In Memoriam Feb 25, 1941 - Jul 25, 2023 Interview | Director Don Farst Dr. Farst started his career as a private practitioner but in 1969 took a position as veterinarian at the Columbus Zoo. Dr. Farst was named Managing Director of the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville Texas four years after his arrival.Watch the full Interview 4:14:44
In Memoriam Nov 15, 1943 - Mar 11, 2021 Interview | Director Stephen Wylie Steve was passionate about his zoo career, conservation, international travels, birding, hunting and fishing. He was Director of the Oklahoma City Zoo from 1985 until his retirement in 2000. During his 15 year tenure at the Oklahoma City Zoo, Steve was a builder. He dramatically increased community support and created numerous major renovations, upgrades and new exhibits.Watch the full Interview 4:48:42
Interview | President Karen Sausman Although Karen’s degree is in computer science, she started her animal career working with horses in the Chicago area. She was able to land a volunteer job at the Lincoln Park Zoo working in the zoo nursery, which eventually lead to part-time keeper work.Watch the full Interview 4:10:36
Interview | Director John “Jack” Frederick Hanna Jack Hanna served as director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from 1978 to 1992 and is viewed as largely responsible for elevating the zoo’s quality and reputation. He currently serves as director emeritus.Watch the full Interview 3:24:52
Interview | Director Christian R. Schmidt Dr. Christian Schmidt obtained his Ph.D. on Behavior of a Zoo Group of Collared Peccaries at University of Zurich. He worked under the supervision of the famous Prof. Dr. Heini Hediger, animal psychologist and founder of scientific zoo biology.Watch the full Interview 5:06:23
Interview | Director Gordon Hubbell When Dr. Hubble graduated in 1959, there were only six full-time veterinarians in the country in zoo work. He began communicating with other zoo veterinarians around the country, and starting the Zoo Veterinary Association. He moved to Miami and began working for the Crandon Park Zoo as a full-time veterinarian and then director.Watch the full Interview 3:16:24
In Memoriam Jan 1, 1928 - May 18, 2014 Interview | Veterinarian Murray E. Fowler The first patient that Dr. Murray Fowler treated as a veterinarian was a camel, and that was on the set of a movie called The Ten Commandments which was directed by the famous C.B. DeMille.Watch the full Interview 4:16:49
Interview | Veterinarian Mitchell Bush, DVM Dr. Bush has enjoyed many roles in his medical career: consultant, writer, mentor and teacher. He was once a visiting scientist at Kruger National Park, South Africa. With over 350 scientific publications, he has contributed extensively to the knowledge base of the zoo veterinary profession.Watch the full Interview 04:31:17
In Memoriam Oct 16, 1922 - Oct 18, 2018 Interview | Director Paul Breese Paul's WWII experiences fostered his confidence and strengthened his passion to pursue a career of displaying, conserving, and protecting animals in captivity. In 1947 Paul was appointed the first Director of the Honolulu Zoo. He developed the facility's master plan, which defined its boundaries in Waikiki with fences and a single entrance. He also designed and constructed many of the animal enclosures.Watch the full Interview 6:02:31
In Memoriam Jan 1, 1938 - Feb 7, 2015 Interview | Director Saul Kitchener Saul started his zoo career in 1963 as the Curator of Primates at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Positions followed in 1966 as General Curator, at the Henry Doorly Zoo and in 1968 as General Curator at Lincoln Park Zoo later becoming the Assistant Director. He retired as the director of the San Francisco Zoo in 1988. Watch the full Interview 4:45:45
In Memoriam Jul 15, 1928 - Feb 25, 2016 Interview | Director Frank M. Thompson Frank Thompson had a varied and unique insight into the zoo profession. In 1957 he started working at the famous Catskill Game Farm under its owner, Roland Lindermann. Watch the full Interview 03:45:37
In Memoriam Apr 9, 1930 - May 8, 2019 Interview | Zoologist Jim Fowler Jim started his career with animals at John Hamlet’s Birds of Prey in Florida as a trainer and lecturer. Stints in Africa and South America studying the Harpy eagle gave him invaluable field experience.Watch the full Interview 5:14:17
Interview | Director Louis DiSabato Louis DiSabato starting working at the Columbus Zoo at the age of 15 cleaning bathrooms and parking cars. After serving in the Korean War, he returned to Ohio and was immediately offered a job as mammal curator for the Columbus Zoo.Watch the full Interview 4:12:45
Interview | Director Lee Simmons As a veterinarian, Dr. Simmons has had a varied career. In 1963 he landed his first zoo job as curator of mammals at the Columbus Ohio Zoo.Watch the full Interview 5:46:12
In Memoriam Apr 20, 1930 - Oct 11, 2022 Interview | Director Lawrence Curtis Lawrence started his international career in 1946 as an assistant curator at the Dallas Aquarium and finished as director of the National Zoological Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2001. Watch the full Interview 05:23:53
In Memoriam Jan 1, 1933 - Oct 21, 2016 Interview | Director Robert Bean Jr. Although he originally started his career as an animal keeper, he learned how to manage from the ground up as a curator, assistant director, and finally director. Fun fact: the AZA Bean Award is named after his grandfather. Watch the full Interview 02:16:50
In Memoriam Nov 20, 1929 - Oct 21, 2021 Interview | President William G. Conway Dr. William G. Conway is an American zoologist, ornithologist and conservationist who began his career with the St. Louis Zoo. He joined the New York Zoological Society in 1956 as assistant curator of birds. He was later promoted to director of the society. In 1992 he became President. Watch the full Interview 6:47:10
In Memoriam Feb 19, 1934 - Jun 14, 2022 Interview | Director Edward Maruska Ed’s formative years started with a job at Chicago’s Lincoln Park zoo (1955) as an animal keeper and head of the Children’s Zoo.Watch the full Interview 3:16:33
In Memoriam Jan 19, 1939 - Jan 11, 2019 Interview | Director Gary K. Clarke Gary Clarke had a number of firsts in his career. He was Topeka Zoos' first director and served in that position for 26 years. In 1971 Gary became the association's first president.Watch the full Interview 4:24:53
In Memoriam Mar 23, 1930 - Jul 27, 2017 Interview | Director George Rabb Despite running Brookfield Zoo, one of the Chicago area's top tourist attractions, for decades and even living in a house on zoo grounds, George Rabb was probably better known in the international zoo and conservation communities than he was locally.Watch the full Interview 4:45:44
