He’s just been to college. He’s got book learning.” So you have to overcome those things. But see, this was in the 1950s. And zoos were still… It was just a different world for zoos. But I did get accepted. And the superintendent and I were able to work out… Read More
He’s what, 21, 22?… Read More
Well, in different ways. My introduction at the Fort Worth Zoo, with the same thing that I’d done at Dallas. I went on all the routes. And the younger keepers I got along with fine. Read More
The older keepers, “Well, who’s this young, you know, snotty-nosed kid?… Read More
How did they receive you?… Read More
You were how old when you took this general curator job?… Read More
I was 21. You were now in charge of a lot of people at a young age. Read More
I really was not, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know what to do. And I would talk to people and get advice. Finally, the natural history museum director called me up. He said, “Lawrence, take that job in Fort Worth.” I said, “Well, why? Why should I do that?” He… Read More
Hamilton Hittson moved up into the park director’s job. After that happened, he calls me up. He says, “You know Jim Brown, he’s our superintendent, we need a director. But I can’t call you a director at this time, but we’re gonna call you the general curator. Would you come… Read More
I went over there, and it was great. Read More
And how did that next zoo job come about?… Read More
Well, my next zoo after Dallas was pretty simple. At the Dallas Zoo, I would go to other zoos in Texas, and I would go to the Fort Worth Zoo to get animals. They were really (clicks tongue) active there. We used to put out a surplus list, AAZPA did. Read More
And guess what?… Read More
Just a bit, but don’t worry about it. That’s okay. That’s fine. Thank you. You were saying. Yeah. You were at Dallas for two years. Read More
Where did you go from the Dallas Zoo as curator?… Read More
Would you mind taking your pen outta your pocket and just putting it on the side there?… Read More
Thanks. Occasionally it’ll bump the mic. Read More
Are you getting any reflection off my glasses?… Read More
How would you like to be our curator?” Well, hell, I grabbed it. I grabbed that. And so the minute I was through with my studies, I went over to the Dallas Zoo. And I’d never really worked in a zoo. I’d been in the, by then, I’d been in… Read More
I went out with each keeper, until the keeper said, “Okay, Lawrence can handle my route.” They called them routes, of course, and I would do his route for a couple of days. Then I would go do another route. And I did, spent probably the first two months doing… Read More