Otto Ringling
Otto Ringling | |
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| Born | William Henry Ringling 1858 Baraboo, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | March 31, 1911 (aged 52โ53) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Otto Ringling (born William Henry Ringling; 1858 โ March 31, 1911) was an American
Early life
William Henry Ringling was born in 1858 in Baraboo, Wisconsin.[1] He was nicknamed "Otto".[2] His parents were Marie Salome (Juliar), of Ostheim, France, and Heinrich Friedrich August Ringling (1826โ1898), of Hanover, Germany. He was the third of the Ringling brothers to be born, following Albert and Augustus. He was born into a musical family, with each member of the family being able to play an instrument.[1] Baraboo became an economically unstable town, and the family relocated to Iowa.[2]
Ringling, along with his brothers, made horse harnesses in McGregor, Iowa. Eventually, the brothers started touring in Iowa, playing music.[1]
Circus career and mid-life
After concert tours, the brothers got involved in the circus. During the early days of the Ringling Bros. circus, Ringling took tickets and money, and served as
Ringling was described as recluse, and remained single his entire life, never marrying. He cared for horses, loved books, and studied mathematics. His favorite books were history, classics, and contemporary literature of the day. When he traveled with the circus, he had his own private train car, equipped with his own library.[1]
Later life and death
Starting in 1909, Ringling suffered from
Legacy
Upon his death, he left trust money to his sister and numerous nieces and nephews. He also left money to staff members. Among his brothers, he left money and his Renault. He also requested that his portrait be removed from future promotional materials. The brothers did not remove his image, instead, they stopped using the group portraits in any of their advertising.[2]
Further reading
- Hildebrandt, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt. How Otto Ringling became king of the circus. New York: McGraw-Hill (1998). ISBN 0021832137
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "O. Ringling, Circus Man, Dies" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-87020-549-1.
External links
- Letter from Otto Ringling, October 26, 1907 from Illinois State University, and hosted at the World Digital Library
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