REPORT OF THE 
PENSION BOARD 
OF THE 
NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
The first year of the active operation of the Pension Fund 
has proven the beneficent influence of that Fund upon its bene- 
ficiaries. There have been no withdrawals except in the case of 
members leaving the services of the Zoological Society. Of such 
resignations there have been five, but in each case the person 
taking the position vacated has become a member of the Fund, 
so that the total of the membership is only one less than that of 
the previous year. At present the total number of beneficiaries 
is 166, and there are two applications pending. 
The first pension granted under the regulations of the Fund 
was to Mr. John J. DeNyse, for many years a member of the 
Aquarium staff, and although Mr. DeNyse had not quite served 
the requisite number of years, the Pension Board, in accordance 
with the rules governing the Fund, voted unanimously in favor 
of a pension of 30 per cent of his former salary. Unfortunately, 
Mr. DeNyse was able to benefit by the action of the Board for 
only one month, as his death occurred shortly before the close 
of the year. 
There was collected during the year from the employees of 
the Zoological Society the sum of $3,172.18, and from the Zoo: 
logical Society as a contribution from the Carnegie Pension 
Fund $4,585.00, and from the Income Account of the Zoological 
Society $3,433.37. This, with interest amounting to $63.78, 
makes a total of receipts for the year of $11,254.33, available 
for pensions. The major portion of this has been invested by 
the Finance Committee in good bonds, as the Treasurer’s report 
will show. 
As it is necessary for all new employees to be examined by 
a physician in order to determine their fitness to become mem- 
bers of the Fund, Dr. Gilbert Vander Smissen was appointed to 
make such examinations. 
