In Memoriam: Andrew Armstrong, chemistry professor and business owner

Friday, Apr 19, 2024 • Greg Pederson :

Andrew Thurman Armstrong II, who worked as an associate professor of chemistry at The University of Texas at Arlington before going on to co-found a highly successful testing laboratory with his wife, passed away on March 7 at age 88.

Dr. Armstrong came to UTA in 1969 as an assistant professor of chemistry. He was promoted to associate professor in 1972 and left UTA in the early 1980s to focus on building his own company, Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, of which he was senior vice president until his passing.

He was born May 26, 1935 and attended North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) where he received a B.S. in Chemistry in 1958. He remained at NTSU and earned a master's degree in chemistry in 1959, then worked for two years as an instructor in chemistry at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University) in Canyon.

In 1961 he enrolled at Louisiana State University to begin doctoral work, and he earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from LSU in 1967. He worked for one year as a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA and one year as a visiting assistant professor at LSU before accepting a faculty position at UTA in 1969.

At UTA, Dr. Armstrong's fields of interest included physical and analytical chemistry, instrumentation, and industrial hygiene. He was among the faculty pioneers who established a robust research program in the department. He was also a popular instructor who received the College of Science Teacher of the Year Award in 1976.

In 1975 Dr. Armstrong and his wife, Kay, began providing analytical consulting services to the origin and cause industry as Armstrong Consultants. Origin and cause companies provide services for all major forensic investigation and engineering disciplines, including fire and explosion investigations. The Armstrongs bought their first gas chromatography machine and operated it from the utility room of their home.

Dr. Armstrong was the first to describe the use of high-resolution capillary column gas chromatography for the identification of ignitable liquids in fire debris. In 1977, he received the White Helmet Award from the City of Arlington Fire Department, the highest civilian award presented by the city. The department made him an honorary member that same year.

In 1981 the Armstrongs incorporated their business as Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, Inc. (AFLab). AFLab was the first private forensic laboratory serving the origin and cause industry. The company moved into an 800-square-foot warehouse and office facility in Arlington. In 1982 Dr. Armstrong resigned from his faculty position at UTA to devote his attention full-time to the new company.

AFLab provides comprehensive analytical laboratory services, consultation, and litigation support. Kay Armstrong took on the role of president and ran the business operations while Dr. Armstrong became senior vice president and oversaw the technical side of the company, becoming an international expert in ignitable liquid chemistry. Today AFLab has more than 30 employees.

In the 1980s the Armstrongs expanded the company's services to include general, environmental, and industrial hygiene analytical support. The company received an accreditation from the American Industrial Hygiene Association to its Quality Control Program in 1988.

In the 2000s, AFLab became one of a handful of private laboratories, in the world to be accredited by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for disciplines in drug chemistry, toxicology and trace evidence. The lab also received the Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation and began testing consumer products to meet Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements.

Among the accolades AFLab has received are the Salute to Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievements from the DFW Section of the American Chemical Society in 2001; the Forensic Science Award in Recognition of Technical and Administrative Contributions to ASTM-International Committee E-30, standards development, and the forensic science industry in 2007; and the Texas Family Business of the Year – Small Family Business, presented by Baylor University, Institute for Family Business in 2008.

Dr. Armstrong was a member of Phi Lambda Upsilon, the national chemistry honor society; Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society; the American Chemical Society, DFW Section; the Coblentz Society; Alpha Chi Sigma, a professional fraternity dedicated to promoting chemistry and the chemical sciences; American Institute of Chemistry; American Academy of Forensic Sciences; and American Industrial Hygiene Association.

A funeral service for Dr. Armstrong was held March 12 at Thompson’s Harveson & Cole Funeral Home in Fort Worth. Burial was held at Crowley Cemetery in Crowley.

--

The UTA College of Science, a Carnegie R1 research institution, is preparing the next generation of leaders in science through innovative education and hands-on research and offers programs in Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Data Science, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Health Professions, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. To support educational and research efforts visit the giving page, or if you're a prospective student interested in beginning your #MaverickScience journey visit our future students page.