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“I came into the topless bar that you were bouncing.”

Biologists Susan and Philip McClinton live just outside of Yellowstone National Park in Cody, Wyoming.

They’ve been there for more than a decade, studying snakes, bats and other animals.

But when they met in the fall of 1972, their lives were very different.

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Recorded in Cody, WY.

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Credits

Produced by Katie Simon.

Facilitated by Sarah Geis.

Transcript

Click here to read the transcript for this story.

Interview transcript

Susan McClinton (SM): I came into the topless bar that you were bouncing to compete in amateur night—because there was a prize at the end. And at the time I had two children to support, so I needed the money. I remember at one point you said, "I'll keep an eye on you."

Philip McClinton (PM): I thought, She doesn't belong in here …she didn't need to be in this place.

SM: And I think that was the beginning of our relationship.

You said, "I am going to take you rattlesnake hunting." I thought you were absolutely out of your mind, but I had so much fun, I thought, Hey this is something I might want to do on a regular basis. And I remember at one point telling you that I had always enjoyed science and school. And you said, "Well, why don't we go back to school." And I said, "You're crazy."

PM: Neither one of us had anything but a 9th grade education. I'd tried 10th grade three times, and I couldn't cut it. And we didn't think anyone would take us. And I said, "Call them and ask." And they accepted us on probation. We took all of our courses together.

SM: You didn't know anything about school. And I recall several times when you told me that you just didn't think you could make it anymore. And I would always tell you, "I'll get you through it."

PM: And we were both working on biology degrees.

SM: Remember cell biology, I drew a diagram and taped it up in the bathroom on the mirror, so in the mornings you'd have to look and learn it from there.

PM: Without your help, I'd have never gotten through this, because a lot of it I just plain didn't understand. But I think the thing I am proudest of is that you finally did things that you never dreamed you could do. And you did them so well. You turned into a fine field biologist.

SM: I guess I learned for the first time that I really was a person of worth. You know, after my life started out so bumpy, I never thought we'd get a college degree. And if you hadn't come into my life, I think I would have ended up in a very bad place.

PM: Yeah.

SM: It was a rescue romance, is what we called it, because we saved each other.