Stephen B. Hitchner, an avian pathologist, entrepreneur and former chair of the College of Veterinary Medicine's former Department of Avian Diseases, died Jan. 1 at his home in Salisbury, Md. He was 94.

Hitchner graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School in 1943. After three years of Army service, he became a lecturer and research scientist at Virginia Polytechnic University and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In 1947 Hitchner discovered a strain of the Newcastle disease virus that resulted in a vaccine protecting poultry flocks. He described the discovery as an "accident" and later advised his grandchildren, "if they keep their eyes and ears open, and the wheels in their brain churning, they too may make an unexpected discovery purely by accident when looking for something else."

The discovery led Hitchner to spend seven years in the private sector, working at a commercial vaccine producer. He joined Cornell's vet school in 1966 and served the department for 15 years as a researcher and teacher until his retirement in 1981.

Known for his modesty and tolerance, Hitchner described himself as a "country-reared person who tries to apply a little horse sense to the world."

Hitchner is survived by his wife, four children and eight grandchildren.