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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. While most women zookeepers at the time were assigned to work with smaller animals, Wilson worked with mammals from the beginning of her career, specializing in
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gorillas, cats and elephants. She was known for bringing home baby animals to care for them. She retired in 1999 after working 38 years at the zoo. The zoo still has two otters named after her: Mary and Wilson.
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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. Her mother Mary died of
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On April 1, 2020, she moved to
Genesis Healthcare Patapsco Valley Center in
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First
African-American senior zookeeper at the Maryland Zoo (1937–2020)
350:"Mary Wilson, 83, first Black senior zookeeper at Maryland Zoo"
294:"Mary J Wilson: First black senior zookeeper at Maryland Zoo"
255:"Mary J. Wilson Was Baltimore's First Black Senior Zookeeper"
214:"Mary J. Wilson, Barrier-Smashing Zookeeper, Dies at 83"
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when Wilson was only five years old. She graduated from
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114:(January 2, 1937 – May 25, 2020) was the first
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105:First Black senior zookeeper in Baltimore
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419:21st-century African-American people
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292:Marsden, Harriet (July 9, 2020).
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212:Leland, John (June 2, 2020).
180:Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
176:COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland
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355:The Philadelphia Tribune
118:senior zookeeper at the
64:Randallstown, Maryland
399:People from Baltimore
112:Mary Jeannette Wilson
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161:Alzheimer's disease
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58:(2020-05-25)
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394:2020 deaths
389:1937 births
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378:Categories
194:References
136:diphtheria
130:Early life
82:Occupation
37:1937-01-02
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124:Baltimore
86:Zookeeper
72:Education
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172:COVID-19
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.