 A strong-willed, hands-on president, Wegeforth walked the Zoo grounds daily and had a singular vision for its future, with little room for opposing viewpoints.Philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, who had made several significant donations to the Zoo, suggested that it needed a full-time director and volunteered to pay such a person's salary for three years if Wegeforth could find someone suitable for the job.Wegeforth visited Dr. William Temple Hornaday, director of the New York Zoological Park, hoping Hornaday would recommend someone, but received a cold response.