164 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1961 



ing of modern quarters for birds, reptiles, large mammals, and small 

 mammals, as well as of machine shops, the Zoo restaurant, and police 

 headquarters. He led numerous expeditions to South America, Indo- 

 nesia, and Africa to collect animals for the Zoo. It was during his 

 tenure of office that the National Zoological Park grew from a second- 

 rate Zoo to one of world-wide importance. 



Kussell Morrison, supervisory keeper, came to the Zoo March 1, 

 1931, and was assigned to the reptile house. He died of a heart attack 

 while on duty August 14, 1960. 



Malcolm Davis, who first came to the Zoo on November 16, 1927, 

 retired on July 1, 1960, to accept a research position in private in- 

 dustry. He had for many years been in charge of the bird house 

 and was associate head keeper at the time of his retirement. He had 

 been on many expeditions to collect animals, including three voyages 

 to Antarctica to bring back penguins. 



Other retirements were those of Bertelle Ford, keeper, employed 

 at the Zoo from December 5, 1942, to October 31, 1960; Leonard Ford, 

 supervisory animal keeper, December 29, 1950, to June 15, 1961 ; Wil- 

 liam G. Modena, December 16, 1936, to July 31, 1960, assistant super- 

 intendent of maintenance and construction ; Charles Dean, operating 

 engineer, August 16, 1927, to December 31, 1960; and Ada McNeil, 

 custodial laborer, from November 10, 1952, to July 31, 1960. 



Reily Straw, a welder, was promoted to take Mr. Modena's place 

 as assistant superintendent of maintenance and construction. Donald 

 Swartzback of the grounds department was made supervisor of the 

 new tree section. 



A night-keeper program was initiated this year to insure care of 

 the animals 24 hours a day. This is essential particularly in the case 

 of baby animals that are being hand fed or sick animals that need 

 medication during the night. 



In fiscal year 1961 there were 197 authorized positions at the Zoo, 

 divided as follows: Administrative office, 16; animal department, 76, 

 an increase of 6 over the previous year (2 night keepers, 2 commissary 

 stewards, 2 laborers) ; mechanical department, 61 ; police department, 

 33, an increase of 3; and grounds department, 11, an increase of 2. 



Mrs. Fruza C. Kussrow was appointed budget analyst on July 18, 

 1960, and Frank Maloney came in as engineer on April 16, 1961. 



FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL ZOO 



"Friends of the National Zoo," a group of civic-minded District 

 residents, were active agam this year. On December 16, 1960, John 

 Perry, president of the organization, presented to the Smithsonian 

 Institution a "master plan" which had been made by Meade Palmer 

 and Morris Trotter, landscape architects. This substitutes a pedes- 

 trian "greenway" for the dangerous automobile road that now goes 



