Daniel John (Jack) King

Jack was born in 1938 at Delhi, Iowa. He attended Loras College and Iowa State University (DVM 1961). Jack was a Captain, U.S. Army Veterinary Corps (1961-1963), a clinical practice associate (1963-1965), and then Plant Veterinarian, American Scientific Laboratories (1965-1968). He did his graduate work at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Veterinary Science, under David Anderson and Robert Hanson (1968-1973, PhD 1976). Jack is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (1975). He was a member of the faculty of the University of Georgia, Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center (1973-1976) and a research virologist at Jensen Salsbery Laboratories (1976-1980).

Jack joined the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, ARS, USDA in 1980 and retired in 2008. His research was the first to identify the serotype specificity of the infectious bronchitis virus hemagglutination inhibition test for expediting flock serology and new isolate serotyping. Jack is best known for his research reporting the characterization of emergent domestic and exotic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates and their comparisons with historic isolates. The comparison of virus pathotype and strain differentiation contributed to the evolving definition of the etiology of virulent Newcastle disease (ND) and related import/export issues. The pathogenesis of these isolates and the protection induced by conventional and novel vaccines demonstrated the impact of NDV infection and approaches to ND control. Jack was a member of the END (exotic Newcastle disease) Response Team that received a USDA Group Honor Award for Excellence in 2004. He was a member of a committee tasked to update the Newcastle Disease chapter of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code for the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in 2006.

He served on several different AAAP committees, was chair of the Avian Respiratory Diseases committee (1995-1999) and was a member of Editorial Board of Avian Diseases (1980-2008). Jack received an AAAP Achievement Award (2003) and Life Member Award (2009).

Jack and his wife, Beverly, have been married for 58 years, have three children (Stephanie, Susan, Gregory) and a granddaughter (Sydney). Jack enjoys traveling, including trips to all seven continents, reading, and baking fruitcake to share with friends during the Christmas season.