Remembering John Hoyt, HSUS President of 27 Years

Four days ago, the animal-welfare movement lost an important figure—former Humane Society of the United States President John Hoyt, who served as head of the organization for 27 years until his retirement in 1996. An Ohio native, Hoyt was greatly influenced by his vegetarian grandmother, who lived to the ripe age of 106. After serving as a Presbyterian minister for years, Hoyt joined then-tiny HSUS in 1970, expanding it from a 12-person nonprofit into one of the largest and most accomplished animal-welfare groups in the world. A strong opponent of violent tactics, Hoyt was admired for speaking out in favor of using peaceful methods of coercion over vandalism and other illegal activity. He passed away at his home in Fredericksburg, VA, on April 15.