September 9, 2014
GERTRUDE AND WILLIAM A. BERNOUDY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION ENDOWMENT TO SAINT LOUIS ZOO
Endowment fosters continued architectural excellence for Zoo facilities and habitats
- LOUIS—The Gertrude and William A. Bernoudy (pronounced “Ber-noo-dee”) Foundation has announced a gift of $1 million to the Saint Louis Zoo to endow the position of the William Bernoudy Vice President, Architecture & Planning. The endowment will provide support for a senior professional to oversee the design and construction of high quality development of Zoo buildings and animal habitats. Currently, that development is the responsibility of David F. McGuire, AIA, now William Bernoudy Vice President, Architecture & Planning at the Zoo.
This is the fifth position to be endowed at the Saint Louis Zoo within The Living Promise Campaign, which has attracted support from individuals, corporations and foundations dedicated to the Zoo’s conservation and education mission. A permanent named endowment creates a sustained, lasting position for the Zoo’s Vice President, Architecture & Planning, supporting the salary of a professional architect who spearheads idea generation and then realizes the concrete architectural rendering of those ideas.
“In Bill Bernoudy’s memory, the Foundation is pleased to make this gift so that future generations may continue to enjoy architecture that is both inspiring as well as enduring,” said John D. Schaperkotter, Trustee of The Bernoudy Foundation.
“We truly appreciate all the earlier support of the Gertrude and William A. Bernoudy Foundation and know that this most recent generous gift will be a lasting tribute to the lives and work of William A. and Gertrude Bernoudy,” said Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, Dana Brown President & CEO, Saint Louis Zoo.
“Here at the Zoo we feel a strong connection to Mr. and Mrs. Bernoudy through William A. Bernoudy’s brilliant 1966 design of the Zoo’s Serpentine Wall and Kiener Memorial Entrance – both essential and beautiful features of our infrastructure,” Dr. Bonner added. “Because of these instantly recognizable landmarks, the Bernoudy name will forever be linked to the Zoo and to Forest Park. This endowment will help the Zoo continue to offer distinctive architecture that integrates seamlessly with existing facilities and habitats.”
“We are very grateful for the foundation’s generous support for our mission to offer habitats that provide animals comfortable and enriching lives, while allowing visitors to engage even more deeply with the 19,000 animals at our Zoo,” said McGuire. “At the Zoo, we know that discovering the wonders of nature leads us on the path to stewardship of our planet. We also know that a visually stimulating environment is critical to visitors’ discovery of the wonders of nature and to the welfare of the more than 600 species in our care.”
Admission to the Saint Louis Zoo is free. For more information about the Zoo, visit www.stlzoo.org.
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