Robert Elroy McDole was born in Eugene, Oregon on October 7, 1930. He received his B.S. degree from Oregon State College in 1952, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Idaho in 1968 and 1969 respectively. Before beginning his graduate study in 1965, he worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a soil scientist. He began his University of Idaho career in 1969 doing soil science research at the Aberdeen Research and Extension Center. In 1977, he moved to Moscow where he worked as an extension soils specialist, studying soil fertility, soil erosion, and land-use questions across the state.

He has served on many committees concerned with various aspects of soil management as well as being active in a variety of university governance committees. He was a member of the Idaho Soil Scientists Association, Idaho Soil Improvement Committee, Northwest Plant Food Association, Soil Conservation Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Western Society of Soil Science, Sigma Xi, and was a certified Professional Soil Scientist. He has a long list of technical publications and has earned a variety of awards, including Idaho Future Farmers of America Honorary State Farmer, a commendation from the Soil Conservation Society of America, and listing in Who's Who in the West. He retired to Fort Townsend, Washington in the fall of 1990.