Who is considered founder of virology

Beijerinck is considered the founder of virology.
Martinus Willem Beijerinck (1851 - 1931) first discovered a pathogen that was smaller than a bacterium. He called it a virus and is therefore the father of virology.
Beijerinck was the first to recognize that viruses are reproducing entities that are different from other organisms. He also discovered new types of bacteria from soil and described biological nitrogen fixation.