Larry Litner Jr. lived in Corpus Chris, or lived in Houston in Dallas and Earl Sams Layner lived in Corpus and subsequently he moved to Wyoming. So they had different interests and wanted to fund their projects. Gladys’s daughter, Dody, decided that they were gonna support the zoo come whatever. Read More
Every time there’d be a new president, every six years, they’d go through a Paso devaluation. And they were doing that at the time. And that impacted businesses along the border. But the board mainly the executive committee decided that we really need to accept their challenge grant. So they… Read More
But this was at, in the beginning, that was about maybe 10% of the budget of the zoo. And the Sams Foundation said, make what you can on the gate, which made up another like 50%. And then the Sams Foundation, as long as they would approve the annual budget… Read More
Was she still interested in helping support during the time you’re there?… Read More
The Sam’s Foundation or through her is still funding the zoo. Their original commitment was the City of Brownsville would supply a certain dollar amount per year. It started at 100,000, it ended up, I think now it’s about close to 475,000, but they would supply a very low level… Read More
Or was it your idea to take her?… Read More
I thought it would be good for her to be exposed to others. and she had gone, even when Dr. Thomas was the director. Read More
Was it her idea to go to the zoo association meetings?… Read More
at things?… Read More
And she also would go to the AZA meeting every year. She got to know zoo people through meeting Dr. Seal that I mentioned earlier, and Lee Simmons from Omaha, they ask her if she would put up the first challenge grant to establish the zoo computer program, which she… Read More
And now that your director you’ve inherited Gladys Porter, so to speak. That was a pleasant inheritance. Was she involved in, you’ve mentioned certain animals she liked and so forth. Was she still then day to day or coming and looking. Read More
When you did become director of the zoo, did they all embrace you or was there some issues with the staff?… Read More
I don’t think there were so many issues other than who was gonna be the associate director. And I had two different staff persons that both wanted that position. One was a dynamic hepatologist and one was a more generalized person who had a mammals background who, when he came… Read More
Well that wasn’t unique to our zoo. Most zoos had some form of an Adopt an Animal program. The one that we had came about as a part of an annual fundraiser, and we had a couple of dynamic board members, one in particular was a banker who was one… Read More
So, and so, this company or that person is assisting with personal input and financial support of the zoo, maybe we should also. You mentioned when you were offered the position that you had kind of consulted with the staff and they said you might be a better choice than… Read More
Could you give us some details and how successful was it?… Read More
Well, I had to do both jobs till we got a new veterinarian and I’ve had a series of veterinarians that worked for us. Stewart Porter was one of the first ones, Jim Oster Hisis, who then went on to San Diego wild animal park, where he still is, was… Read More
She was good veterinarian. So then my latest hire before I left, I retired in 2007, at the end of 19, or yeah, at the end of 2006, I hired Tom Derma who had about five years experience working in Africa at Old Joji wild animal park in Kenya. And… Read More
Or were you having to do again both jobs?… Read More
In the beginning, did you automatically first hire a full-time veterinarian?… Read More