The Mosquito Crusades Studies in Modern Science, Technology, and the Environment Edited by Mark A. Largent The increasing importance of science and technology over the past 150 years— and with it the increasing social, political, and economic authority vested in scientists and engineers—established both scientifi c research and technological innovations as vital components of modern culture. Studies in Modern Science, Technology, and the Environment is a collection of books that focuses on humanistic and social science inquiries into the social and political implications of science and technology and their impacts on communities, environments, and cultural movements worldwide. Mark R. Finlay, Growing American Rubber: Strategic Plants and the Politics of National Security Gordon Patterson, The Mosquito Crusades: A History of the American Anti-Mosquito Movement from the Reed Commission to the First Earth Day The Mosquito Crusades A History of the American Anti- Mosquito Movement from the Reed Commission to the First Earth Day gordon patterson rutgers university press New Brunswick, New Jersey, and London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Patterson, Gordon M. The mosquito crusades : a history of the American anti-mosquito movement from the Reed Commission to the fi rst Earth Day / Gordon Patterson. p. ; cm. — (Studies in modern science, technology, and the environment) “Sequel to The Mosquito Wars: A History of Mosquito Control in Florida, which appeared in 2004”—Pref. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0-8135–4534–9 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Mosquitoes—Control—United States—History—20th century. 2. Mosquitoes as carriers of disease—United States. I. Patterson, Gordon M. Mosquito wars. II. Title. III. Series. [DNLM: 1. Mosquito Control—history—United States. 2. History, 20th Century—United States. QX 11 AA1 P317m 2009] RA640.P25 2009 614.4'323—dc22 2008038705 A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2009 by Gordon Patterson All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Please contact Rutgers University Press, 100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854–8099. The only exception to this prohibition is “fair use” as defi ned by U.S. copyright law. Visit our Web site: http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu Manufactured in the United States of America For Ben Act well your part, there all the honour lies. alexander pope To forget one’s purpose is the commonest form of stupidity. friedrich nietzsche Contents List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction The Guardians of Paradise 1 Chapter 1 Waging War on the Insect Menace 12 Chapter 2 The Garden State Takes the Lead 35 Chapter 3 A Continental Crusade 58 Chapter 4 Public Health, Race, and Mosquitoes 80 Chapter 5 Widening the Campaign 103 Chapter 6 Advances and Retreats during the Great Depression 122 Chapter 7 Weapons of Mass Destruction 143 Chapter 8 The Postwar Era 167 Chapter 9 Discontent and Resistance 195 Epilogue The End of the Crusade 216 Notes 223 Index 255 vii Illustrations 1.1 J. N. “Ding” Darling cartoon “War on the Blood Suckers” 24 1.2 John Smith and Leland Howard 27 3.1 Portrait of John Smith 78 4.1 William Herms 92 6.1 Thomas Headlee with a New Jersey Light Trap 124 6.2 J. N. “Ding” Darling cartoon “The U.S. Public Health Service Takes a Shot” 139 7.1 DDT application to a U.S. serviceman 159 8.1 Portrait of William Herms 168 8.2 Tommy Mulhern 181 8.3 Don Rees, Archie Hess, and Glen Collett 186 9.1 Harold Gray 208 ix