Caesar Kleberg: Father of Wildlife Conservation in Texas by Richard Moore

Caesar Kleberg was truly a pioneer conservationist. While
earlier conservation figures such as Teddy Roosevelt and John
Muir found fame on the national stage, Caesar’s vision first
took root in South Texas. It was on the King Ranch at his
beloved Norias, where Mr. Caesar, as he was fondly called,
laid the foundation for a wildlife conservation program which
would become his lasting legacy. His efforts have helped
restore the white-tailed deer, turkey and bobwhite quail
populations in Texas.
Caesar passed away in 1946. In his will he created the Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife Conservation. Initially, the
Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife Conservation funded
a broad spectrum of wildlife projects. In the late 1970’s and
early 1980’s, the Trustees began to redirect the funds and
focus on South Texas, the place where Caesar’s work had
first begun. On January 8th, 1981, the Caesar Kleberg
Wildlife Research Institute was created with a gift from
Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife
Conservation. The gift went to the
College of Agriculture at Texas
A&I University (now the Dick
and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of
Agriculture and Natural Resources at
Texas A&M University
-Kingsville). To this day,
the Caesar Kleberg Foundation
for Wildlife Conservation generously
supports the Institute, along with
generous benefactors from across
the state and nation who
share Caesar’s love for
Texas wildlife and
its habitat.
Learn more at www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/about/legacy-caesar-kleberg