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 was resented for these "drastic quarantine regulations". When a fire destroyed his laboratory at the USDA station, along with the irreplaceable manuscript of his book on the genus Rhabditis, some suspected that it might have been intentionally set. In addition to these devastating blows, Chitwood was divorced from his first wife

In 1947 Chitwood was transferred to Beltsville. In 1949 he became president of the Helminthological Society of Washington. After holding various minor positions, he was appointed as the first chief nematologist of the Florida State Plant Board in February 1955.

Chitwood's hobbies included long-distance running and the breeding of champion beagle dogs.