T. R. (Thomas Radford) Agg

Born in Fairfield, Iowa, in 1878, Thomas Radford Agg studied at Iowa State College and earned a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1905, later adding a professional degree in civil engineering in 1914. He went on to teach at Iowa State, serving as assistant professor of civil engineering from 1913 to 1915 and professor from 1916 to 1946.

Agg wrote as an engineer for engineers, students, and public officials. His best-known books include The Construction of Roads and Pavements and American Rural Highways, works that reflect his long focus on highway design, road materials, traffic, and transportation costs. Library and archive records also show a steady stream of technical publications connected with Iowa State and highway research.

He died in 1947, but his work still offers a clear window into the era when the United States was building better rural roads and turning highway engineering into a modern field.