ABSTRACT
Phase I — Situation Tampa’s first zoo was a small collection of exotic animals in the Plan Park on the grounds of the University of Tampa located across the Hillsborough River from downtown Tampa. In the 1950s, Mayor Nick Nuccio led the effort to move the zoo to a more spacious location. Land near the neighborhood of Seminole Heights was chosen. The zoo was named Lowry Park after General Sumter Loper Lowry, a local resident celebrated for civic contributions and his service in several wars. The new Lowry Park Zoo opened in 1957. The Tampa Lowry Park Zoological Gardens was situated on land owned by the city of Tampa, Florida. The zoo was operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society under a lease and operation agreement with the city of Tampa. The society operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization and in furtherance of education and conservation purposes to benefit the general public (Lowry Park Zoo, Audit, 2009).
