Harry M. Wegeforth

Harry M. Wegeforth
Born	Harry Milton Wegefarth January 7, 1882 Baltimore, Maryland, US
Died	June 25, 1941(1941-06-25) (aged 59) San Diego, California, US
Monuments	Wegeforth Bowl Wegeforth Elementary
Nationality	American
Education	Baltimore Medical College Johns Hopkins University
Occupation	Physician
Known for	Founded the Zoological Society of San Diego and San Diego Zoo
Title	President of the Zoological Society of San Diego
Term	1916–41
Successor	Wesley C. Crandall
Spouse	Rachel Granger (1913–41; his death)
Parents	Conrad Wegefarth Mary Elizabeth MacArthur

Harry Milton Wegeforth (born Harry Milton Wegefarth, January 7, 1882 – June 25, 1941)^[1] was an American physician who founded the Zoological Society of San Diego and the San Diego Zoo. As a doctor he operated a thriving practice in San Diego, served briefly as president of the City Board of Health and as a surgeon for the San Diego and Arizona Railway, and established a hospital and clinic in the city's downtown district. He is best known, however, for founding the Zoological Society, which grew out of his involvement with the Panama–California Exposition in 1916, and for being the driving force behind the creation and early growth of the Zoo.

As president of the Zoological Society from its inception in 1916 until his death in 1941, Wegeforth planned much of the Zoo's layout and many of its early exhibits. He convinced several wealthy San Diegans to contribute to the Zoo's construction and development, and campaigned for ballot measures to secure its lands and finances. He networked and traded animals with many other zoos across the country, creating the National Association of Zoological Executives which later evolved into the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. After a heart attack in 1931 forced him to abandon his medical practice, he spent his remaining years traveling the world, collecting and trading animals for the Zoo. An amphitheatre at the Zoo and an elementary school and day care facility in San Diego's Serra Mesa community are named in his honor.