Roger A. Caras
Encyclopedia
Roger A. Caras was an American
wildlife photographer, writer
, wildlife preservationist and television personality.
Known as the host of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
, Caras was a veteran of network television programs including “Nightline,” “ABC News Tonight” and 20/20 before devoting himself to work as president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
and to becoming an author.
, Caras was raised in a family that encouraged love of animals. His parents allowed him to foster a menagerie of pets and during the Depression he went to work at the age of 10 to help pay for his pets’ upkeep. He first job, working in the stables of a SPCA shelter, was his first experience with animal rescue in the shelter’s haven for abused horses. He completed his education at Boston’s Huntington Preparatory School and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army near the end of World War II
.
Caras returned to Boston after his tour of duty and then enrolled as a zoology
major at Northwestern University
. In 1950, he transferred to Case Western Reserve University
, Cleveland, Ohio, but interrupted his education for military service again, this time in the Korean War
from 1950 to 1952.
where he earned a degree, not in zoology, but in cinema, and stepped from academic life to executive-level work in the motion picture industry. During 15 years in the film world, Caras held a number of assignments, including serving as press secretary for actress Joan Crawford
, and a three-year assignment as an aide-de-camp
to Arthur C. Clarke
and Stanley Kubrick
on the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey
. During his Hollywood years, Caras also launched his writing career, contributing articles on animal and environmental issues to such periodicals as “Audubon” and publishing his first book, “Antarctica: Land of Frozen Time,” in 1962.
In 1964, Caras made his broadcasting debut on the NBC-syndicated program The Today Show, spending nearly a decade as the program’s “house naturalist.” His skills in broadcasting, research, biology, and zoology led to his acceptance as one of the media’s best-regarded animal authorities. He was sought out by the Walt Disney conglomerate as a consultant on their Florida Animal Kingdom park
.
Acting as a special correspondent, Caras reported from around the globe on a variety of animal and environmental issues that ranged from exposes on laboratory animals to the plight of the endangered Giant Panda in China and to investigation of the black market commerce in exotic animals and poaching.
Caras spent from 1975 to 1992 as a regularly featured reporter on ABC News with Peter Jennings, as well as contributing to Nightline
, 20/20
, and Good Morning America
. He also hosted radio programs, including Pets and Wildlife on CBS, Report from the World of Animals on NBC, and the ABC series The Living World.
Caras earned countless awards for his work, from honorary degrees to an Emmy Award for his reporting. His books include The Bond and his last book, Going for the Blue: Inside the World of Show Dogs and Dog Shows that was published in time for the 2001 Westminster competition.
Caras’s tireless work with and on behalf of animals led to his 1991 election as the 14th president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the oldest humane treatment of animals organization in the United States. During his tenure, the ASPCA expanded its care, protection and education programs, and adopted a number of internal practices to improve its work. Caras retired in 1999 and became president emeritus, acting as a consultant and public speaker for the organization.
, where he and his wife, Jill Langdon Barclay, maintained a farm that became home for a variety of animals. As of 2001, Caras was sharing his farm with 12 dogs, nine cats, five horses, two cows, a pair of alpacas and a llama. After his death, his wife, son Dr. Barclay Caras, and daughter, Pamela Caras, requested that people wishing to honor his memory donate memorial contributions to the ASPCA in his name.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
wildlife photographer, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, wildlife preservationist and television personality.
Known as the host of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day, all-breed benched conformation show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. The first Westminster show was held in 1877....
, Caras was a veteran of network television programs including “Nightline,” “ABC News Tonight” and 20/20 before devoting himself to work as president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty towards animals...
and to becoming an author.
Early life and education
Born May 28, 1928, in the rural town of Methuen, MassachusettsMethuen, Massachusetts
Methuen is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 43,789 at the 2000 census.-History:Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726; it is named for the British diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill,...
, Caras was raised in a family that encouraged love of animals. His parents allowed him to foster a menagerie of pets and during the Depression he went to work at the age of 10 to help pay for his pets’ upkeep. He first job, working in the stables of a SPCA shelter, was his first experience with animal rescue in the shelter’s haven for abused horses. He completed his education at Boston’s Huntington Preparatory School and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army near the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Caras returned to Boston after his tour of duty and then enrolled as a zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
major at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. In 1950, he transferred to Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, Cleveland, Ohio, but interrupted his education for military service again, this time in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
from 1950 to 1952.
Career
Caras returned to civilian life as a West Coast resident, attending the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
where he earned a degree, not in zoology, but in cinema, and stepped from academic life to executive-level work in the motion picture industry. During 15 years in the film world, Caras held a number of assignments, including serving as press secretary for actress Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
, and a three-year assignment as an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
and Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
on the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
. During his Hollywood years, Caras also launched his writing career, contributing articles on animal and environmental issues to such periodicals as “Audubon” and publishing his first book, “Antarctica: Land of Frozen Time,” in 1962.
In 1964, Caras made his broadcasting debut on the NBC-syndicated program The Today Show, spending nearly a decade as the program’s “house naturalist.” His skills in broadcasting, research, biology, and zoology led to his acceptance as one of the media’s best-regarded animal authorities. He was sought out by the Walt Disney conglomerate as a consultant on their Florida Animal Kingdom park
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
.
Acting as a special correspondent, Caras reported from around the globe on a variety of animal and environmental issues that ranged from exposes on laboratory animals to the plight of the endangered Giant Panda in China and to investigation of the black market commerce in exotic animals and poaching.
Caras spent from 1975 to 1992 as a regularly featured reporter on ABC News with Peter Jennings, as well as contributing to Nightline
Nightline
Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge, the program featured Ted Koppel as its main...
, 20/20
20/20
20/20 is an American "television newsmagazine", , broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Created by ABC News executive Roone Arledge, the show was designed similarly to CBS's 60 Minutes but focuses more on human interest stories than international and political subjects...
, and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. He also hosted radio programs, including Pets and Wildlife on CBS, Report from the World of Animals on NBC, and the ABC series The Living World.
Caras earned countless awards for his work, from honorary degrees to an Emmy Award for his reporting. His books include The Bond and his last book, Going for the Blue: Inside the World of Show Dogs and Dog Shows that was published in time for the 2001 Westminster competition.
Caras’s tireless work with and on behalf of animals led to his 1991 election as the 14th president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the oldest humane treatment of animals organization in the United States. During his tenure, the ASPCA expanded its care, protection and education programs, and adopted a number of internal practices to improve its work. Caras retired in 1999 and became president emeritus, acting as a consultant and public speaker for the organization.
Death and afterward
Caras made his home in Freeland, Baltimore County, MarylandBaltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
, where he and his wife, Jill Langdon Barclay, maintained a farm that became home for a variety of animals. As of 2001, Caras was sharing his farm with 12 dogs, nine cats, five horses, two cows, a pair of alpacas and a llama. After his death, his wife, son Dr. Barclay Caras, and daughter, Pamela Caras, requested that people wishing to honor his memory donate memorial contributions to the ASPCA in his name.
Books
- Antarctica; land of frozen time. With special charts by A. Peter Ianuzzi. 1962
- Dangerous to man; wild animals: a definitive study of their reputed dangers to man, by Roger A. Caras. 1964
- Wings of gold: the story of United States naval aviation, by Roger A. Caras. 1965
- Custer Wolf; biography of an American renegade, by Roger A. Caras. Illustrated by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1966 - Last chance on earth; a requiem for wildlife, by Roger A. Caras. Illustrated by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1966 - Loup blanc de Custer, roman [par] Roger Caras. [Traduit de l'américain par Yves Braínville.] 1967
- North American mammals; fur-bearing animals of the United States and Canada, by Roger A. Caras. 1967
- Sarang: the story of a Bengal tiger and of two children in search of a miracle, a novel, by Roger A. Caras. 1968
- Monarch of Deadman Bay; the life and death of a Kodiak bear, by Roger A. Caras. 1969
- Animal children, edited by Rober Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1970
- Panther! By Roger Caras. Illus. by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1970 - Source of the thunder; the biography of a California condor, by Roger Caras. Illus. by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. Foreword by Roland C. Clement. 1970 - Vanishing wildlife, edited by Roger Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1970
- Animal architecture. Edited by Roger Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1971
- Birds in flight. Edited by Roger Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1971
- Death as a way of life [by] Roger A. Caras. 1971
- Animal courtships. Edited by Roger Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1972
- Boundary: land and sea. Edited by Roger Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1972
- Creatures of the night. Edited by Roger Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1972
- Last chance on earth; a requiem for wildlife, by Roger A. Caras. Illustrated by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. New pref. by the author. 1972 - Protective coloration and mimicry; nature's camouflage. Edited by Roger Caras. Foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1972
- Going to the zoo with Roger Caras, by Roger Caras. Illustrated by Cyrille R. Gentry. Foreword by William G. Conway. 1973
- Wonderful world of mammals; adventuring with stamps, by Roger Caras. 1973
- Bizarre animals / by Roger Caras ; foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1974
- North American mammals : fur-bearing animals of the United States and Canada / by Roger A. Caras. 1974
- Private lives of animals. Commentary by Roger Caras. Design and coordination by Massimo Vignelli and Gudrun Buettner. Assembled and edited by Milton Rugoff and Ann Guilfoyle. 1974
- Venomous animals / by Roger Caras ; foreword by Roger Tory Peterson. 1974
- Venomous animals of the world [by] Roger Caras. 1974
- Dangerous to man : the definitive story of wildlife's reputed dangers / Roger A. Caras. 1975
- Sockeye : the life of a Pacific salmon / by Roger Caras. 1975
- Zoo in your room / Roger Caras ; ill. by Pamela Johnson. 1975
- Roger Caras pet book / Roger A. Caras. 1976
- Skunk for a day / Roger Caras ; pictures by Diane Paterson. 1976
- Pet medicine : health care and first aid for all household pets / by Roger Caras ... [et al.] ; with ill. by Suzanne Clee ; designed by Barbara Bell Pitnof. 1977
- Coyote for a day / Roger Caras ; illustrated by Diane Paterson. 1977
- Monarch of Deadman Bay : the life and death of a Kodiak bear / by Roger Caras ; ill. by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1977 - Panther! / by Roger Caras ; ill. by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1977 - Source of the thunder : the biography of a California condor / by Roger Caras ; ill. by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
; foreword by Roland C. Clement. 1977 - Dog owner's Bible / editor, Roger A. Caras ; special assistant editor, Donald L. Wall ... [et al.]. 1978
- Custer Wolf : biography of an American renegade / by Roger A. Caras ; introd. by Gerald Durrell ; illustrated by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1979 - Dogs : records, stars, feats, and facts / Roger Caras and Pamela C. Graham. 1979
- Forest / Roger Caras ; ill. by Norman Arlott. 1979
- Mysteries of nature, explained and unexplained / by Roger Caras. 1979
- Yankee : the inside story of a champion bloodhound / Roger A. Caras. 1979
- Amiable little beasts : investigating the lives of young animals / conceived and edited by Ann Guilfoyle ; text by Roger A. Caras and Steve Graham. 1980
- Forest / Roger Caras ; ill. by Norman Arlott. 1980
- Roger Caras dog book / photos. by Alton Anderson. 1980
- Celebration of dogs / Roger Caras. 1982
- Celebration of dogs / Roger Caras. 1984
- Harper's illustrated handbook of cats / health care section by Robert W. Kirk ; edited by Roger Caras ; with photographs by Richard J. Katris and Nancy Katris. 1985
- Harper's illustrated handbook of dogs / health care section by Robert W. Kirk ; edited by Roger Caras ; with photographs by John L. Ashby. 1985
- Endless migrations / Roger Caras ; illustrations by Kimio Honda. 1985
- Mara Simba : the African lion / Roger Caras. 1985
- Celebration of cats / Roger A. Caras. 1986
- Roger Caras' treasury of great cat stories. 1987
- Roger Caras' treasury of great dog stories. 1987
- Animals in their places : tales from the natural world / Roger A. Caras. 1987
- Private lives of animals / commentary by Roger Caras. 1987
- Cat is watching : a look at the way cats see us / Roger A. Caras. 1989
- Animal families of the wild : animal stories / by Roger Caras ... [et al.] ; edited by William F. Russell ; with art by John Butler. 1990
- Roger Caras' treasury of great horse stories. 1990
- Custer wolf : biography of an American renegade / by Roger A. Caras ; illustrated by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1990 - Monarch of Deadman Bay : the life and death of a Kodiak bear / by Roger A. Caras ; illustrations by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1990 - Panther! / by Roger A. Caras ; illustrations by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
. 1990 - Forest / Roger Caras ; illustrations by Norman Arlott. 1991
- Sarang : the story of a Bengal tiger and of two children in search of a miracle : a novel / by Roger A. Caras. 1991
- Source of the thunder : the biography of a California condor / by Roger A. Caras ; illustrations by Charles FracéCharles FracéCharles Fracé, a wildlife artist whose work was featured in more than 450 exhibitions, was born in 1926 in the small town of Mauch Chunk , in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen...
; foreword by Roland C. Clement. 1991 - Cats at work / Rhonda Gray and Stephen T. Robinson ; commentary by Roger Caras ; commissioned photography by Guy Powers. 1991
- Custer wolf [sound recording] / by Roger A. Caras. 1992
- Dog is listening : the way some of our closest friends view us / Roger A. Caras. 1992
- Roger Caras dog book / Roger Caras ; photographs by Alton Anderson. 1992
- Roger Caras' treasury of classic nature tales. 1992
- Cats of Thistle Hill : a mostly peaceable kingdom / Roger A. Caras ; photographs by Dave and Jennifer McMichael, additional photographs by Mimi Vang Olsen; back cover portrait of Roger Caras by Ian HornakIan HornakIan Hornak was an American draughtsman, painter and printmaker associated with the Hyperrealist and Photorealist art movements.-Biography:...
. 1994 - World full of animals : the Roger Caras story / by Roger Caras. 1994
- Field guide to venomous animals and poisonous plants, North America, north of Mexico / Steven Foster and Roger A. Caras. 1994
- Most dangerous journey : the life of an African elephant / Roger A. Caras, with photographs by the author. 1995
- Perfect harmony : the intertwining lives of animals and humans throughout history / Roger A. Caras. 1996 *Roger Caras dog book / Roger Caras ; principal photography by Alton Anderson. 1996
- New Roger Caras treasury of great cat stories. 1997
- Bond : people and their animals / essays by Roger Caras ; photographs by Shel Secunda. 1997
- Cat is watching : a look at the way cats see us / Roger A. Cars. 1997
- Dog is listening : the way some of our closest friends view us / Roger A. Caras. 1998
- New Roger Caras treasury of great dog stories. 1999
- New Roger Caras treasury of great horse stories. 1999
- Roger Caras' treasury of great fishing stories. 1999
- Going for the blue : inside the world of show dogs and dog shows / by Roger A. Caras. 2001