Oh. (sighs) (George chuckles) In terms of why I became director and why did I want that position, it was in effect that I’d been serving in that position for the previous year under Crowcroft. Crowcroft was, shall we say, rarely available in the preceding year. And I had served… Read More
But that was Robert Bean’s principle contribution to the improvement or the development of exhibits at Brookfield. Read More
So just a footnote in terms of that background. So people like Robert Bean, I mean, he simply went along with whatever Tappan Gregory suggested, et cetera, and he had to have Tappan Gregory’s backing in terms of things like proceeding with the first inland dolphinarium that was built at… Read More
It’s certainly expensive. I’m trying to think. It may still be. It may still be. I was thinking of the Frankfurt facility and the Frankfurt thing is stitched together. It may well be still. Tell me more about the involvement of the board and directors. (George chuckling) I just recalled… Read More
And Tappan Gregory actually caused the building of the Wolf Woods, the large outdoor exhibit for the wolves where I did my studies on their social behavior and had students and others with me, but it was Tappan Gregory who, as I say, caused that to be built. And he’d… Read More
Is it true it’s the largest zoo building in the world?… Read More
So that was how we started on Tropic World. And unfortunately the challenges in terms of construction with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill involved and they were simultaneously involved in what became the serious building, the same team, and the chief architect on our side died in the middle of the… Read More
Boston went ahead with such a facility and it didn’t turn out so well, but they would not guarantee, in Chicago weather, the stability and the survivability of the plastic roof. So we gave that up and went to Skidmore, which, as I say, resulted in a pretty confined space… Read More
That started under Crowcroft and it was a result of our external parties, architects, indicating that we needed to improve facilities around the zoo and one of the primary ones was obviously the primate house with the great ape collection. And so one of the things that Crowcroft did do… Read More
Can you give me a bit of the evolution of Tropic World?… Read More
Did that start with what director?… Read More
In terms of the relationship of the board of the Chicago Zoological Society and the directors, I’d say there was modest involvement during Crowcroft’s time. I mean, they basically left it to him. They were not engaged except towards the latter part of his time when there was a significant… Read More
And I became involved in terms of teaching, instructing, coaching the docents. So that made a difference in terms of the board involvement. And we also established, in that time, a scientific research advisory committee that handle a little money in terms of awarding grants and things of that sort. Read More
Now what was the relationship between the board at Brookfield Zoo and the directors that were in place as they moved along?… Read More
Speaking of relationships, what was the relationship between Lincoln Park Zoo, the other zoo in Chicago and Brookfield Zoo?… Read More
(George chuckles) As you were moving through the process- Well, the relationship when I first came was really, between Lincoln Park Zoo and Brookfield Zoo, was really a strained one. The board of governors that elects the trustees had an annual meeting at Brookfield in which others were invited, including… Read More
And it just, as I say, the trustees determined that this was unworkable. Read More
What were the goods and bads of that?… Read More
(George chuckling) Well, the person on the, Blakely was on the animal side, responsible for the collections, et cetera. And the other gentleman who occupied that post was responsible for for the public accommodations and the restaurants and so on, and so forth. And there was sort of constant tension… Read More
And he did to a remarkable effect in terms of studying, again, the Peromyscus, the wood and beach mice from mainly the Southeastern United States. And as a result of Bruce’s work, doctoral work, we also acquired Robert Lacy and this led, shortly, to then the first population viability analysis… Read More