Well both directors, the marketing director and the finance man when he was director, neither one recognized the value of volunteers. It wasn’t until I became zoo director in 1982 that one of the early trainees that I had as a docent came to me, “It’s okay, Charlie. You’re director. Read More
Was it important to the zoo?… Read More
Do you feel it was important?… Read More
I think the St. Louis Zoo show was an extension of our education role of the zoo in that we would able to get beyond our visitors to the zoo that we were able to reach people within 200-mile radius which is at that time was the radius that the… Read More
So I learned from every director that I worked under, but I still feel the best team is under the direction of a biologist, a naturalist, a zoologist who has in his culture the animals and the relationship with animals in the public, to be able to deal with the… Read More
Again backpedaling a bit to the TV show. Read More
Do you think that you were involved?… Read More
Or is it better to have the animal person with the business person second?… Read More
My honest answer is that I believe that the zoo director should be as close to a scientist as possible. I would think that you want a person who is an animal person, a scientist running the zoo with the assistance of a capable team. You need a business manager,… Read More
Did you learn public relations, things or tricks of the trade from Briggs?… Read More
I learned from every director I worked under. When there was a public relations director, I learned a lot. How to deal with the media, how to deal with the press, how to deal with the public. What you should talk about, what you shouldn’t talk about. Following him, we… Read More
Bob Briggs was PR person mostly. He had the role of zoo director. He was the chief executive officer. We had a finance officer at the time. We had a business manager at the time. The business manager ran the railroad, the gift shops and the food stands. I was… Read More
But the businessman took care of the gift shops. At that time, we had big souvenir shops, gift shops and also the railroad. Read More
Based on your experience in this world over a period of time, do you believe it’s better to have a business person running the zoo with an animal person, in a sense, second?… Read More
Actually I got my appointment of deputy director under Marlin Perkins when Henry Sanders left the zoo. Moody Lentz was made deputy director. And then Moody died, then I was made deputy director. And then Hoff came in. And then Hoff came in. I was deputy director under Bill Hoff… Read More
So how did it work?… Read More
Did he say take over or was there a conflict between a animal person and I’ll say a business-type person?… Read More
What’s your title?… Read More
When Bob Briggs was director, he followed Bill Hoff. I was deputy director. But I also was the animal man because Bob Briggs was a marketing person, a former Post-Dispatch reporter, former photographer and had worked in public relations who knew nothing about animals. His only claim to fame is… Read More
I was really in charge of running the zoo, so I was still learning to be zoo director. Not realizing it but that’s what I was doing. Okay, just to make my timeline. Read More