When Zoo Director Bean resigned from the Washington Park Zoo in 1927 to become the director of the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, the Milwaukee Journal paid this tribute to him: “Directors like Edward Bean are born, not made.” Under the directorship of Bean, his philosophy was not to have a great number of individual species, but to exhibit as great a number of species as was consistent with their good care and companionship.  In 1906, when Bean took charge of the young Zoo, there were approximately 75 animals living in housing and dens valued at less than $10,000. In 1927, when Bean left the Washington Park Zoo, the Zoo had grown to 800 animals living in state of the art housing, costing more than $500,000.

Arent Arnold was temporary Zoo Director from 1927 through 1928.  He had hoped to make the Washington Park Zoo the best zoo in the country.  Arnold, born in Denmark, lost his directorship in 1928 when he could not prove his citizenship, a requirement for the position.  The first animal he intended to place in the Zoo was a dairy cow.  He wanted a cow for the sake of the tenement children who would never get the opportunity to see this particular animal.  The other animal Arnold was intent on bringing to the Zoo was a reindeer.  Arnold accomplished both feats in his short tenure.

Also in 1927, an innovation of considerable scientific interest and public popularity took place:  Green lights were installed to achieve a moonlight effect within the Zoo, and enabled the general public to observe the phenomena of wildlife at night.

Image taken by J.E. Butenhoff