Edward Fred Knipling (March 20, 1909 – March 17, 2000) was an American
entomologist
Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
, who along with his longtime colleague
Raymond C. Bushland, received the 1992
World Food Prize
The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nor ...
for their collaborative achievements in developing the
sterile insect technique
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a method of biological insect control, whereby overwhelming numbers of sterile insects are released into the wild. The released insects are preferably male, as this is more cost-effective and the females ma ...
for eradicating or suppressing the threat posed by pests to the livestock and crops that contribute to the world's food supply. Knipling's contributions included the parasitoid augmentation technique, insect control methods involving the medication of the hosts, and various models of total insect population management. Knipling was best known as the inventor of the sterile insect technique (SIT), an autocidal theory of total insect population management. The ''New York Times Magazine'' proclaimed on January 11, 1970, that "Knipling...has been credited by some scientists as having come up with 'the single most original thought in the 20th century.'"
Education and early career
Knipling was born on March 20, 1909, in
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a small city in South Texas and county seat of Victoria County, Texas. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 censu ...
. As a youth raising cattle with his father, he saw firsthand the devastation that the
screwworm
''Cochliomyia'' is a genus in the family Calliphoridae, known as blowflies, in the order Diptera. ''Cochliomyia'' is commonly referred to as the New World screwworm flies, as distinct from Old World screwworm flies. Four species are in this genu ...
fly and other pests wreaked on cattle herds and cotton crops. Following graduation from
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
and graduate studies at
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
, Knipling began researching the screwworm fly in 1931 as a
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
entomologist in Texas, where he met Bushland. Together, the men theorized about possibly breaking the pest's lifecycle by inducing genetic defects, but their research was temporarily suspended by the outbreak of World War II.
[
]
Achievements during World War II
During the war, Knipling's research was diverted to support U.S. Army efforts to repel and control insects that threatened Allied troops with diseases including typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure.
...
and malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
. Credited with leading the USDA team that developed DDT
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...
as an effective control of body lice and weapon against typhus, Knipling won the 1947 U.S. Medal of Merit and the 1948 King's Medal for Service from the United Kingdom for these achievements.[
]
Development of SIT
After the war, Knipling received a Ph.D. in entomology from Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
and moved to Washington, DC, to lead USDA entomology research. In this capacity, he continued working with Bushland to complete the development of SIT
Sit commonly refers to sitting.
Sit, SIT or Sitting may also refer to:
Places
* Sit (island), Croatia
* Sit, Bashagard, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran
* Sit, Gafr and Parmon, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran
* Sit, Minab, a villa ...
in the early 1950s. Knipling remained at the USDA until 1973, eventually serving as the top entomological researcher in the Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...
. For 27 years thereafter, he remained active as a USDA consultant and collaborator, contributing significantly to new principles of pest insect management.[
Knipling died on March 17, 2000, in Arlington, Virginia, where his wife of 66 years, Phoebe Hall Knipling, and he had raised their five children and were active members of the community.][ Phoebe was also a biological scientist and educator. One of his sons, Edward B. Knipling, served as administrator of the USDA Agricultural Research Service from 2004 to 2014.
]
Awards and recognition
Knipling published over 225 articles in his career, was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
, received the 1966 National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...
and the 1995 Japan Prize
is awarded to people from all parts of the world whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind." The P ...
for his novel approaches to pest control,[Laureates of the Japan Prize]
japanprize.jp and was listed in ''Life'' magazine as one of the “100 Most Important People in the World” in 1970. Knipling was posthumously awarded the Golden Goose Award
The Golden Goose Award is a United States award in recognition of scientists whose federally funded basic research has led to innovations or inventions with significant impact on humanity or society. Created by Congressman Jim Cooper of Tennessee i ...
in 2016.
Since 1999, the Knipling-Bushland Southwest Animal Research Foundation at Texas A&M has supported research and education in the area where food producers around the world continue to feel his influence today.
References
External links
"The Life and Vision of Edward F. Knipling Concerning the Eradication of the Screwworm"
a talk given in 2002 by E.F. Knipling's son, administrator of the USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...
*
Edward Fred Knipling Papers: Screwworm Eradication Program Records
'' Knipling's personal papers dating from 1906-2003 held in the USDA National Agricultural Library
The United States National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a national library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture. Located ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knipling, Edward
1909 births
People from Victoria, Texas
Texas A&M University alumni
2000 deaths
American entomologists
National Medal of Science laureates
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
20th-century American zoologists
Recipients of the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service
Agriculture and food award winners