Yeah, the resistance was sometimes it was subtle. Sometimes it was overt. Sometimes it was direct in your face. Sometimes it wasn’t doing things that should have been done just to see what kind of arise they could get out of me. The senior keeper in charge of the zoo… Read More
That strategy kind of developed, or you kind of had that as you were going in?… Read More
You’d had experience of going to Rochester Zoo, but what kind of zoo did you find at Lincoln Park when you started?… Read More
The zoo at Lincoln Park, when I started was largely a reflection of WPA days, some leftover conservation core work, the collection was a very good collection. There were animals there that I had never seen before. I had a lot of book learning, but I didn’t have a lot… Read More
All mammals?… Read More
My responsibilities essentially, were learn the mammal collection, help where help is needed supervise on a day-to-day basis the entire mammal collection, focus on the children’s zoo and the nursery, because that area needed almost constant attention because of the number of infant animals that were being hand-raised in the… Read More
What kind of zoo did you find?… Read More
There was a zoologist in charge of reptiles, and that was Eddie (indistinct). There was a zoologist in charge of birds, and that was Jim Mizaur. So that left me with the zoologist in charge of mammals or whatever else needed to be done. So your direct boss was the… Read More
Yes, that my direct boss was the general curator who was a, how should I put this?… Read More
A gentleman nearing retirement who always had done things his own way, and you were expected to do things the same way. Read More
Did you have specific responsibilities given you, or was just you’re in charge of the mammals, period?… Read More
Dr. Goss followed up and called several weeks later and said, “I’d really like you to come out here.” We had made the move to Chicago and he said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, it took me so long, but it just took this long. Good for Les, you’ll enjoy working… Read More
As, what was your title, what did they hire you as?… Read More
My title in 1967 was zoologist. My office was in the West end of the Lion House. I was issued four used uniforms. And I was told what my schedule was, which was essentially work three out of four weekends, and have as your days off, when you don’t have… Read More
I was encouraged to go to that meeting by my local zoo colleagues at Seneca Park Zoo. I went, I met the then director, Clayton Freight, who just sort of took me under his wing. And he said, I’ll talk you around. You know, I’ll talk to you around. We’ll… Read More
We gotta get some paperwork cleared up. He says, “But I think we have a position for you. I don’t wanna make any promises other than be patient with me, and we’ll get this taken care of.” I said, “Okay, great,” I came home from that conference and I was… Read More
The only promise that you have to make to me is that you will finish your college education,” because that was during the period when I was four courses short. So I assured him of that, went home, said, we’ve got a job. We all agreed that it was the… Read More
What happened to Dr. Goss?… Read More
When you get some zoo experience, please write us back and we’ll see if we have any available positions.” And I was left with this quandary. Read More
Okay, how do you get a zoo position?… Read More