The War Research Service (WRS) was a civilian agency of the

United States government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

established during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

to pursue research relating to

biological warfare Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, insects, and fungi with the intent to kill, harm or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. ...

. Established in May 1942 by

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

Henry L. Stimson Henry Lewis Stimson (September 21, 1867 – October 20, 1950) was an American statesman, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. Over his long career, he emerged as a leading figure in U.S. foreign policy by serving in both Republican and D ...

, the WRS was embedded in the Federal Security Agency, the federal agency that administered

Social Security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

and other

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

programs in the administration of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. Headed by

George W. Merck George Wilhelm Herman Emanuel Merck (March 29, 1894 – November 9, 1957) was the president of Merck & Co. from 1925 to 1950 and a member of the Merck family. Early life George W. Merck was born in New York City, to George Friedrich and Fri ...

, president of the Merck & Co. pharmaceutical firm, the WRS was headquartered at

Fort Detrick, Maryland Fort Detrick () is a United States Army Futures Command installation located in Frederick, Maryland. Historically, Fort Detrick was the center of the U.S. biological weapons program from 1943 to 1969. Since the discontinuation of that program, i ...

. Being a civilian agency, the WRS was initially tasked to supervise the military

Chemical Warfare Service The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. The Chemical Warfare Service was established on 28 June 1918, combining activities that un ...

's biological program. However, the WRS was disbanded in 1944, and the weapons research was continued under the exclusive oversight of the CWS.Luther E. Lindler, Frank J. Lebeda, George Korch
Biological Weapons Defense: Infectious Diseases and Counterbioterrorism
Humana Press, 2005, , p. 156

References

* ttp://www.detrick.army.mil/cutting_edge/index.cfm?chapter=chapter4 ''Cutting Edge: A History of Fort Detrick'' (Chapter 4) Agencies of the United States government during World War II Biological warfare Defunct agencies of the United States government Government agencies established in 1942 Government agencies disestablished in 1944 Fort Detrick 1942 establishments in the United States 1944 disestablishments in the United States {{US-gov-stub