WaSMAR8604_01.xml Guide to the Woodland Park Zoological Society Board Minutes 1986-2008 Woodland Park Zoological Society Board Minutes Finding aid prepared by Annalise Nicholson Seattle Municipal Archives 2019
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle 98124-4728 archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2020-02-07. Finding aid written in English Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. Seattle Municipal Archives
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle 98124-4728 archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
Woodland Park Zoological Society Board Minutes 8604-01 5 cubic feet 13 boxes 1986-2008 Minutes and supplementary materials from meetings of the board of the Woodland Park Zoological Society. English .

The Woodland Park Zoo began its existence as a small private animal collection established by Seattle developer Guy C. Phinney (1852-1893) on the northwest corner of his 179-acre Woodland Park Estate. This menagerie included North American animals like deer and black bear, as well as more exotic specimens like African ostriches. After Phinney's death in 1893, the property remained in limbo until the City purchased it from Phinney's widow in 1899 for $100,000, despite a veto by Mayor Thomas D. Humes. It became a part of the municipal parks system and was overseen by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The menagerie grew in 1903, when the animals from a private zoo in Leschi Park were absorbed, providing the foundation from which Woodland Park Zoo would grow.

The zoo developed gradually during its first half-century. New facilities like the Lion House (completed 1919) and the Beaver Pool (completed 1936) were periodically opened and populated with new specimens brought in from around the world. Controversy arose in 1932 when, against fierce public opposition, the city went forward with plans to construct a six-lane highway (now Aurora Avenue) directly through Woodland Park, separating the zoo from the larger lower park area to the east. Historical events affected the zoo's operation, as with slashed budgets and near closure during the Great Depression, and an anti-aircraft gun emplacement in the North Meadow during World War II.

The postwar period featured more rapid expansion as well as a growing incorporation into municipal society. Buoyed by municipal bond issues in 1948 ($800,000) and 1960 ($150,000), the zoo completed a diverse set of new facilities, including an Animal Health Department (completed 1953) and the Great Ape House (completed 1957). A longtime inhabitant of the latter building was a male lowland gorilla named Bobo, who was the zoo's most famous resident from 1953 until his death in 1968. The zoo's profile was raised further in 1954 by the new KCTS children's program "Buttons and his Buddies," which followed zoo animals and staff during its 17-year run on the air. The most consequential development of this time, ultimately, may have been the 1965 founding of the Seattle Zoological Society (later Woodland Park Zoological Society) as a promotional and fund-raising organization auxiliary to the Parks Department.

The zoo received a significant financial boost in 1968, when the Forward Thrust program earmarked $4 million for a program of facility building and improvement at Woodland Park. The City enlisted a team led by architect George Bartholick to construct a long-range design plan. The Bartholick Plan, as it was known, envisioned a zoo of larger and more naturalistic exhibit spaces, but also - and more controversially - a connection to the lower park via a lid over Aurora Avenue. Concerned over the potential effect on existing park space, a citizen coalition called Save Woodland Park led a movement in opposition that resulted in the plan's 1974 defeat by public vote. Mayor Wes Uhlman then empanelled a task force of citizens and experts to formulate a new strategy, which eventually resulted in the Hancocks/Jones & Jones Plan, approved in 1976. Though less ambitious than the Bartholick Plan, the Long-Range Plan still incorporated naturalistic elements in the form of ecology-based "bioclimatic zones" into the design, setting a conceptual benchmark for future development.

Guided by the Long-Range Plan as well as growing public interest in issues of zoological conservation, Woodland Park Zoo subsequently committed to creating facilities that closely resembled the natural habitats of their animals. For example, 1979 saw the opening of the Lowland Gorilla exhibit, one of the first in the world to exchange generic cage space for native flora and landscaping for large primates. Following the exhaustion of Forward Thrust funds in the early 1980s, the zoo entered a period of financial stagnation, partially alleviated by donations and admission fees (first charged in 1977). Public concern in 1984 prompted Mayor Charles Royer to empanel a Zoo Commission of citizens, staff, labor representatives and civic leaders to consider the problem. The report published the following year recommended a new round of county bond issues for needed capital improvements. Passed by voters that November, the bonds generated $31.5 million, along with $10 million in private matching donations, and resulted in facilities like the Asian Elephant Forest exhibit (completed 1989).

New funding concerns prompted the creation of the Zoo Commission II in 1995 to formulate a fresh round of recommendations. In its report, the commission criticized the zoo's managerial organization, which split tasks between the City's Department of Parks and Recreation and the private Woodland Park Zoological Society, as cumbersome and wasteful of money and effort. In response, the City Council voted in 2001 to consolidate zoo administration under the Society. Under the terms of the 20-year contract signed in 2002, the Society was designated to take over full management of the zoo. The City oversees the contract and provides annual public funding. Today the zoo maintains a reputation for excellence among U.S. zoos for exhibits and education programs, and its 1,100 animal specimens attract over a million visitors per year.

The Woodland Park Zoological Society (WPZS) Board minutes from this period encompass a time of change and transition for the zoo. Initially, the Society was a separate, nonprofit organization that supported the Woodland Park Zoo. During this period, the Society took over management of the Zoo Store, the park concessions, the Center for Wildlife Conservation, and finally the zoo itself in a contract with the city.

This period also saw the further development of the zoo's 1976 long-range plan, including building the Asian Elephant Forest exhibit, Tropical Rain Forest exhibit, Education Center, ZooStore, Animal Health Complex, Northern Trail exhibit and Trail of Vines exhibit. The Society meeting notes illustrate a pivot towards an approach that is more aware of animal needs and committed to conservation and education. They also discuss marketing this new approach and the "new zoo" to the public.

General topics of discussion at these board meetings include fund raising goals, plans and projections; board elections and politics; financial reports; annual plans and budget; educational outreach; marketing; the planning of events such as Zoo Tunes, Jungle Party, and WildLights; and updates on the current happenings among the animals and exhibits at the zoo. The are also many discussions concerning managing the shifting powers of the Society as well as their changing relationship to the city government, local community, and the zoo itself.

Files include minutes from general board meetings as well as executive committee meetings. For most meetings, supplementary material is also present, including reports from committees, presentations, memos, and marketing materials. Note that minutes for a meeting can often be found packaged with the materials for the following meeting, when those minutes were reviewed.

Records are open to the public.

[Item and date], Woodland Park Zoological Society Board Minutes, Record Series 8604-01. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

 Woodland Park Zoo Zoos--Washington (State)--Seattle Boards and Commissions Zoo Board meeting minutes December 1986-May 1987 1986-1987 English. 1 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1987-December 1987 1987 English. 1 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 1987-February 1988 1987-1988 English. 1 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 1988-May 1988 1988 English. 1 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1988-October 1988 1988 English. 1 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 1988-February 1989 1988-1989 English. 1 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 1989-May 1989 1989 English. 1 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1989-September 1989 1989 English. 1 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 1989-January 1990 1989-1990 English. 1 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 1990-May 1990 1990 English. 1 10 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1990-September 1990 1990 English. 2 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 1990-January 1991 1990-1991 English. 2 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 1991-May 1991 1991 English. 2 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1991-October 1991 1991 English. 2 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 1991-February 1992 1991-1992 English. 2 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 1992-May 1992 1992 English. 2 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1992-October 1992 1992 English. 2 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 1992-January 1993 1992-1993 English. 2 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 1993-May 1993 1993 English. 2 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1993-October 1993 1993 English. 2 10 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 1993-February 1994 1993-1994 English. 3 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 1994-May 1994 1994 English. 3 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1994-December 1994 1994 English. 3 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 1995-May 1995 1995 English. 3 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1995-May 1996 1995-1996 English. 3 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1996-December 1996 1996 English. 3 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 1997 1997 English. 3 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 1997-May 1997 1997 English. 3 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1997-October 1997 1997 English. 3 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 1997-December 1997 1997 English. 3 10 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 1998-February 1998 1998 English. 3 11 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 1998-May 1998 1998 English. 3 12 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1998-November 1998 1998 English. 4 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes December 1998-January 1999 1998-1999 English. 4 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 1999 1999 English. 4 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 1999-May 1999 1999 English. 4 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 1999-September 1999 1999 English. 4 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 1999-November 1999 1999 English. 4 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes December 1999-January 2000 1999-2000 English. 4 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 2000-April 2000 2000 English. 4 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2000 2000 English. 4 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2000-July 2000 2000 English. 4 10 Zoo Board meeting minutes August 2000-September 2000 2000 English. 4 11 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2000 - Annual Retreat 2000 English. 4 12 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 2000-December 2000 2000 English. 5 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 2001-March 2001 2001 English. 5 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 2001 2001 English. 5 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2001 2001 English. 5 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2001 2001 English. 5 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes July 2001-September 2001 2001 English. 5 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2001-November 2001 2001 English. 5 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes December 2001-January 2002 2001-2002 English. 5 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 2002 2002 English. 5 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 2002 2002 English. 6 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 2002 2002 English. 6 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2002 2002 English. 6 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2002 2002 English. 6 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes July 2002-August 2002 2002 English. 6 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes September 2002 2002 English. 6 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2002 - Annual Retreat 2002 English. 6 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 2002-December 2002 2002 English. 6 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 2003 2003 English. 6 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 2003 2003 English. 6 10 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 2003 2003 English. 7 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 2003 2003 English. 7 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2003 2003 English. 7 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2003 2003 English. 7 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes July 2003-August 2003 2003 English. 7 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes September 2003 2003 English. 7 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2003 - Annual Retreat 2003 English. 7 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2003-December 2003 2003 English. 7 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 2004 2004 English. 7 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 2004 2004 English. 8 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 2004-April 2004 2004 English. 8 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2004 2004 English. 8 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2004 2004 English. 8 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes July 2004-August 2004 2004 English. 8 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes September 2004 2004 English. 8 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2004 - Annual Retreat 2004 English. 8 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2004-November 2004 2004 English. 8 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes December 2004 2004 English. 8 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 2005 2005 English. 9 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 2005 2005 English. 9 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 2005-April 2005 2005 English. 9 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 2005 2005 English. 9 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2005 2005 English. 9 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2005 2005 English. 9 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes August 2005-September 2005 2005 English. 9 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2005 - Annual Retreat 2005 English. 9 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2005 - Annual Retreat 2005 English. 9 9 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 2005-December 2005 2005 English. 10 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 2006 2006 English. 10 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes February 2006-March 2006 2006 English. 10 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 2006 2006 English. 10 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2006 2006 English. 10 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2006-July 2006 2006 English. 10 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes September 2006 2006 English. 10 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes October 2006 - Annual Retreat 2006 English. 11 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 2006-December 2006 2006 English. 11 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 2007 2007 English. 11 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 2007 2007 English. 11 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes May 2007 2007 English. 11 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2007 2007 English. 11 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes July 2007-October 2007 2007 English. 11 7 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 2007 - Annual Retreat 2007 English. 11 8 Zoo Board meeting minutes December 2007 2007 English. 12 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes January 2008-February 2008 2008 English. 12 2 Zoo Board meeting minutes March 2008 2008 English. 12 3 Zoo Board meeting minutes April 2008-May 2008 2008 English. 12 4 Zoo Board meeting minutes June 2008 2008 English. 12 5 Zoo Board meeting minutes September 2008-October 2008 2008 English. 12 6 Zoo Board meeting minutes November 2008 - Annual Retreat 2008 English. 13 1 Zoo Board meeting minutes December 2008 2008 English. 13 2