Ronald T. Reuther (1929-2007) was passionate about aviation and animals, actively pursuing these interests throughout his life. He served in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1956, flying transport aircraft in Europe and North Africa. Following active duty, he was a member of the Air Force Reserve until he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1981. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his decades of duty.
As a naturalist, Reuther studied wildlife conservation at the University of California-Berkeley. One of the first to assert that the purpose of the zoos was to educate the public about animal conservation, he became the first director of the Micke Grove Zoo in Lodi, California, in 1957. He believed that zoos should be active in research and not simply locations for entertainment. When he was director of the San Francisco Zoo, he allowed Francine “Penny” Patterson, a graduate student at Stanford University, to attempt to teach the gorilla Koko sign language.
Reuther fostered his love for aviation throughout his life. He had a special interest in Amelia Earhart and was widely recognized for his expertise on her disappearance. He was an active member of the Amelia Earhart Society, organizing several conferences for the group. After he retired, he lectured on aeronautics, aviation operations and management, and Amelia Earhart’s final, fatal trip. He co-authored several books about the history of aviation in northern California, and, in 1981, he became founder, president, and executive director of the Western Aerospace Museum, now known as the Oakland Aviation Museum.
Reuther was born in Miami, Florida, and moved to California in the 1940s with his family. Apart from the decade he spent directing zoos in Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia, he lived in California until his death. |