Leland Ossian Howard

Leland Ossian Howard 1857-1950, American entomologist, b. Rockford, Ill., grad. Cornell (B.S., 1877), Ph.D. Georgetown Univ., 1896. Associated with the U.S. Bureau of Entomology from 1878 (as its chief, 1894-1927, and as its principal entomologist until 1931), he influenced economic and medical entomology in the United States. He waged war against insect parasites of humans (especially the mosquito and housefly) and against crop pests such as the boll weevil and gypsy moth. Among his best-known works are The Insect Book (1901), Mosquitoes of North and Central America and the West Indies (et al., 4 vol., 1912-17), The Insect Menace (1931), and his autobiography, Fighting the Insects (1933).

Call Me Madam (1950), a musical comedy by Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse (book), Irving Berlin (music, lyrics). [Imperial Theatre, 644 perf.] Sally Adams ( Ethel Merman) has been appointed ambassadress to Lichtenburg not because of any diplomatic skills, but rather because in Washington she was “The Hostess with the Mostes' on the Ball.” At her new post she falls for Prime Minister Constantin ( Paul Lukas) while her assistant Kenneth Gibson ( Russell Nype) is smitten with Princess Maria ( Galina Talva). When the local opposition makes things hot for Constantin, Sally is willing to retreat discreetly until the opposing forces are foiled and both pairs of lovers can continue courting. Notable songs: Marrying for Love; You're Just in Love; It's a Lovely Day Today; They Like Ike. The Leland Hayward–produced musical, which proved to be Berlin's last success, was written as a send‐up of the famous Washington hostess Perle Mesta whom President Truman had recently made an ambassador.