Always wanted to, well, I mean, literally when I graduated from high school, I went and I tried to get a job. They didn’t have any openings. So I started working, I think my first job was at a picture framing company in Downtown Washington. And then I went and… Read More
And then in August of ’56, they had an opening and I went and took the exam and got hired. Read More
No, it was pretty much everything. I mean, I spent a lot of time in the Reptile House, but I remember there was a building that we used to call, I think it was even when I was young called the Antelope Pows, but it was right across the walkway… Read More
I mean, it was a really, really nasty, terrible building and was actually one of the first buildings that came down when Ted Reed took over as director. So you’re collecting all these animals and bringing them to the zoo. Your parents know that you have this love of reptiles. Read More
They support it?… Read More
Do you still have that letter?… Read More
Yes, I do. Now, you said that you would go and talk to the then director, William Mann. Read More
How did you first get entry, you just walked in and when you were at the zoo all these times, what are your early memories of what the zoo looked like or what interested you?… Read More
Was it just the reptiles or other things?… Read More
Can I curate it?… Read More
I’d like to get a turtle.” And he would say, “Sure,” he said, “Will you take it over to Reptile House and you tell the curator at the, well, the head keeper at the Reptile House that you want a turtle and I’ll call over there.” And so I’d go… Read More
What’d your parents do?… Read More
My mother was a registered nurse and my father was in charge of the sanitation department in the District of Columbia in Washington, DC. In fact, I have a letter from John F. Kennedy for his inauguration, where there was a huge, I don’t know if anybody remembered the inauguration… Read More
My name is William Albert Xanten. I was born in Washington, DC in 1937. I grew up, I spent most of my life in Washington and since then I’ve lived in Virginia, Maryland, now, I live in Maryland. Read More
What was your childhood like?… Read More
I had a really good childhood. I was the oldest of all my siblings and I’d like to think that I was born liking animals, particularly reptiles and amphibians. And I can remember as a youngster and my mother would take me to the zoo pretty much 2 or 3… Read More
And the other thing was when I reached, I guess I was in my 8, 10, 11 years old, I would go to the zoo. And at that time, Dr. William Mann was director. And I don’t know if he had an open door policy, but every time I would… Read More
I love warthogs. Most people who go on safaris love warthogs. Of course, Disney in the “Lion King” made the warthog a real character, with Pumbaa and everything. This is a little sculpture of a warthog from a friend of mine in Africa, but there’s a fabulous little poem about… Read More
Whatever they are seeking, you can be sure it won’t be found. But if you want to reach them, I suggest that you leave word with the message-taking service of the secretary bird. Read More
I would not like to be remembered as a generic Gary Clarke. By that I mean, and my family knows this, whatever, I don’t want a funeral as such, ’cause I’m gonna be already, my wife has even agreed I’d be cremated. And some of my buddies are gonna take… Read More