This is a historical compendium of each Laureate and their contributions to the American Circus and its Music. A few WJU Members, indicated by an asterisk (*), were honored “For Service to Windjammers Unlimited.” However, a change was made and from 2018 onward, such honorees are recognized under Meritorious Service Awards.
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Laureates By Decade
Or, simply scroll down the page. Click on the NAME to see the details of the person’s Circus Life and Contributions. When you click on a specific Laureate, a new window will open in your browser and you may need to click the image in that window to open it in “full size.”
1970s Hall of Fame ▲
Inducted Name Contribution(s) Home 1974 Karl L King Circus
Bandleader – Composer Fort Dodge, IA; Paintersville, OH (hometown) 1974 Merle Evans Circus Bandleader – Composer, Charter Member WJU #22 Sarasota, FL; Columbus, KS (hometown) 1975 Fred Jewell Circus
Bandleader – Composer Worthington,
IN 1975 Robert Hoe, Jr. Philanthropist,
Band Enthusiast, Collector – Euphonium Poughkeepsie,
NY 1976 Henry Kyes Circus
Bandleader Sarasota,
FL 1976 Vic Robbins Circus
Bandleader – Composer Hodgdon,
ME 1977 A. Lee Hinckley Circus
Bandleader Lafayette,
IN 1978 Russell Alexander Euphonium
Soloist – Composer Nevada,
MO 1979 Ramon Escorcia Circus
Bandleader New
Orleans, LA
1980s Hall of Fame ▲
1980 Charles E. Duble Trombone – Historian – Composer Jeffersonville,
IN 1981 J. J. Richards Circus Bandleader – Composer Wales, England 1982 Albert C. Sweet Circus Bandleader – Composer Chicago, IL 1983 Charles L. Barnhouse Composer, Music Publisher Oskaloosa,
IA 1984 Walter P. English Circus Bandleader – Composer Salt
Lake City, UT 1985 Leonard B. Smith Detroit Concert Band Ldr – Cornet Soloist – WJU #230 Detroit, MI 1986 Paul Yoder Composer – Music Educator – WJU Grand Forks, ND 1987 Earle M. Moss Historian – Circus Bandleader – Charter Member WJU #19 Maryville, MO 1988 Henry Fillmore Composer – Publisher – Band Leader Cincinnati,
OH 1989 Douglas D. MacLeod* Percussionist – Historian – WJU #407 Dearborn,
MI
1990s Hall of Fame ▲
1990 Ward Stauth* WJU Past Pres. – Fanfare Editor – Tuba, Charter Member WJU #82 Corydon, IN 1991 Clinton “Johnnie” Evans Circus Bandsman – tuba Cooleemee,
NC 1992 James A. Perkins Circus Bandsman – WJU Chatfield,
MN 1993 Ray “Red” Floyd Circus Bandsman Winterset,
IA 1994 Leonard Paul Luckey Circus Music Historian and Performer Baraboo,
WI 1995 Hale A. Vandercook Circus Bandleader – Composer Ann
Arbor, MI 1996 Perry G. Lowery Circus Sideshow Bandleader – Composer Eureka,
KS 1997 William Pruyn RBBB Musical Dir/Bandleader – WJU #914 Sarasota,
FL 1998 Everette James Circus Bandleader Beaumont,
TX 1999 Eddie Woeckner Circus Bandleader Peru,
IN
2000s Hall of Fame ▲
2000 Robert D. Peckham* WJU Past Pres, Fanfare Editor – Trombonist, WJU #121 Athens, GA 2001 Jack Bell Circus Bandleader Colgate,
OK 2002 Joe Browning Cornetist Des Moines, IA 2003 Joseph Gorton Circus Bandleader Friendship, NY 2003 Lewis Bader Trombone Springfield,
OH 2004 Carl Clair Circus Bandleader – Composer Grinnell,
IA 2005 Joseph A. Emidy Circus Sideshow Bandleader Providence,
RI 2005 William Merrick Circus Bandleader Zanesville,
OH 2006 William Sweeney Circus Bandmaster Sheriden, WY 2006 Ned Kendall Circus Bandleader, Keyed Bugler Soloist Boston, MA 2007 Charles Schlarbaum Circus Bandleader, Composer, WJU Charter Member #61 Vinton,
IA 2007 Joe Stefan Circus Bandleader – Trumpet Cleveland,
OH 2008 George Ganweiler Circus Bandleader Quincy,
IL 2009 Harry Crigler Circus Bandleader – Cornet Bloomington, IN 2009 Sverre O. Braathen Circus Music Historian, Charter Member WJU #9 Madison,
WI
2010s Hall of Fame ▲
2010 Carl “Pops” Neel Circus
Bandleader Bedford, VA 2010 Harvey Phillips Circus
Bandsman – Music Educator (TubaRanch) Bloomington, IN 2011 Charles L. Gebest Circus
Bandleader – Composer Madison,
IN 2012 William F Weldon Circus Bandmaster Woodstock, IL 2012 Mike Montgomery* WJU Secretary, Convention Host, Brass Musician, WJU #962 Bradenton, FL 2013 Charles H. Bennett Jr.* Trumpet, WJU Co-Founder WJU #1 Wichita, KS 2013 Robert P. Hills Jr.* Charter Member WJU #71, WJU 1st President, Composer, Tuba, Piccolo, Columbus,
OH 2014 Charlie Stevenson Circus Bandmaster Corpus Christi, TX 2014 Joe Basile Circus Bandmaster Newark, NJ 2016 Richard Whitmarsh Director South Shore Circus Band, trumpet, E.
Bridgewater, MA 2017 Keith Greene Circus Bandmaster, Trumpet Asheboro, NC; Sarasota, FL 2017 Paul Bierley Musician, Author, tuba, WJU #255 Westerville, OH 2018 Thomas G. Canham Circus Bandmaster, Keyed Bugler Soloist born: Isle of Jersey, England 2019 Charles Edward Ringling Vaudevillian, Ringling Bros. Circus Owner, Entrepreneur MacGregor, IA; Baraboo, WI; Sarasota, FL 2019 Norman E. Smith Musician, Historian, Author, WJU #417 Lake Charles, LA
2020s Hall of Fame ▲
