There’s very few zoologists positions in Chicago. So I, and I knew that as a keeper, I had a bit of a leg up. They knew who I was, that was a positive. And one of the positions left, George Irving had retired. And so there was no more general… Read More
What were your responsibilities in that position?… Read More
Well, I had, I wanted to be a zoologist. I mean, I had my degrees and that’s what I really wanted to be. Read More
Are you moving more into management now?… Read More
I got a copy, but it’s been lost to the ages. And Joe looked, he said, “You’re doing it wrong.” “Well, how should I do it?” He said, “Get me a coal shovel.” And he bring him a coal shovel. We tipped the crate up, put the coal shovel under… Read More
I was brilliant. But I had learned from people way before me, the practical aspect of certain parts of the job and it had stayed with me. And so I looked like a really smart guy, but I was just remembering what the senior keepers had taught me. Read More
And others learned for you?… Read More
They did. Yeah. So we get from late 60s into about the mid 70s where you transitioned from keeper to zoologist. Read More
Do they actually teach you tricks of the trade?… Read More
Are they, you kind have to learn it yourself?… Read More
I mean, what was it?… Read More
I think your position, you have to learn it yourself for the most part. Or you have people who will mentor you and will teach you things. And sometimes they’re big things, and sometimes they’re little things. For example, we had a large crate we had to move. I mean,… Read More
It’s like your initiation as a young guy, especially as a college guy. No, no. I think it was in a way an initiation. Read More
So I see this as perhaps a transition period where you do have this group of older keepers and then younger keepers, I guess, like you said, you’ve touched on some of this, but how did they work together?… Read More
What were some of the problems?… Read More
It was wonderful, wonderful experience getting around the place, learning what was going on. I’m curious when you said it was interesting working at the Great Ape House. Well, because the great apes were very intelligent. And at the time, the great apes, like the gorillas and stuff, there was… Read More
So you had to really know where you were standing. And at that time, the older keepers would sometimes want to pleasantly beat up or set up the younger keepers. And here I was a brand new keeper, and Sinbad, the gorilla was the big guy in the building. So… Read More
And as I’m walking there and all of a sudden, I see him on a top shelf with his hand cupped and I go, and I knew what was gonna happen. And I knew they had set me up, but I can’t go anywhere. I can’t retreat. I gotta keep… Read More
And I ducked as I got through the door, the big steel door and it was like a machine gun and he hit the wall behind me. It was a babababap, and the keepers are laughing. They think it’s so funny. But I think they respected me a little that… Read More
And at the time I took the exam, I think there were like 30 or 33 people, many of them were keepers already, wanting to become civil service ’cause they were TAs that they took the exam with me. I was the college kid who took the exam. And I… Read More