Report on the National Zoological Park 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activities 

 of the National Zoological Park for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1957 : 



This has been a year of many changes in the administration of the 

 Park, as four men in key positions reached the retirement age. The 

 first to leave, on October 31, 1956, was Dr. William M. Mann, who had 

 been Director of the National Zoological Park since 1925. During his 

 term of office the number of animals in the collection increased from 

 1,600 to 3,000, much of the increase being due to collecting expeditions 

 he headed. Under his direction three modern exhibition buildings 

 were erected and a new wing was added to the bird house. Also built 

 under his administration were the machine shops, garage, a new res- 

 taurant, and the building that houses the police headquarters and pub- 

 lic restrooms. Dr. Mann's enthusiasm for his institution endeared him 

 to friends all over the world. He remains in touch with the Zoo as 

 Honorary Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution. On 

 June 11, 1957, the American Association of Zoological Parks and 

 Aquariums honored Dr. Mann at a luncheon in the Zoo, paying tribute 

 to his many years of leadership in zoological park management. 

 Those attending from out of town were Lee Crandall, formerly Direc- 

 tor of the New York Zoological Park; Freeman Shelly, Director of 

 the Philadelphia Zoo; Roger Conant, Curator of Reptiles, Philadel- 

 phia Zoo; Clyde Gordon, Director of the Staten Island Zoo; and 

 Roland Lindemann of the Catskill Game Farm, Catskill, N. Y. 



The Assistant Director, Ernest P. Walker, retired on December 30, 

 after nearly 27 years with the Zoo. As a mammalogist, especially in- 

 terested in small mammals and wildlife conservation, his services were 

 invaluable. He developed new diets for animals, and devised new 

 methods of exhibiting them. He is continuing to write about 

 mammals. 



On February 28, Frank O. Lowe, head keeper, said farewell to the 

 animal charges he had worked with for 48 years ; and on April 2, Peter 

 Hilt, superintendent of maintenance and construction, retired after 

 36 years with the Zoo. Both of these men were remarkably efficient in 

 their fields and were respected and liked by the men who worked under 

 them. 



EXHIBITS 



Plans for the future of the Zoo are to maintain a well-balanced zoo- 

 logical collection, with special emphasis on the exhibition and propa- 



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