United States National Museum. Division of Insects.

The Division of Insects of the United States National Museum (USNM) had its origins in the deposit of personal collections in 1881 by Charles V. Riley, entomologist of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A Department of Insects was created in the USNM at that time, with Riley as Honorary Curator. The USNM became the depository for the national collection of insects, and the chief entomologist of the USDA became Honorary Curator of Insects. He was aided by an assistant curator on the USNM staff, and by additional USDA entomologists who served as custodians of various parts of the collection. Riley served as Honorary Curator until his death in 1895 and was succeeded by L. O. Howard who served in the position until his own death in 1950.

As a result of an administrative reorganization of the USNM in 1897, the Division of Insects was created as part of the newly established Department of Biology. In 1947, the division came under the administrative control of the Department of Zoology, and in 1963 it was reorganized as the Department of Entomology, Museum of Natural History.

Curators and research staff of the Division of Insects included John Bernhard Smith, Assistant Curator, 1886-1889; Martin L. Linell, Aid, 1889-1896; William Harris Ashmead, Assistant Curator, 1897-1908; Harrison G. Dyar, Acting Assistant Curator, 1907-1908; James Chamberlain Crawford, Assistant Curator and Associate Curator, 1908-1919; John Merton Aldrich, Associate Curator, 1919-1934; Edward Albert Chapin, Curator, 1934-1954; Richard E. Blackwelder, Assistant Curator and Associate Curator, 1940-1954; William Edwin Hoffmann, Associate Curator, 1944-1948; William DeWitt Field, Associate Curator, 1948-1963; Grace E. Glance, Associate Curator, 1948-1957; Oscar Ling Cartwright, Associate Curator, 1948-1963; Sophy Parfin, Assistant Curator, 1951-1959; J.F. Gates Clarke, Curator, 1954-1963; Ralph E. Crabill, Associate Curator, 1956-1963; Oliver S. Flint, Associate Curator, 1961-1963; Donald R. Davis, Associate Curator, 1961-1963; Paul J. Spangler, Associate Curator, 1962-1963; and W. Donald Duckworth, 1962-1963.

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Agency History. Record 218012