Joseph Thomas Walker (January 26, 1908 – April 29, 1952) was a pioneer in forensic science. He earned a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard University in 1933. In 1934, he created the Massachusetts State Police Chemical Laboratory - the first statewide crime detection lab in the country. Later the Chemical Laboratories of the Department of Public Safety, he ran it until his death. During that time, Walker developed many of the scientific techniques essential in modern crime detection.