| Historical Notes |
Gladys Black was born and raised in Pleasantville, Iowa in 1909 to James and Jerusha Bowery. Gladys grew up surrounded by nature and developed a love for the world around her with the help of her mother. Gladys graduated high school in 1926 and then went on to the Nursing Program at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. After graduating Gladys began to work as a public health nurse in Clarke County, Iowa for a few years, until she decided to continue her education at the University of Minnesota to obtain her bachelor’s degree in public health. During this time she met Wayne Black, and the couple soon married and moved to Georgia to follow Wayne’s career in the US Army. After the death of her husband, Gladys returned to Iowa to care for her sick mother. The return to Iowa brought her love for the outdoors out again, and she became an active member of the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union. During this time she began to give educational talks at schools and led field trips. When she wasn’t leading field trips or educating the public, Gladys was writing ornithology articles for several Iowa newspapers including the Des Moines Register, the Marion County News, and the Journal-Express. These articles delivered news to professional and beginner birders alike, and she was soon dubbed the “Iowa Bird Lady.” Gladys wrote two books on ornithology, Birds of Iowa and Iowa Birdlife. In 1978 Gladys was awarded an honorary doctorate from Simpson College, and in 1985 she was inducted to the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. Gladys Black was a dedicated ornithologist, conservationist, and humanitarian until she died on July 19th, 1988. Today Gladys’ love for the outdoors lives on at the Gladys Black Bald Eagle Refuge in Marion County, Iowa. |
