Apiarist. Born the son of Rebecca Dunn and John G. Langstroth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1831, he was graduated from Yale University with a degree in theology, he then was employed as a tutor from 1834 to 1835. He was then given the pastor's position at the Congregational Church in Andover, Massachusetts, followed by a tenure at the church in Greenfield, Massachusetts. In 1848, he returned to Philadelphia and took a position as the principal of a school for young women as well as establishing a two-acre apiary in West Philadelphia. Through his entire life, he had an unswerving interest in insects, particularly bees. He was the first American to observe the so-called 'bee space,' an open space measuring about three-eighths of an inch that honeybees did not fill to bond their combs to hives. In 1851, he invented the first movable frame beehive, which revolutionized the beekeeping industry and the production of honey by taking advantage of his observations. He received a patent for his movable frame hives in October 1852, then had numerous hives built and began selling them. The design allowed for easy inspection without angering the bees, queens could be quickly replaced, diseases, pests and parasites could be quickly discovered and remedied, and honey extraction could be accomplished without destroying the comb or killing the bees, making honey production a cost effective business. His patent was thereafter widely infringed upon and he never received any royalties, he fought fruitlessly to to defend his patent over the years. In 1853, he published 'The Hive and the Honey-Bee,' which is still in print. In 1858, he moved to Oxford, Ohio and devoted himself to his bees, experimenting in increasing honey production, bee gardens, and bee imports. In 1860, he published 'Langstroth on the Hive and Honey Bee.' In 1861, the first issue of the 'American Bee Journal,' was introduced, for which he wrote the lead column, and remained a regular contributor thereafter. In 1863, he became one of the first to import the Italian honeybee. In 1874, chronic illness led to his retirement from beekeeping. In 1887, he moved to Dayton, Ohio where he died at age 84 while in the pulpit, delivering a sermon at the Wayne Avenue Presbyterian Church. He is now widely regarded as the Father of American Beekeeping and his Oxford home is now a designated National Historic Landmark.