James Mark Fowler (April 9, 1930 – May 8, 2019) was an American professional

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

and host of the acclaimed wildlife documentary television show

Mutual of Omaha Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 500 mutual insurance and financial services company based in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1909 as Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Association, Mutual of Omaha is a financial organization offering a variety of insuranc ...

's ''

Wild Kingdom ''Wild Kingdom'', also known as ''Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'', is an American documentary television program that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and it was revived in 2002. The show's second ...

''.

Early years

Born in

Albany, Georgia Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia m ...

, Fowler spent his youth in the town of Falls Church, Virginia exploring all things in nature in the stream valley of Four Mile Run near his family home. He graduated from

Westtown School Westtown School is a Quaker, coeducational, college preparatory day and boarding school for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States, 20 miles west of Philadelphia. Founded in 1799 b ...

in 1947, a Quaker college preparatory school in

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the Delaware Valley region of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53 ...

, and

Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social ...

in 1952.

Career

Fowler first served as co-host of ''Wild Kingdom'' with

Marlin Perkins Richard Marlin Perkins (March 28, 1905 – June 14, 1986) was an American zoology, zoologist. He was best known as a host of the television program ''Wild Kingdom, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'' from 1963 to 1985. Life and career Perkin ...

, and became the main host in 1985 following Perkins' retirement. During this time he received four Emmy awards and an endorsement by the National PTA for family viewing. Fowler was the official wildlife correspondent for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's ''The Today Show'' starting in 1988 and made forty appearances on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

'', bringing various wild animals on the show. In 1997, Fowler joined Discovery Communication's

Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily ...

channel as a wildlife expert and appeared as himself in the Seinfeld episode

The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 ...

. Fowler later launched the television program '' Jim Fowler's Life in the Wild'' in 2000.

Death

Fowler died on May 8, 2019, at the age of 89 at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut from complications of heart disease.

Awards

* In 1991,

recognized Fowler for his distinguished career with an Outstanding Alumni Award. * In 1995, the Global Communications for Conservation (GCC) organization presented Fowler with the 1995 Safari Planet Earth award for his "outstanding achievements in caring for our The National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc., also awarded him with its highest achievement award, the Gold Seal, in recognition of his contributions to environmental causes. * In 1998, the

Environmental Media Association The Environmental Media Association (EMA) is a non-profit organization which was founded in 1989 by Cindy Horn and Lyn Lear. EMA works with the entertainment industry to encourage green production and raise the public's environmental awareness. The ...

(EMA) presented Fowler with their first-ever Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his strong support and on-going commitment to the environment. * In 2003, Fowler was the recipient of the Lindbergh Award for his 40 years of dedication to wildlife preservation and education.

Quotes

"The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans. Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the Earth's ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature." — Jim Fowler

"Almost all of the social tragedies occurring around the world today are caused by ignoring the basic biological laws of nature ... The quicker we humans learn that saving open space and wildlife is critical to our welfare and quality of life, maybe we'll start thinking of doing something about it." — Jim Fowler

References

External links

Biography of Jim Fowler
provided by wildkingdom.com *

conducted September 2, 1997 by the Weekly Wire

conducted October 9, 2001
Hall of Fame: Jim Fowler
(media.johnnycarson.com)

(animalplanet.com)
Jim Fowler profile on TV Tome
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, Jim 1930 births 2019 deaths American television personalities Male television personalities 20th-century American zoologists 21st-century American zoologists Earlham College alumni Emmy Award winners People from Albany, Georgia Westtown School alumni Network scientists