Obituary of Lewis George Mayfield

Lewis "Pete" Mayfield, 94, died at home in Silver Spring, Maryland on November 10, 2016. Born in 1922 in Forsyth, Mt., he was the grandson of pioneers who homesteaded in Eastern Montana 6 years after the Battle of Little Big Horn. He lived on the family ranch in Rosebud County, Montana until 1928 when the family moved to Bozeman. He was in one of the first classes to graduate from Gallatin County High School. In 1944 he earned a BS from Montana State University and subsequently joined the Army. He was awarded a Bronze Arrowhead for his participation in 2 first-wave assaults in the Philippines. After his discharge in 1946 he earned an MS in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University. He began teaching there in 1951, joining a faculty that included his mother, Helen Lewis Mayfield. In 1962, he accepted a post at the National Science Foundation, eventually becoming the Division Director for Cross-Disciplinary Research, a position he held until his retirement in 1987. Upon his retirement he received NSF's highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education. His wife of 50 years, Marjory Mayfield, died in 1997. He is survived by his two children, Joan Mayfield of Silver Spring, Md. and Keith Mayfield of Atlanta, Ga., 3 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Interment will be in the family burial plot in Forsyth, Montana. Memorial contributions may be sent to the MSU Alumni Association, 1501 South 11th Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59717.