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Tara S. Gree, Clerk of Court and Comptroller of Clay County, FL
Clerk of Court and Comptroller of Clay County, FL Clerk of Court and Comptroller of Clay County, FL
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Science & Animal Research

Dr. Robert Yerkes was a Harvard (PHD 1902) educated scientist. His area of interest was intelligence. He founded and directed the Yale Laboratories for Primate Biology which was located on Kingsley Avenue in Orange Park. The chimpanzee/bonobo colony included four animals that Dr. Yerkes had in Connecticut, thirteen chimpanzees that were donated by a prominent Cuban citizen and sixteen apes that were a gift from the Pasteur Institute of France. The same year, the first chimpanzee birth occurred at the Center; the offspring, named Alpha, provided Dr. Yerkes with the first detailed observations of a chimpanzee’s development and reproductive processes.

In 1941, when Dr. Yerkes retired, Yale University renamed the Center the Yerkes Laboratory of Primate Biology in honor of Dr. Yerkes’ leadership and contributions to science.

almost human book cover
Emory University took over the lab from Yale and it was eventually transferred to Georgia in 1965.“Today, the Yerkes Center houses nearly 3,400 nonhuman primates between two locations at its main center on Emory’s Atlanta campus and its field station in Lawrenceville, Georgia, as well as 12,000 rodents in the Yerkes vivarium at the main center. Yerkes-based research programs are seeking ways to: develop vaccines for diseases; treat drug addiction; interpret brain activity through imaging; increase understanding of progressive illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases; unlock the secrets of memory; determine how the interaction between genetics and society shape who we are; and advance knowledge about the evolutionary links between biology and behavior.”

Books at the Archives

  • Monkey Farm: A History of the Yerkes Laboratories of Primate Biology, Orange Park, By Donald A. Dewsbury (tells the story of the lab)
  • Dr. Robert Mearns Yerkes-the Yerkes Laboratories of Primate Biology– a collection

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Public Notice - Main Courthouse

If you visit the Clay County Courthouse in Green Cove Springs over the weeks and months ahead, you will notice renovation projects happening here  – but all services remain available.

  • Construction/renovation began this week on the 2nd Floor (new side) – expect noise related to that work for several months (up to a year).
  • Contractors/vendors will enter/exit the courthouse regularly throughout the day, so parking in the area may be challenging – arrive early for any appointments.
  • Our Orange Park Branch and online options are available, as are other service options.
  • During September, renovation projects in Administration, Civil, and Clerk’s Finance (1st Floor) areas may temporarily alter those office/staff locations in the building, so pay special attention to security staff directions and signage.

Thank you for your patience during this time of improvement. Please keep an eye out for updates throughout the months ahead.