Yeah, but I think in cases like that, you know, handling them and so forth, we were getting different people coming in that had some training and they were people that had college degrees that were coming to work there. And they brought their knowledge with them. And I like… Read More
What was your relationship with the press?… Read More
Oh, I always kicked the tires, Mark. There wasn’t a day went by, that I did not tour the back and tour the front. And I can’t tell you how many times, particularly in what we called in those days, the balanced aquarium room, where there were small tanks with… Read More
I say, go and look. Oh, sorry, I missed that. Or on the bigger tank, something was wrong with some fish being harassed by others. I say, you know, either get the bully out of that tank or get the victim out, or anything that was wrong with the exhibit,… Read More
So did you help to spearhead different ways of handling animals, feeding animals?… Read More
You had mentioned there were some old-fashioned ways. Read More
I was really irritated. You’re with live animals, you are gonna deal with dead animals. That’s a fact of life. Now you said that you helped, he was your fish. You really raised him, or you were instrumental. Yeah. Read More
How involved were you in the day-to-day activities and hands-on when you were director?… Read More
Did you have a favorite animal or animals when you were director?… Read More
Yeah, you always have a favorite. For a long time, aquariums had a problem keeping this big south American fish called the arapaima, and they had trouble with them trying to swim through walls of tanks, bang, knock themselves up. And we had an opportunity once to get a small… Read More
You could hear it through the glass front of the tank (grumbles) like that when he sucked them in. That was, I think for a long time, it was my fish, I raised him, and I kept telling the curator, he’s got to put up jump boards ’cause this guy,… Read More
Well, how did the volunteer department evolve?… Read More
It’s just, I think, part of the natural growth of the aquarium that almost every other institution in Chicago had a volunteer department. And it’s a great way, right way to expand your programs with very little cost. And people just love to be down there and be part of… Read More
And they just love it. Do you have a favorite…… Read More
But you did have them when you were director?… Read More
Yes. Read More
How did that evolve?… Read More
And again, charter to government agencies like NOAA, they loved the boat. They think it’s great. Still education programs, collecting, chartering to other aquariums that use it. So it’s a big, big, I think, important part of our operation. You mentioned education with the boat. Read More
How did the Aquatic Science Center come about?… Read More
Well, that’s part of the education department, call it either the education department or the Aquatic Science Center. That was something that John Reed’s mother, Mary Shedd Reed financed for us, and her name is on that. So Aquatic Science Center is just another name for the education department. And… Read More