He was a specialist on the parasitic wasp family Chalcididae, and contributed to the introduction of biological control agents for pest management.

At the age of 13, along with another collector friend, he recorded the introduction of the European cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae) in the Catskill region.

Howard enrolled in Cornell in September 1873, three years after the death of his father, and following the advice of his mother's friends, went to study civil engineering.

Doing poorly in differential calculus made him drop engineering and he began to study other subjects including French, German, and Italian.

[1] In July 1878, on the recommendation of Professor Comstock, Howard applied for a post in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an assistant entomologist to C.V. Riley despite the low salary ($100/month) and advice against joining it from many friends and family, he took up the job.

He was made permanent secretary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, honorary curator in the United States National Museum, and consulting entomologist of the Public Health Service.

[4] Howard married Marie T. Clifton in 1886, "a girl with a glorious soprano voice", who he met while singing in a choir at college.