diff --git a/gtsam.h b/gtsam.h
index 8382c06a7..de1a3887b 100644
--- a/gtsam.h
+++ b/gtsam.h
@@ -642,7 +642,6 @@ class Rot3 {
   static gtsam::Rot3 Rodrigues(Vector v);
   static gtsam::Rot3 Rodrigues(double wx, double wy, double wz);
   static gtsam::Rot3 ClosestTo(const Matrix M);
-  static pair<gtsam::Unit3, double> ToAxisAngle(const gtsam::Rot3& R);
 
   // Testable
   void print(string s) const;
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp
index 9fc7ee6b1..14646659d 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,14 @@ Vector Rot3::quaternion() const {
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 pair<Unit3, double> Rot3::axisAngle() {
-  return Rot3::ToAxisAngle(*this);
+  const Vector3 omega = Rot3::Logmap(*this);
+  int direction = 1;
+  // Check if any element in axis is negative.
+  // This implies that the rotation is clockwise and not counterclockwise.
+  if (omega.minCoeff() < 0.0) {
+    direction = -1;
+  }
+  return std::pair<Unit3, double>(Unit3(omega), direction * omega.norm());
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
index 3f2a962d5..b1cfc4926 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Rot3.h
@@ -217,22 +217,6 @@ namespace gtsam {
       return AxisAngle(axis.unitVector(),angle);
     }
 
-     /**
-      * Compute the Euler axis and angle (in radians) representation
-      * @param  R is the rotation matrix
-      * @return pair consisting of Unit3 axis and angle in radians
-      */
-    static std::pair<Unit3, double> ToAxisAngle(const Rot3& R) {
-      const Vector3 omega = Rot3::Logmap(R);
-      int direction = 1;
-      // Check if any element in axis is negative.
-      // This implies that the rotation is clockwise and not counterclockwise.
-      if (omega.minCoeff() < 0.0) {
-        direction = -1;
-      }
-      return std::pair<Unit3, double>(Unit3(omega), direction * omega.norm());
-    }
-
     /**
      * Rodrigues' formula to compute an incremental rotation
      * @param w a vector of incremental roll,pitch,yaw
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp b/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp
index 59397d199..1b01b92c2 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/tests/testRot3.cpp
@@ -662,42 +662,6 @@ TEST(Rot3, ClosestTo) {
   EXPECT(assert_equal(expected, actual.matrix(), 1e-6));
 }
 
-/* ************************************************************************* */
-TEST(Rot3, ToAxisAngle) {
-  /// Test rotations along each axis
-  Rot3 R1;
-
-  // Negative because rotation is counterclockwise when looking at unchanging axis
-  Rot3 yaw = Rot3::Ypr(-M_PI/4, 0, 0);
-  Rot3 pitch = Rot3::Ypr(0, -M_PI/4, 0);
-  Rot3 roll = Rot3::Ypr(0, 0, -M_PI/4);
-
-  EXPECT(assert_equal(Unit3(0, 0, 1), Rot3::ToAxisAngle(yaw.between(R1)).first, 1e-6));
-  EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(M_PI/4, Rot3::ToAxisAngle(yaw.between(R1)).second, 1e-9);
-
-  EXPECT(assert_equal(Unit3(0, 1, 0), Rot3::ToAxisAngle(pitch.between(R1)).first, 1e-6));
-  EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(M_PI/4, Rot3::ToAxisAngle(pitch.between(R1)).second, 1e-9);
-
-  EXPECT(assert_equal(Unit3(1, 0, 0), Rot3::ToAxisAngle(roll.between(R1)).first, 1e-6));
-  EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(M_PI/4, Rot3::ToAxisAngle(roll.between(R1)).second, 1e-9);
-
-  Unit3 axis; double angle;
-  std::tie(axis,angle) = Rot3::ToAxisAngle(R);
-  EXPECT(assert_equal(Unit3(0.1, 0.4, 0.2), axis));
-  EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(Vector3(0.1, 0.4, 0.2).norm(), angle, 1e-9);
-
-  /// Test for sign ambiguity
-  double theta = M_PI + M_PI/2;  // 270 degrees
-  Rot3 R2 = Rot3::AxisAngle(Unit3(0.1, 0.3, 0.4), theta);
-
-  EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(theta - 2*M_PI, Rot3::ToAxisAngle(R2).second, 1e-9);
-
-  theta = -M_PI/2;  // -90 degrees
-  R2 = Rot3::AxisAngle(Unit3(0.1, 0.3, 0.4), theta);
-
-  EXPECT_DOUBLES_EQUAL(theta, Rot3::ToAxisAngle(R2).second, 1e-9);
-}
-
 /* ************************************************************************* */
 TEST(Rot3, axisAngle) {
   /// Test rotations along each axis