Gus’s background. Gus, his name was John Augusta Griswold and that’s why everybody called him Gus. Gus’s background was very unique and I don’t know that there will ever be anyone like him in this profession again. Gus’s upbringing was one… He came from a very wealthy family. He was… Read More
He read it very well. He had not gone to college but he was very interested in birds and he was interested in doing field work that he did some expedition work as a young man. He actually is the one, I still believe this, that put the first bird… Read More
So, my entire function was working with the bird collection and working under Gus’s direction and tutoring and working with the keepers that managed the collection. Now, I’m told Gus was a dapper kind of guy. Read More
And how did your styles, as you were developing yours, mesh with his and what kind of influence did he have on you down the road with birds?… Read More
I was Gus’s guy. The Reptile Department, the Mammal Department and the Bird Department were all sanctioned. Everybody did their own thing. We met and had weekly meetings and certainly Conant, he was also curator of reptiles and director of the zoo. But this was bird business. This was mammal… Read More
Was there a hierarchy there?… Read More
Did Fred and the other curators not mentor you but accept you or were you Gus’s guy?… Read More
The mammal curator was Fred Omer. Fred’s background was in museums and he had been there for years and years, that he didn’t have an assistant. Read More
No, there wasn’t. Well, there were two, I guess his title was Supervisor. His job was largely the management of the keepers. If I had a keeper problem, I had a personnel issue, I went to this individual to get it solved. So, my direct, although I worked with these… Read More
And the mammal curator was?… Read More
There?… Read More
My entire function was related to the bird collection. There were other curators. Read More
Was there a head curator?… Read More
So, all these rules and regulations were totally foreign to me. And it was a real learning experience. And boy, was I behind the curve on that. I don’t think you really ever catch up with that but you learn. So, you were hired as an assistant curator of birds. Read More
What would you like to do in this career?” I said, “Well, I’d like to make a contribution and I’d like to be the best that I can be.” And I said, “I’m a little concerned about whether I can gain that at the Kansas City Zoo or another smaller… Read More
So, that I knew what I could do and what I couldn’t do and that was all new to me, all totally new, totally foreign. But it worked and was great. Great place. But that training in unions stood you in good stead later on. Well, when you work with… Read More
And he says, “What do you want to do in your profession?… Read More
Was it the economic thing to do?… Read More
There was a jillion questions and I was sharing this with him. Read More
Wonderfully. In fact, he said something to me that has always stuck. ‘Cause he was sitting across behind his desk, I was sitting on the other side now. You understand, you’re a budding zoologist. Well, you sure to know who Roger Conant is, he’s the paramount herpetologist in your little… Read More