The late Theodore C. Byerly, a biologist, served as Deputy Administrator of ARS and was stationed in Washington, D.C. He directed research that produced many major advances in poultry science, including discovery of the superiority of selectively bred hybrids in egg and poultry production, and the development of the Beltsville white turkey. He was a founding director and president of the Friends of Agricultural Research, Beltsville (FAR-B).