1942
Born to William Baker Andrews and Clara Adele (Self) Andrews in Lincolnton, NC.
1947
Plays B♭ and E♭ clarinets to present.
1954
Receives the Eagle Scout Award with six palms and Explorer Silver Award from the Boy Scouts of America.
1963
Earns a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering, with highest honors, from Mississippi State University.
1963
Receives the Hamilton Watch Award for Outstanding Senior in Engineering from Mississippi State University.
1966
Obtains a Doctor of Philosophy in physical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
1966
Teaches as an assistant, associate and full professor of chemistry at the University of Virginia until 2008.
1966
Publishes over 890 scientific papers on infrared spectroscopy of small molecules with post doctorate associates through the present.
1978
Receives the Coblentz Award; Is a member of the editorial board for “Journal of Molecular Structure.”
1986
Serves as a Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America in Ivy, VA until 1995; Nominated in three different years for the State Council Teaching Award.
1989
Is editor of “Chemistry and Physics of Matrix Isolated Species.”
2001
Receives the Lippincott Vibrational Spectroscopy Award from the American Physical Society.
2002
Is a fellow in chemical engineering at Mississippi State University.
2004
Receives an Honorary Doctorate from Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier in France.
2007
Receives the Pimentel Award from Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy.
2008
Is honored as professor emeritus and receives the Distinguished Scientist Award at the University of Virginia.
2010
Receives the Plyler Prize from the American Physical Society for contributions to spectroscopy.
2018
“W. Lester S. Andrews Festschrift” is published by the Journal of Physical Chemistry A.