Thomas Hailing Gillespie
| Thomas Haining Gillespie | |
|---|---|
| Born |
3 October 1876 Dumfries, Scotland |
| Died | 3 August 1967 (aged 90) Edinburgh |
| Pen name | T. H. Gillespie |
| Occupation | Solicitor, writer, zoologist, broadcaster |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Genre | Non-fiction, zoology, guide books |
| Spouse | Mary Elizabeth Gamble |
Thomas Haining GillespieFRSE FSZS (3 October 1876 – 3 August 1967) was a Scottish solicitor, zoological administrator, and broadcaster. He was the founder of Edinburgh Zoo and of its parent organisation the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. As a broadcaster on the children's radio programme Children's Hour he was known as "the zoo man", giving talks and answering questions on zoological matters.
Tom Gillespie was born in Dumfries on 3 October 1876. His father was Thomas Haining Gillespie and his mother Julia Ann Satchell. He was educated in private schools and at Edinburgh University. He married Mary Elizabeth Gamble in 1920. They had no children and he died on 3 August 1967. At his own request, his body was bequeathed to medical research. His recreations were listed as 'reading, writing, music and photography'.
Gillespie qualified as a solicitor in 1899, but he had a strong interest in zoology and devoted his spare time to his dream of establishing a zoological park in Scotland. The cold climate presented an obstacle, but Gillespie was encouraged by the work of pioneering zoologists like Carl Hagenbeck and in 1909 he founded what was to become the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. He carefully selected a site in central Edinburgh which would provide both favourable conditions for the animals and easy access for visitors, and with the help of Edinburgh City Council the site was purchased in 1913. Gillespie's efforts came to fruition with the opening on 22 July 1913 of the Scottish National Zoological Park—now known simply as Edinburgh Zoo. He served as director of the zoo from 1913 to 1950 and as secretary to the zoological society.
In 1933 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were James Hartley Ashworth, Sir Thomas Barnby Whitson, Orlando Charnock Bradley and Sir Thomas Hudson Beare.
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