Director Bob Bean was unique; he was the third generation of zoo professionals in his family. His grandfather, Edward H. Bean, was the first director of the Brookfield Zoo and his father, Robert Bean Sr., was Brookfield Zoo’s second director. His father’s sister, Mary Bean, was married to George Speidel,… Read More
Director Emeritus Paul started his zoo career as a part time reptile keeper at the San Diego Zoo in 1940. His promotion to driver for the zoo’s sightseeing bus came via his boss, Ms. Belle Benchley, the director of the zoo and the first female in the United States to… Read More
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. During his… Read More
Director Emeritus Bill began working for the Shedd Aquarium by going on fish collecting trips in 1950. He was later hired as a ‘tank’ man taking daily care of the fish. After serving in the Korean War, at the urging of the current director, Walter Chute, Bill came back to… Read More
Director Emeritus At 15 years old, Louis DiSabato starting working at the Columbus Zoo, 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 zoo, where he was a witness to the first captive… Read More
Zoologist & Television Host 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. His first exposure to Marlin Perkins was in 1955 when he did… Read More
Emeritus Professor of Zoological Medicine 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. Murray Fowler grew up on a small farm in Utah. Read More
Director Emeritus 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. In 1983, Jack was invited to appear on Good Morning America following the birth… Read More
Director Emeritus Charlie’s first experience with exotic animals was not at a zoo but in the pet shop industry. His passion was with the reptiles and in 1963 joined the Saint Louis Zoo as a reptile keeper. He moved up the ranks as an assistant curator, curator, general curator and… Read More
Director Emeritus 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. The director of the zoo, and his mentor was Marlin Perkins. In 1961 he moved to the Cincinnati Zoo as General Curator. He became director… Read More
Assistant Director of Animal Collections, Retired With a background in research Dennis’s first zoo position was as zoologist at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo in 1967. Promotions came quickly to Curator of Mammals and then in 1976 he became Assistant Director to Dr. Lester Fisher. Always a believer in education Dennis… Read More
President Emerita 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. She loved the desert… Read More
Director Emeritus 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. He quickly moved to other positions as staff veterinarian and assistant director. His next appointment, in 1966, as a veterinarian was… Read More
General Curator, Retired Bill’s roots with the National Zoo run deep. As a young boy interested in reptiles he would visit with National Zoo director William Mann. His dream of working at the zoo came to pass when in 1956 he was hired as an animal keeper. Over the years… Read More
Director Emeritus Gary’s first zoo job, in 1957, was as a zoo attendant at the Kansas City Zoo. Later he moved into the position of animal keeper. His experience with reptiles was advanced when he took a job with the Midwest Research Institute. In 1962 he moved to the Fort… Read More
Director Emeritus 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. He continued to work with Professor Hediger as a… Read More