Fly, Claude L. (Claude Lee), 1905-

Claude L. Fly (1905-1991) was a soil scientist and agronomist during the twentieth century. Born in Fulbright, Texas and educated at Oklahoma State University and Iowa State University, Fly began his soil science career as a professor of chemistry at Panhandle State College in Oklahoma (1931-1935) and founded the No Man's Land Historical Society and Museum. From 1935 to 1952, he held several positions with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Conservation Service, serving assignments in Washington, D.C., Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas. Fly later served as Chief Agronomist for Morrison-Knudson Company (1952-1958) and Assistant Administrator and Project Leader at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (1958-1963). In 1963, he founded Claude L. Fly and Associates, a Fort Collins, Colorado soil and water resource consulting firm and served as president from the firm's founding until the 1980s. In 1970, while working as a consultant to the Ministry of Agriculture in Uruguay, Fly was kidnapped by revolutionaries and was held captive for 208 days.

From the description of Claude L. Fly papers, 1935-1983. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 173283115

From the guide to the Claude L. Fly papers, 1935-1983, (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)