Ninety-five years ago Belle Jennings Benchley was hired as a temporary bookkeeper at the San Diego Zoo on Oct. 19, 1925. In 1927 she was promoted to the Zoo’s top staff position. By the time retired ...

Mrs. Belle Jennings Benchley became the successful director of a great zoo and the world’s only woman zoo director because she was “just born under a lucky star,” — or at least that’s what she says.