Sounds like Earl Davis liked you and was a bit of a mentor. He was not a bit of an mentor, he was the mentor for my life. He knew how to push me beyond what I thought I could do, and he knew I could make it. And in… Read More
Did you find it difficult to handle everything?… Read More
No. Read More
Those roles both at one time?… Read More
And from an animal keeper, how did you rise in the zoo hierarchy?… Read More
What opportunities came about that you were going to be picked for other opportunities?… Read More
Well, at the same time, Korea was happening and I enlisted in the army and I wanted to see how far I could go in the military. I applied for and got the opportunity to go to officer’s candidate school. I also met my sweetheart at the university and all… Read More
I did continue with my education. And in fact, I went to Ohio State University along with Don and his friends who were our age, but things happened in my life that caused me to, my life was turned upside down. My dad died at age 42 and my brother… Read More
Were you the animal keeper?… Read More
I was an animal keeper, yes. Read More
The most menial, if you know what I mean. I cleaned restrooms. I parked cars. However, I also on that same day, popped corn at the concessions stand. Now, thankfully I washed my hands in between these jobs. That may be a good start for all the zoo directors too… Read More
At some point, did you graduate to working with animals?… Read More
Oh, yes, I did. And very quickly because I found myself so taken with this part of my life now that I spent every moment I could at the zoo, day and night, working night shifts or daytime, weekends, summers, trying to get as much time with the zoo and… Read More
Did you continue on with your education or did you then kind of move right into the zoo?… Read More
One day I was walking my employer’s dog in the city hall grounds. I worked Downtown Columbus and my neighbor Earl Davis, the director of the zoo saw me walking the dog. So he came home and asked Don, his son, “Do you think that kid would like to work… Read More
What was the kind of job they started you out?… Read More
(faintly speaking) Okay. What kind of jobs did they start you out at the zoo?… Read More
I don’t suppose I ever remembered going to the Columbus Zoo before the day I walked in on my first day on the job. Read More
Now, kind of let’s back up and how did that first day on the job even happen?… Read More
Well, I have to go back to a time where I was raised in Columbus and that was in the Italian community near north side of Columbus. And at the time that it was, right after the Depression, my father and mother said, “We’ve gotta get out of this living… Read More