Frederick Napier Best enjoys designing and building solid wood models and crafts, exhibited and sold at Trussville Antiques and Interiors.
TRUSSVILLE, AL, January 8, 2019 — Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Frederick Napier Best with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Best celebrates many years of experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
It was a dark and stormy night in Georgia where Mr. Best was born in the winter of 1943. His father and mother (John F. Best and Tommie Napier Best) moved to Trussville, AL, before his first birthday. He grew up there and considers it his home town.
Mr. Best's father, who was an artist and engineer, taught him many different things. One of his earliest memories was when his father gave him his first model airplane kit. The kit had solid wood parts of the famous Skyrocket (Douglas D-558). He helped him glue the parts together and paint it solid white from some left over house paint.
During his elementary school days, Mr. Best enjoyed drawing a variety of airplanes, cars, ships and other subjects. While at home, he assembled a variety of model kits, including airplanes, cars, and ships. One summer, he ordered several boxes of Christmas cards and sold them door to door to earn credit for a motorized model airplane. This experience taught him about salesmanship and working with customers.
In junior and senior high school at Hewitt-Trussville, in addition to his academic classes, Mr. Best took wood working, art, and mechanical drawing. Whenever possible, he would ask his academic teachers if he could earn extra credit by doing a drawing or model related to the current subject.
Before going off to college at Auburn University, Mr. Best's father wanted him to be an engineer. However, after his freshman year in engineering, he decided to change to the school of Architecture and the Arts and major in Industrial Design. It was ideal for him because he was able to draw, design, and make models, mock-ups, and prototypes. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he had to drop out and return home. After about one year, his mother encouraged him to go back to college and highly recommended Birmingham-Southern College. He had his Auburn transcripts transferred to the college. At that college, subjects were designed to give the students a liberal arts education. After three years at the college, he graduated as an art major with a Bachelor of Arts.
For the following 12 years, Mr. Best worked with a variety of architectural and engineering firms, Finally, he decided to resign and establish his own design business, called Best Finesse Studio. Then, the real adventure began.
Doing what he loved: drawing and model making, but also learning about: meeting with clients, consultants, and suppliers; research, measurement, and analysis; work scheduling, time management; advertising, marketing, publicity, and writing contracts.
In addition to running his own design business, Mr. Best was teaching drawing, design, and model making part-time at a local community college.
Finally, Mr. Best decided to close his design business, go to grad school at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and earn a Master of Arts in Education. Over the next few years, he was employed as a full-time teacher of art for grades kindergarten through 12th and a college level instructor of drawing and design.
Now, as a retired designer and part-time instructor of drawing, design, and model making at Jefferson State Community College, Mr. Best enjoys designing and building solid wood models and crafts, exhibited and sold at Trussville Antiques and Interiors.
Fred Best, along with his wife of 44 years, Becky, and son, Eric, is currently living in Trussville, AL.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Frederick Napier Best has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
# # #