Interview 15334 – Caption Index: 91
24. Read More
24. Read More
But I turned, during that time, I became 25, but so immediately, what do you do?… Read More
These are the nucleus around which we rebuilt, not totally built, rebuilt a marvelous zoo. So you were, ultimately, you beat out all the other candidates if there were any. There weren’t any other candidates. Read More
Okay, so at what age were you the director of the Honolulu Zoo?… Read More
He’s a friend, strong friends of the Japanese population. Because of this, Herb Bowles, he wasn’t a true animal lover, per se. He had some African gray parrots, but mostly he saw the merit of a good zoo. And he became my lifelong friend and his grand children are our… Read More
However, Herb Bowles’ parents and others strongly urged that these Japanese, these citizens, American citizens of Japanese ancestry are strongly patriotic Americans. And just because their folks came from Japan does not mean that they’re not patriotic citizens of this country, and therefore they should remain to help the war… Read More
So he’s a friend of the zoo?… Read More
And even if you’re not appointed?” So I of course said, “Absolutely, Mr. Lyons, you can count on me.” And so he urged the park department to accept the animals, and I’d done a few stories in the appearing supporting that. He said it was very open. Come to the… Read More
Perhaps a third of the population was of Japanese ancestry, almost all born here. Herb Bowles had grown up in Japan and his folks were Quaker missionaries there. He spoke fluent Japanese. When the Japanese folks, ladies went to that clinic that he worked within, they preferred him because he… Read More
So essentially, I was urging him to accept them. And we developed a rapport. He was one of the first persons that believed in my integrity that I could do what I said I’d do. I said, yes, that I’ll do this. We’ll get the help of the San Diego… Read More
Will you still take care of them out there at the dairy, if the park department accepts the animals?… Read More
So with those two strong focus, strong directed objectives, I was really persuasive with my building those encouraging others, my biology, I mean the head of the zoology department at the university. The people that I knew that remained here as Navy and here being Hawaii, is full-time Navy officers. Read More
Do I accept them or do we say no and have them shipped back to the mainland?… Read More
And then we’ll get into your time at the zoo. Well, as you’re totally correct. Then in terms of experience, zoo experience being limited to being an assistant reptile keeper, essentially that means cleaning up after a herd of giant tortoises and draining and cleaning alligator pools, and wiping the… Read More
But I was audacious too. See, I just had enough experience as a leader in the war. I think in a large measure, it was due to two things. One is the fact that I knew I had the support of Belle Benchley, director of the San Diego Zoo. And… Read More
What did they see or how did that start?… Read More
So here’s the first question that I have, is how did you actually get into this position of zoo director?… Read More
Because, of course, you had limited experience from the San Diego Zoo. You’d just come out of the- All of a sudden you are bestowed. Read More
Well, now let’s get back to- Let’s get back to- and that is that we now have the second, we’ll call him zoo director, at this newly established Waikiki Bird Park, which was the zoo. And now we got this young whipper stamper, Navy guy who is there. And wants… Read More
And what is truly remarkable, here is this man, probably in his late ’50s, with the much younger Japanese wife, had been paid by the organization of the ladies, had been appointed to that job of superintendent of the Waikiki, newly renamed Waikiki Zoo. The zoo previously had been called… Read More