Harry M. Wegeforth, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Harry M. Wegeforth

American physician; founder of San Diego Zoo

Date of Birth: 07-Jan-1882

Place of Birth: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Date of Death: 25-Jun-1941

Profession: physician, surgeon

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Harry Milton Wegeforth (born Harry Milton Wegefarth, January 7, 1882 – June 25, 1941) was an American physician who founded the Zoological Society of San Diego and the San Diego Zoo.
As a doctor he operated a thriving practice in San Diego, served briefly as president of the City Board of Health and as a surgeon for the San Diego and Arizona Railway, and established a hospital and clinic in the city's downtown district.
He is best known, however, for founding the Zoological Society, which grew out of his involvement with the Panama–California Exposition in 1916, and for being the driving force behind the creation and early growth of the Zoo. As president of the Zoological Society from its inception in 1916 until his death in 1941, Wegeforth planned much of the Zoo's layout and many of its early exhibits.
He convinced several wealthy San Diegans to contribute to the Zoo's construction and development, and campaigned for ballot measures to secure its lands and finances.
He networked and traded animals with many other zoos across the country, creating the National Association of Zoological Executives which later evolved into the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
After a heart attack in 1931 forced him to abandon his medical practice, he spent his remaining years traveling the world, collecting and trading animals for the Zoo.
An amphitheatre at the Zoo and an elementary school and day care facility in San Diego's Serra Mesa community are named in his honor.