So we literally had people in almost every, we had animal keepers that were Animal City paid animal keepers, SEEDA paid animal keepers. We had maintenance people that were SEEDA paid bottom line is, there were counterparts for every position except for two at the zoo, the director and the… Read More
That was my downfall actually, once again, downfall and mixed blessing. As we talked about earlier, the city became very dependent on SEEDA funds, where all through the city and the zoo, positions were funded and then in 78, the city wound up having a physical financial crisis where there… Read More
There was a pretty substantial layoff at the zoo in 1978, what had happened and how were you affected in your management?… Read More
Well, yeah, once again, the zoo, the business has evolved. So how you’re doing things and maybe you don’t have to pick up as many crates as you used to, you have equipment that we didn’t have. We never had a forklift at Evansville. we had several forklifts in San… Read More
So that was one of my foibles later on in life. Read More
Has that changed over time?… Read More
I don’t know, no, I can’t say I was a champion. I had no problems with it. I think later on in life I became more to be honest of a curmudgeon about it. And once again, this is later on in life where, suddenly you have more women keepers… Read More
You have to pick up a box, you don’t have enough people to pick up the box, you know?… Read More
Did you have any feelings about it?… Read More
Were you a champion of that?… Read More
I think a little of everything. I know also for sure there was some political pressure from downtown, a daughter of somebody who had connections, wanted to be an animal keeper and they were hired. I also remember there’s a big fight that we had a secretary of the zoo… Read More
Did the director say you wanted more?… Read More
Was it forced upon the zoo?… Read More
Did you originate it?… Read More
I mean, how did that kind of evolve?… Read More
And the women, what was this evolution of the women?… Read More
When I first came there, I believe it was 100% white male with the exception of the dietician, which was just a person who they paid less than a keeper who was a woman that cut the plates, who did the diets. She would cut the same diets every day,… Read More
Were there women keepers, were there African American keepers?… Read More
What was the makeup?… Read More
You indicated that when you started at Lincoln Park, there were just men, couple of women at the children’s zoo, when you were at Evansville, how diverse were your employees?… Read More