Claude Schmidt

Claude Schmidt, 84, a Department of Agriculture entomologist, died in Fargo, N.D., on Feb. 4, 2009.

Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Schmidt served in the U.S. Army during World War II and earned a B.A. in 1948 and an M.A. in physiology 1950 from Stanford University under the G.I. Bill.

Schmidt then served in the Medical Service Corps at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver before earning a Ph.D. in entomology at Iowa State University in 1956. That same year, he began a lifetime career with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. He worked or held leadership positions within ARS in Orlando, Fla.; Vienna, Austria; Beltsville, Md.; and Fargo. Schmidt served as the acting director of the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center until he retired in 1988.

He was an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1953. He was active in the American Mosquito Control Association, Toastmasters International, Meals on Wheels, and the American Association of Retired Persons.

He is survived by his wife, Melicent; daughter, Valerie; son, Jeffrey; and granddaughter, Ashley.