Mary J. Wilson
Mary Jeannette Wilson (2 January 1937 – 25 May 2020) was the first African-American senior zookeeper at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.[1]
Early life
Mary J. Wilson was born in West Baltimore, Maryland. She had two siblings, one older and one younger. Her parents were Willie Wilson and Mary Henry. She graduated from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.[1]
Career
Wilson began working at the then Baltimore Zoo in 1961. She was hired by Arthur R. Watson, who was head of the zoo from 1948 until 1980. From the beginning of her career she worked with mammals, specializing in gorillas, cats and elephants. She retired in 1999.[2]
Death
In July 2019 Wilson started to show signs of Alzheimer's disease. On April 1, 2020 she moved to Genesis Healthcare Patapsco Valley Center in Randallstown, Maryland. On May 4, 2020 she was diagnosed with COVID-19, and was admitted to Northwest Hospital on May 8. She died on May 25 after being unresponsive for 14 days.[2] She was survived by her daughter, Sharron Wilson Jackson, who was the first African-American female senior zookeeper at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, in Omaha, Nebraska, and by a grandson, Felipe Herrara.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b c Leland, John (2020-06-02). "Mary J. Wilson, Barrier-Smashing Zookeeper, Dies at 83". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ a b Rasmussen, Frederick N. "Mary J. Wilson, first African American senior zookeeper at the Baltimore Zoo, dies of the coronavirus". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ "Mary Wilson, 83, first Black senior zookeeper at Maryland Zoo". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-09.