When Dr. John Kullberg died of cancer on Sunday, April 20, The Humane Society of the United States lost an inspirational colleague, and the animals of the world lost an ardent and eloquent advocate. He was 64 years old.
Dr. Kullberg joined The HSUS in 1994 as the first Executive Director of The Humane Society of the United States Wildlife Land Trust, the only national land trust that provides permanent sanctuary to wild animals. With Dr. Kullberg at the helm, the Wildlife Land Trust expanded to 70 properties, making sanctuaries out of more than 60,000 acres in 21 states and five nations, including the United States. Dr. Kullberg was devoted to this creation of "shelters without walls."
HSUS President and CEO Paul Irwin noted, "John Kullberg brought to The HSUS a remarkable record of service to animals and to humanity. He had already distinguished himself as one of the true visionaries of the movement. And his sense of stewardship, of humanity's responsibility to protect wildlife by permanently preserving its habitat was embodied in his guidance of the Wildlife Land Trust."
"With the Wildlife Land Trust," said Dr. John W. Grandy, senior vice president for Wildlife and Habitat Protection, "we created something truly groundbreaking. On trust properties, there would be no hunting, no trapping—no activity that would harm any of the wildlife that made our trusts their home. John Kullberg was the driving force behind this principle."
John Francis Kullberg was born in Cranston, Rhode Island on April 16, 1939. At the age of 16, he left home to become a member of The Christian Brotherhood, a Catholic teaching order, which he left eight years later.
Before turning all of his energies to the animal-protection movement, Dr. Kullberg taught English literature and chaired English departments at Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. He later moved on to higher education, rising to Director of Admissions and Assistant Law School Dean of Columbia University (from which he earned a doctorate in education with a major in college and university administration).
Before coming to The HSUS, Dr. Kullberg served as president of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1978–91) and president of Guiding Eyes for the Blind (1991–93). As president of the ASPCA, he was the principal editor of The Animal Rights Handbook, a book that offered readers simple, realistic ways to help animals. The book was an instant classic. Its approachable style and clear discussion of the issues guaranteed that it would be both influential and successful—it sold more than 400,000 copies. It is still an essential part of any animal protection reading list.
Dr. Kullberg was a member of the boards of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The American Humane Association, The Farm Animal Reform Movement, and The New York State Humane Association. He served as board chairman for The National Coalition to Protect Our Pets and board president of The Society for Animal Protective Legislation. He was also an advisor to The Food Animal Concerns Trust.
Perhaps owing to his interest in literature (he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English literature from The Catholic University of America and a Master of Arts degree with a major in English literature from The University of Rhode Island), Dr. Kullberg himself was an accomplished writer. He co-authored Women and the Law, a booklet for women interested in the legal profession. Dr. Kullberg also authored several published articles, including a New York Times op-ed essay on how to fully and permanently fund capital and operating budgets of municipal animal shelters. He even ventured into television as the executive producer of Where Have All the Dolphins Gone?, an award-winning documentary on the cruelties involved in purse-seine tuna fishing. The documentary was featured on The Discovery Channel on Earth Day, 1989.
He has been honored by New York City's Mid-Manhattan Chamber of Commerce as its Man of the Year, by Teachers College of Columbia University as a Distinguished Alumnus, and by The Pegasus Foundation for Leadership in Habitat Preservation.
He is survived by Karol, his wife of 23 years, and their three children, Kathryn, Kristen, and Evan. He also leaves behind a sister, Marjorie Cooke, and a brother and sister-in-law, Warren and Mary Jane Kullberg. Funeral services will be held at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Germantown, Maryland.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations honoring Dr. Kullberg be made to The HSUS or to The John Kullberg Memorial Fund at The HSUS Wildlife Land Trust. The fund will be used to purchase and permanently protect wildlife sanctuaries. Donations to The HSUS or to The John Kullberg Memorial Fund should be sent to 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037.
