Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
The Kenneth L. Knight Papers, 1938-2002, contain files and publications relating to Knight's study of mosquitos and of his service in the United States Navy. Knight served in the Navy for 21 years working as an entomologist for the World War II malaria control unit, along with conducting projects on mosquito control in Guadalcanal and taxonomy studies in the Philippines, Egypt, and elsewhere. Knight also served in the U.S.N. Preventive Medicine Unit and Research Laboratory. After retiring from the Navy, he worked in the Entomology departments at Iowa State University (Ames), the University of Georgia (Athens), and North Carolina State University.
Kenneth L Knight was born on March 16, 1915 in Illinois to parents Scott L. Knight and Mariette Edward Knight. He attended Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University) and received a Bachelor of Education in Biology. He then went on to receive a Masters of Science and PhD degrees in Entomology from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1939 and 1941. Knight married Ruth Marie Hines in 1944, and the couple had five children.
Knight spent 21 years serving in the United States military, taking up various entomology and moquito control projects. In 1941, he was sent to the Malaria Survey Unit in New River, North Carolina for training, and in the next year, he served as an entomologist for the World War II malaria control unit. In November 1942, Knight relocated to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands for a mosquito control campaign, for which he earned a Presidential Unit Citation and an Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with a bronze star. Beginning in 1944, Knight led toxonomy studies for the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Department of the Navy, and in 1951, he became the Officer in Charge of the U.S.N. Preventitive Medicine Unit #1 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Knight retired from the Navy in 1962 and began the next phase of his career in academia. He started as an Associate Professor in the department of Zoology and Entomology at Iowa State University and was later promoted to full professorship. Then in 1966, he moved to the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia, Athens. Finally, Knight came to North Carolina States's Entomology department in 1968, where he would serve as department head and stay until his retirement in 1980.
Also during his time at NC State, Knight served as President of the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) from 1973-1974 and President of the Entomological Society of America in 1975. After retiring, he was awarded the AMCA's Medal of Honor in 1982 and the John N. Belkin Memorial Award in 1983. Knight published extensively on his mosquito research throughout his career.
The Kenneth Knight Papers, 1938-2002, document Knight's study of mosquitos in the United States Navy and as a professor of Entomology. The collection includes Knight's resumes and biographies, research logs, various entomology publications, correspondence, Mosquito Collection Records, and books on mosquitos. Also in the collection are publications and manuscripts by Knight, including a four volume collection of All Writings on Mosquitos.
This collection is arranged in alphabetical order.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Kenneth L. Knight Papers, MC 00803, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of Robert Knight, 2025 December (Accession 2026.0017).
Preliminary Processing by: Ella Mayfield, 2026 February; Collection guide written by: Ella Mayfield, 2026 February; Processed by Emily Cunningham; Guide updated by Emily Cunningham
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
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[Identification of item], Kenneth L. Knight Papers, MC 00803, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.