Eugene Jordan Gerberg

Who was Eugene Jordan Gerberg?

Eugene J. "Gene" Gerberg was an American entomologist and entomological entrepreneur.

Born June 1, 1919 in Brooklyn, New York, Gerberg completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology in 1939, and then a Master of Science degree in 1941, both at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

In 1941, Gerberg accepted a commission as First Lieutenant in the U.S. Public Health Service. His first assignment was with the Malaria Control in War Areas unit at New Smyrna Beach, Florida, established to control malaria around military training bases in areas where mosquitoes were abundant, to prevent reintroduction of malaria into the civilian population by mosquitoes feeding on malaria-infected soldiers. MCWA, the forerunner of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also trained state and local health department officials in malaria control strategies and techniques.

In 1943, Gerberg was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Sanitary Corps and assigned as Assistant Camp Medical Inspector for Camp Lee, Virginia, charged with ridding the barracks of an infestation of bed bugs so severe it had received Congressional attention. After the war, he transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves to continue his military service.