Riley D. Housewright

Riley D. Housewright (October 7, 1913 – January 11, 2003) was an American microbiologist who conducted research on germ warfare. Having been assigned to the Fort Detrick laboratory in the mid-1940s and appointed scientific director in 1956, Housewright played a major role in the development of bioweapons for a proposed attack on Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1966, he was appointed president of the American Society for Microbiology. He left Fort Detrick in 1970 following President Nixon's moratorium on US bioweapons research, and later published several books on water safety for the National Academy of Sciences. In the 1980s, Housewright became executive director of the American Society for Microbiology. He died in Frederick, Maryland, in 2003.

Early life and education Housewright was born in Wylie, Texas on October 7, 1913. He attended the teachers' college at North Texas State College for his bachelor's degree and earned a master's degree in microbiology from the University of Texas.