seventeen countries. IRRI is known for its wor ...

and AVRDC.World Food Prize 1988: Chandler
/ref>

Selected works

An Adventure in Applied Science: A History of the International Rice Research Institute, 1982

References

External links

Full list of University Presidents (including interim Presidents)
University of New Hampshire Library
"Guide to the Robert F. Chandler Papers, 1950-1954"
University of New Hampshire Library

New York Times.
An Adventure in Applied Science: A History of the International Rice Research Institute
PDF) {{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Robert F. 1907 births 1999 deaths American agronomists American horticulturists University of Maine alumni University of Maryland, College Park alumni Cornell University faculty Presidents of the University of New Hampshire 20th-century American botanists Recipients of the Order of Brilliant Star Agriculture and food award winners 20th-century American academics 20th-century agronomists