I think my style improved as I went through the ranks and was influenced by different people. But I think probably by the time I got to be director, I was so unsure of my capability of doing the thorough job, I realized how much I would depend on other… Read More
I did bring animals home once in a while to give a bottle. But often I went to the zoo at night, especially with baby orangs, gorillas and apes. We never took them home. They were at the zoo. We’d go to the zoo at night and give the bottle. Read More
Was there a master plan for the St Louis Zoo before you became director that you were following or did you want to initiate a master plan?… Read More
And the followup to that is how long should a master plan be a master plan?… Read More
Well I initiated the first master plan. The zoo did not have one. I initiated one ’bout maybe my second or third year with the assistant of the Board of Directors. And we had a five-year master plan that was to upgrade the infrastructure of the zoo using the money… Read More
My children, actually when they were really little, I still had the pet shop and they helped raise a lotta baby animals. Wolves and coyotes. And so they grew up with animals before I went to the zoo. By the time I got to the zoo, they were already teenagers. Read More
When the zoo had a fundraising party, I would be at the gate with big boa or python around my shoulders, making sure everybody that came to the party if they wanted to, they got the chance to touch a snake. Marilyn was often sitting at my side greeting people,… Read More
In your capacity as director because the zoo was growing, did you ever have the opportunity or desire to bring animals home and take care of ’em or were there circumstances like that?… Read More
Well my wife would tell you I did live at the grounds ’cause I spent a lotta time at night. I was on 24-hour call. Just again follow up here. You talked about Marilyn helping you with your first reptile capture of a rattlesnake. Read More
How involved was she or your children during your time at the zoo?… Read More
Fundraising or things or meeting donors or field trips?… Read More
But if a director’s expected to host receptions in his home for fundraising, having you on a property would have a big advantage. It’d be nice to be able to get away from it at night. Read More
I was gonna say did you ever aspire to have a home on the grounds?… Read More
Like tell ’em to put it in writing and they really would. Very good advice. Very good advice. Some zoos’ directors have lived on the property. Read More
Was that ever offered to you?… Read More
That was never an option, never an option. You knew people that lived on the property. I knew quite a few zoos. San Antonio had residents on the property. I think at one time, Oklahoma City. I know Kansas City did it one time, residents on the property. I have… Read More
You had indicated that when you were coming up, there were people that you worked with that essentially were hires because someone said, “Hire this guy.” What kind of pressure as a director did you have, if ever, from your board to hire individuals and how did you handle that?… Read More
By the time I came director, we were a political subdivision of the state of Missouri. The Zoo Museum District. So I was no longer beholding to either the county executive or the mayor. So they did not have the authority to call me up and ask me to hire… Read More
Did you have that pressure from board members?… Read More
Very rarely. And if I did, I gave them the interview, a courtesy of the interview. But there was always a reason why I didn’t have to hire ’em. I had some board members that were businessmen that once in a while would try to use your influence on me,… Read More