No more Bronx Day at the Bronx Zoo. This was an interesting occasion at the request of the then Bronx borough president, the zoological society agreed to make Bronx Day free to everybody at the zoo. And the result was that teenagers were led out of school and there was… Read More
As a national organization, you feel AZA is important and continuing to fulfill its role?… Read More
I think AZA is essential to the operation of zoos in a professional and ethical fashion. I think, that the zoo world speaking globally is, unfortunate in that it does not have an association with the kind of strength AZA has. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums is doing… Read More
You’ve alluded to some. There were a couple of things. I was trying very hard to professionalize the zoo field and this of course was before the accreditation program and before the SSP and the A and D acquisition and disposition policy. And before we decided what we were gonna… Read More
And it did a lot for us as Americans zoos, seeing a different view and hearing different views and our fledgling efforts to become more professional, had a most encouraging effect upon them, they’ve said to me. I don’t think they followed up with that and I hope they will… Read More
But when you were president, what were the accomplishments of AZA that you were most proud of and that you felt made a difference?… Read More
I think Ted Reed was important, but there are others who will probably remember it better, or it’s written in the history. It was a tough time. We didn’t know that we had the economy worked out. We were very fortunate in that, a wonderful girl who became the executive… Read More
You indicated you were president of the– (indistinct) One, I think there were two presidents during that period, but I don’t remember the details. Read More
And was there opposition to this from zoo directors when this occurred?… Read More
The change from being one of the tribe of NRPA associations, being lumped in with various recreational and park associations, and instead splitting out as a professional zoo association was a painful one and there were many problems of the economy and structure that had to be resolved. Much of… Read More
Pretty much so, in some cases, no. (William laughs) You were involved at a time when the Zoo Association was part of the parks national organization and not alone. National Recreation and Park Association. Read More
What was this, as far as your part or your exposure, what was this evolution of this divesting itself of that national organization?… Read More
Sometimes the administrative staff does not want their employees to be familiar with the trustees. But I felt differently about that. As a specific example, when I became general director, I insisted that the executive of the board add the controller to the board meetings that had never been done… Read More
And so ever since then, I think they still do it since I’ve left as far as I know, the controller sits at the board meetings, or if not, he should, or she should, at the present time it’s she. Read More
Did they, when you made recommendations for board members, as they asked you, did they take your recommendations?… Read More
The trustees operated in a very open fashion with me. I don’t know whether that’s been true with my successors or those who went before me, but when the trustees were considering a trustee, they would almost always arrange for me to meet with them and render my opinion. And… Read More
The New York Zoological Society now the Wildlife Conservation Society is the operating organization. Thus, I was an employee of the society. And the president that I have referred to Fairfield Osborn and myself eventually became presidents of the society. They were not separate in any way, which is the… Read More
Did you have any influence in recommending trustees that might get it or be favorable to things you wanted to do or was this all out of your hands?… Read More
Every zoo has negative things happen. I shall not forget when we had dogs get into one of the antelope enclosures and kill three antelope overnight. I shall not forget having pickpockets appear in the zoo and having a car stolen from one of our parking lots. I would have… Read More
As a director, you had this a zoo society that you worked for, what was your relationship with the zoo society in the beginning?… Read More