Stanley Jennings Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Stanley Jennings Carpenter, Colonel
, U.S. Army, retired, deceased, a noted medical Entomologist (See: Medical entomology
), was born December 9, 1904 in West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky
, and died after an extended illness on August 28, 1984 at Santa Rosa, California
at age 79. Following is based on the text of a memorial lecture (lightly edited & elaborated for this venue) presented by a colleague on March 24, 1997:
farmer, Stanley Jennings Carpenter grew up helping his father but soon developed a strong interest in nature
. He was fascinated by birds and insects and at an early age decided he wanted to be a Naturalist
. After graduating in 1926 from Hazel Green Academy
, a Christian high school, as the Valedictorian
, he decided to go to college to pursue his interest in nature. Against his father’s wishes (his father wanted him to remain working the farm), he attended Milligan College
in Johnson City, Tennessee
, and again graduated valedictorian of his class in 1930 with a major in biology.
He then attended the University of Tennessee
, where he obtained a Master’s degree in zoology
in 1931. He worked his way through college and did so by washing dishes and waiting tables. He returned to Milligan College, where he taught as an instructor for year. Determined to obtain a Ph.D., he gained a fellowship in ichthyology
at Ohio State University
, but soon changed to graduate work in entomology
, in which he did his studies in 1932 and 1933. Though he finished many of the requirements for his doctorate, he did not complete his thesis.
. He advanced quickly and became head of the Department of Biology
, a position he held from 1934-1937. His doctoral studies were never completed. In 1937 he became the entomologist for the Arkansas State Health Department at Little Rock, and he served in that capacity until 1941. His first publication was an 87-page illustrated treatise on the mosquitoes of Arkansas in 1941. The same year he published two papers on the habits and health importance, including malaria
, of Arkansas mosquitoes.
. Early in 1942 he was sent to the Middle East, where he was assigned to mosquito control work in Kuwait
, Iraq
, and Iran
. Late in 1942 he returned to the United States as head of entomology for the 4th Service Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia. While there he taught mosquito identification to classes of commissioned Army entomologists from various installations in the 4th Service Command. Most of these officers were sent overseas, where they served assignments during World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters.
He left the service in 1942 and worked for 2 years as an entomologist for the National Biscuit Company. This turned out to be the low point in his career. He was, as his wife said, "a fish out of water." He disliked the work and the lack of a major challenge. Controlling the roaches that invaded the kitchen where Fig Newtons were made was an example of one of his assignments.
He returned to the service in 1947 and accepted a regular Army commission as Major
, first serving as entomologist at the 2nd Army Medical Laboratory at Fort Meade, Maryland
. In 1948 he was ordered to the Panama Canal
as entomologist in charge of malaria control for the Caribbean Command. Here he served as the commanding officer of a malaria survey unit in charge of more than 100 mosquito control workers in the Canal Zone. He had arrived in Panama as a Lieutenant Colonel
but was soon promoted to full Colonel
. It was not long until a small outbreak of yellow fever
occurred near the Canal Zone. This resulted in a detailed study of forest mosquitoes in Panama
and Costa Rica
. He was joined in this effort by Dr. Pedro Galindo, Pan-American entomologist, and Dr. Harold Trapido of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (named for the Surgeon General of the United States Army Major General
William C. Gorgas
). One of the recruits Colonel Carpenter selected to aid in the survey was an 18-year-old soldier named "E L Peyton", who had joined up before finishing his high school degree. Colonel Carpenter was impressed with this young man’s intelligence and initiative. He encouraged him to complete his degree while in Panama; E L Peyton credits Colonel Carpenter with his entry into a career in systematics. E L Peyton became a productive scientist with the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit. His contributions were recognized by the AMCA, which presented him with the Belkin Award in 1993.
In 1951, Colonel Carpenter returned to the United States and was sent to the 9th Service Command Medical Laboratory at Fort Baker
, California
, where he served a 3-year tour of duty. At the completion of this duty he was sent to Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
in Washington, D.C.
, an assignment that lasted 2 & 1/2 years. In January 1957 he was transferred to the Pentagon
, where he served on a board of field-grade officers who reviewed and selected regular Army officers from lists of applicants of reserve officers.
He was transferred back to the Fort Baker Medical Laboratory in July 1957, where he remained until his retirement in 1960. It was while here that Colonel Carpenter completed work on his landmark book, "The Mosquitoes of North America", by Carpenter and La Casse. The publication of this book was entirely the work of Stanley Carpenter and his illustrators. The second author did not contribute to the preparation of the manuscript, other than providing illustrations for some of the plates. This handbook remains an indispensable guide because of the general details it provides for each species.
mosquitoes. Most of the work was accomplished in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, and it resulted in a series of more than 20 publications on the biology, ecology, and distribution of these species, all of which appeared in the California Vector Views, published by the California Department of Public Health. After his employment with the California Department of Health, he took up a hobby that had interested him since childhood. He joined the Audubon Society and spent his remaining years birdwatching
and compiling a life list, a list that his wife now treasures.
During his long and distinguished career, Colonel Carpenter authored 80 scientific publications on the systematics, biology, and control of tropical and temperate species of mosquitoes, many of which are of medical importance. Included were two important monographs, The Mosquitoes of North America, previously noted, and The Mosquitoes of the Southern United States, East of Oklahoma and Texas, in 1946, a 292-page book that he coauthored with W. W. Middlekauff and R. W. Chamberlain. In 1981 Colonel Carpenter received the AMCA Medal of Honor. This, the highest award of the AMCA, was given in recognition of his long and distinguished career. In 1984 he was honored by the California Mosquito and Vector Control Association with a resolution recognizing his many accomplishments. Also in 1984, he was honored in an issue of the AMCA journal, Mosquito Systematics. The Panamanian species of sand fly, Culicoides carpenteri Wirth & Blanton, 1953 is named in his honor.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, U.S. Army, retired, deceased, a noted medical Entomologist (See: Medical entomology
Medical entomology
The discipline of medical entomology, or public health entomology, and also veterinary entomology is focused upon insects and arthropods that impact human health. Veterinary entomology is included in this category, because many animal diseases can "jump species" and become a human health threat,...
), was born December 9, 1904 in West Liberty, Morgan County, Kentucky
Morgan County, Kentucky
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 13,948. Its county seat is West Liberty. The county is among the dry counties, which means that the sale of alcohol is restricted or prohibited.- Geography :...
, and died after an extended illness on August 28, 1984 at Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
at age 79. Following is based on the text of a memorial lecture (lightly edited & elaborated for this venue) presented by a colleague on March 24, 1997:
Early life
The son of a tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
farmer, Stanley Jennings Carpenter grew up helping his father but soon developed a strong interest in nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. He was fascinated by birds and insects and at an early age decided he wanted to be a Naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
. After graduating in 1926 from Hazel Green Academy
Hazel Green Academy
Hazel Green Academy was a school in the little village of Hazel Green, eastern Wolfe County, eastern Kentucky. It was established in 1880 by a Charter from the Kentucky Legislature. The bill was introduced by a Hazel Green citizen, Senator W.O. Mize. The Founders of the school were Mize and his...
, a Christian high school, as the Valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
, he decided to go to college to pursue his interest in nature. Against his father’s wishes (his father wanted him to remain working the farm), he attended Milligan College
Milligan College
Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City...
in Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
, and again graduated valedictorian of his class in 1930 with a major in biology.
He then attended the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, where he obtained a Master’s degree in zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
in 1931. He worked his way through college and did so by washing dishes and waiting tables. He returned to Milligan College, where he taught as an instructor for year. Determined to obtain a Ph.D., he gained a fellowship in ichthyology
Ichthyology
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, but soon changed to graduate work in entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
, in which he did his studies in 1932 and 1933. Though he finished many of the requirements for his doctorate, he did not complete his thesis.
Early career
With good intentions of returning to complete the degree, he accepted a position on the faculty of Harding College in Searcy, ArkansasSearcy, Arkansas
Searcy is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,663. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of White County...
. He advanced quickly and became head of the Department of Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, a position he held from 1934-1937. His doctoral studies were never completed. In 1937 he became the entomologist for the Arkansas State Health Department at Little Rock, and he served in that capacity until 1941. His first publication was an 87-page illustrated treatise on the mosquitoes of Arkansas in 1941. The same year he published two papers on the habits and health importance, including malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, of Arkansas mosquitoes.
Military service
In 1941 he received a commission as an officer in the U.S. Army Sanitary Corps. He was immediately called to active duty as the entomologist at Camp Robinson, ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Early in 1942 he was sent to the Middle East, where he was assigned to mosquito control work in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Late in 1942 he returned to the United States as head of entomology for the 4th Service Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia. While there he taught mosquito identification to classes of commissioned Army entomologists from various installations in the 4th Service Command. Most of these officers were sent overseas, where they served assignments during World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters.
He left the service in 1942 and worked for 2 years as an entomologist for the National Biscuit Company. This turned out to be the low point in his career. He was, as his wife said, "a fish out of water." He disliked the work and the lack of a major challenge. Controlling the roaches that invaded the kitchen where Fig Newtons were made was an example of one of his assignments.
He returned to the service in 1947 and accepted a regular Army commission as Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, first serving as entomologist at the 2nd Army Medical Laboratory at Fort Meade, Maryland
Fort Meade, Maryland
Fort Meade is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,882 at the 2000 census. It is the home to the National Security Agency, which is located on the US Army post Fort George G...
. In 1948 he was ordered to the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
as entomologist in charge of malaria control for the Caribbean Command. Here he served as the commanding officer of a malaria survey unit in charge of more than 100 mosquito control workers in the Canal Zone. He had arrived in Panama as a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
but was soon promoted to full Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. It was not long until a small outbreak of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
occurred near the Canal Zone. This resulted in a detailed study of forest mosquitoes in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. He was joined in this effort by Dr. Pedro Galindo, Pan-American entomologist, and Dr. Harold Trapido of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (named for the Surgeon General of the United States Army Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
William C. Gorgas
William C. Gorgas
William Crawford Gorgas KCMG was a United States Army physician and 22nd Surgeon General of the U.S. Army...
). One of the recruits Colonel Carpenter selected to aid in the survey was an 18-year-old soldier named "E L Peyton", who had joined up before finishing his high school degree. Colonel Carpenter was impressed with this young man’s intelligence and initiative. He encouraged him to complete his degree while in Panama; E L Peyton credits Colonel Carpenter with his entry into a career in systematics. E L Peyton became a productive scientist with the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit. His contributions were recognized by the AMCA, which presented him with the Belkin Award in 1993.
In 1951, Colonel Carpenter returned to the United States and was sent to the 9th Service Command Medical Laboratory at Fort Baker
Fort Baker
Fort Baker is one of the components of California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Fort, which borders the City of Sausalito in Marin County and is connected to San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge, served as an Army post until the mid-1990s, when the headquarters of the 91st Division...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he served a 3-year tour of duty. At the completion of this duty he was sent to Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
This article is about the U.S. Army medical research institute . Otherwise, see Walter Reed .The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. Department of Defense...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, an assignment that lasted 2 & 1/2 years. In January 1957 he was transferred to the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, where he served on a board of field-grade officers who reviewed and selected regular Army officers from lists of applicants of reserve officers.
He was transferred back to the Fort Baker Medical Laboratory in July 1957, where he remained until his retirement in 1960. It was while here that Colonel Carpenter completed work on his landmark book, "The Mosquitoes of North America", by Carpenter and La Casse. The publication of this book was entirely the work of Stanley Carpenter and his illustrators. The second author did not contribute to the preparation of the manuscript, other than providing illustrations for some of the plates. This handbook remains an indispensable guide because of the general details it provides for each species.
Later career
He immediately began part-time work for the California State Health Department - now called: California Department of Health Services, where for the next 12 years he was engaged in studies of snow pool AedesAedes
Aedes is a genus of mosquito originally found in tropical and subtropical zones, but now found on all continents excluding Antarctica. Some species have been spread by human activity. Aedes albopictus, a most invasive species was recently spread to the New World, including the U.S., by the used...
mosquitoes. Most of the work was accomplished in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, and it resulted in a series of more than 20 publications on the biology, ecology, and distribution of these species, all of which appeared in the California Vector Views, published by the California Department of Public Health. After his employment with the California Department of Health, he took up a hobby that had interested him since childhood. He joined the Audubon Society and spent his remaining years birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
and compiling a life list, a list that his wife now treasures.
During his long and distinguished career, Colonel Carpenter authored 80 scientific publications on the systematics, biology, and control of tropical and temperate species of mosquitoes, many of which are of medical importance. Included were two important monographs, The Mosquitoes of North America, previously noted, and The Mosquitoes of the Southern United States, East of Oklahoma and Texas, in 1946, a 292-page book that he coauthored with W. W. Middlekauff and R. W. Chamberlain. In 1981 Colonel Carpenter received the AMCA Medal of Honor. This, the highest award of the AMCA, was given in recognition of his long and distinguished career. In 1984 he was honored by the California Mosquito and Vector Control Association with a resolution recognizing his many accomplishments. Also in 1984, he was honored in an issue of the AMCA journal, Mosquito Systematics. The Panamanian species of sand fly, Culicoides carpenteri Wirth & Blanton, 1953 is named in his honor.