Dr. Edward Fred Knipling

Prior to Dr. Knipling’s work, livestock production in North America was plagued by enormous losses each year due to infestations of cochliomyia hominivorax, commonly known as the screwworm fly. Edward F. Knipling was born near Port Lavaca on March 20, 1909. As a young man working the fields and tending the animals, he witnessed the devastating effects of the screwworm fly and other pests. Knipling graduated from Port Lavaca High School at age 17 and became interested in entomology while studying agriculture at Texas A&M University. Harkening back to his observations on the farm, he formulated the vision of the need to manage insects and prevent damage. Edward continued his education at Iowa State University where he met his future wife, Phoebe Rebecca Hall.

In 1931, he began work at USDA trapping screwworms, population monitoring and treatments, though he still believed a prevention was needed. Knipling theorized that the introduction of sterile male flies to the population would eradicate the species. This controversial method became known as the sterile insect technique (SIT). During WWII, Knipling’s work was diverted to the military effort. Credited with leading the USDA team that saved millions of lives developing MYL and DDT, Dr. Knipling won the 1947 U.S. Medal of Merit and the 1948 King’s Medal for service from the United Kingdom. After the war, he received his doctorate from Iowa State University and moved to Washington, D.C. to lead USDA entomology research. In 1953, he and his team achieved eradication of the screwworm fly on an island in the Antilles. In 1959, the screwworm fly was eradicated from Florida and, by 1972, the entire U.S. was free from the infestation. Dr. Knipling remained an active researcher and consultant for USDA until his death in 2000