Lucile "Lucy" Quarry Mann (January 11, 1897 – November 27, 1986) was an American writer, editor, and explorer who worked for the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park in

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Mann was also the wife of

William M. Mann William Montana Mann (1886–1960) was an American entomologist and the fifth director of the National Zoological Park (United States), National Zoo in Washington, D.C. from 1925 until 1956. In 1921, he traveled on the Mulford Expedition to the ...

, the director of the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park She traveled around the world with her husband, raised baby animals at home, authored several books, and worked to promote the Smithsonian and the National Zoo. Mann served as an editor for the National Zoo for fifteen years.

Early life

Mann was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She graduated from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1919 with a BA in English. There, she worked on the student literary magazine ''The Inlander''.

Early career

Mann began her career during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, translating Italian newspapers and communiques for the

US War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

. When the war ended in November 1919, Mann accepted a job as the assistant editor of the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

's Bureau of Entomology. Mann left Washington, D.C. in 1922 and moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, where she became a junior editor at ''The Woman's Home Companion''. In 1926, Lucy Quarry married

and returned to Washington, D.C.

Smithsonian years

As wife of the director of the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, Mann assisted her husband by taking care of animals in their home, entertaining guests, and helping with administrative work. After writing an article about tropical fish that appeared in ''The Woman's Home Companion'', Mann was asked to write a book. The resulting project was ''Tropical Fish: A Practical Guide for Beginners''. Mann's zoo experience also inspired a second book, this one titled ''Friendly Animals: A Book of Unusual Pets''. Mann accompanied her husband on fact-finding trips to other zoos and field work expeditions around the world, including to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, British Guiana, Liberia, and the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...

. On one trip to Indonesia, they brought 900 animals (many of which found homes at the

Maryland Zoo The Maryland Zoo — also known as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and formerly known as The Baltimore City Zoo or the Baltimore Zoo — is a 135-acre park located in historic Druid Hill Park in the northwestern area of the City of Baltimore, Mary ...

) back to Washington, D.C. Together, Lucile and William Mann traveled to countries on nearly every continent. Mann kept detailed field notes on every trip she took. Her third publication, ''From Jungle to Zoo: Adventures of a Naturalist's Wife'', was informed by her travel journals. Mann also co-authored several lectures and scholarly articles with William Mann in the course of their travels. In 1951, Mann began working with her husband in the administrative offices at the National Zoo. When William Mann retired in 1956, she continued to work at the zoo under the direction of Dr. Theodore Reed. From 1956 until her retirement in 1971, Mann was zoo editor, responsible for writing the ''Annual Report'' and other publications for the National Zoological Park. From 1932 until her death in 1986, Mann was a member of the

Society of Woman Geographers The Society of Woman Geographers was established in 1925 at a time when women were excluded from membership in most professional organizations, such as the Explorers Club, who would not admit women until 1981. It is based in Washington, D.C., and h ...

Publications

*''From Jungle to Zoo: Adventures of a Naturalist's Wife''. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1934 *''Friendly Animals: A Book of Unusual Pets''. New York: Leisure League of America, 1935 *''Tropical Fish: A Practical Guide for Beginners''. Leisure League of America, 1934

References

External links

The Society of Woman Geographers' Flag Carriers: Lucille Quarry Mann
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mann, Lucile Quarry 1897 births 1986 deaths American animal care and training writers American editors American women non-fiction writers Members of the Society of Woman Geographers Smithsonian Institution people University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni Writers from Ann Arbor, Michigan 20th-century American women writers