UGA and World War II

The second event to disrupt the momentum of parasitology at UGA was World War II. Not only were young men enlisting instead of heading to college, many faculty members would also request leaves of absence as their expertise was needed for the war effort. Among the faculty enlisting, the scientists who played a role in the history of parasitology at UGA were AB Weathersby, Elon Byrd, H.O. Lund, Clay Huff, W. Malcom Reid, Frank Hayes.

Current Faculty:

Elon Byrd and H.O. Lund were leading the field at UGA when they requested leaves of absence to enlist with the U.S. Navy and serve in the Filariasis and Malaria Control units.

Future Faculty:

AB Weathersby wouldn’t join UGA until after the war, but his experience in insect control during WWII was valuable to UGA as secured contracts with the Department of Defense to continue his research at UGA. W. Malcom Reid would come to UGA in 1955, but during WWII he served as a Civilian UN Relief Officer and was deployed in Egypt and the Mediterranean during and after the war to aid in agriculture restoration and poultry disease (coccidia) control, as well as malaria-related food issues for displaced populations. Frank Hayes put his education on hold to serve. Though assigned to the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, he was able to receive valuable hands-on experience.

Former Faculty:

Clay Huff had already left UGA by the time the U.S. entered WWII. However, his work as a consultant to the Secretary of War on tropical diseases may have allowed him interactions with those current and future faculty members serving, particularly those serving the Malaria Control Unit.

Besides the loss of faculty, UGA recreated or modified courses to better train students in areas important to the war effort, such as aviation, mechanics, and the training of nurses. Since malaria and other insect-borne diseases were a major concern for troops in the Pacific Theater, Boyd was working to continue parasitology training on the homefront.