Benjamin Goodwin Chitwood

Benjamin Goodwin Chitwood (1907-November 19, 1972) was an American zoologist and pioneer in nematology. He published extensively and broadly in the field of nematology. An Introduction to Nematology, published with his wife May Belle Hutson Chitwood, was a major contribution to the field. Chitwood identified the species Globodera rostochiensis on Long Island in 1941 and as part of his work on higher classification revised the taxonomy of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita in 1949. This led to changes in research and control strategies for it. He served as president of the Helminthological Society of Washington in 1949 and was made a Life Member of the Society in 1968.