Hall of Fame Laureates

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.

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE PDF COPY OF THE COMPLETE LIST

Laureates By Decade

1970s	1980s	1990s
2000s	2010s	2020s

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 – 1 Karl L. King – 2 Karl L. King – 3	Circus Bandleader – Composer	Fort Dodge, IA; Paintersville, OH (hometown)
1974	Merle Evans – 1 Merle Evans – 2	Circus Bandleader – Composer, Charter Member WJU #22	Sarasota, FL; Columbus, KS (hometown)
1975	Fred Jewell – 1 Fred Jewell – 2 Fred Jewell – 3	Circus Bandleader – Composer	Worthington, IN
1975	Robert Hoe, Jr.	Philanthropist, Band Enthusiast, Collector – Euphonium	Poughkeepsie, NY
1976	Henry Kyes – 1 Henry Kyes – 2	Circus Bandleader	Sarasota, FL
1976	Vic Robbins – 1 Vic Robbins – 2	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 – 1 Charles E. Duble – 2	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 – 1 Perry G. Lowery – 2	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 – 1 Lewis Bader – 2	Trombone	Springfield, OH
2004	Carl Clair	Circus Bandleader – Composer	Grinnell, IA
2005	Joseph A. Emidy – 1 Joseph A. Emidy – 2	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 Bennett Jr.*-1 Charles Bennett, Jr.– 2	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, WJU #143	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 ▲

2020	James S. Robinson	Circus Bandleader	Morristown, NJ
2020	James P. Wolfscale	Circus Sideshow Bandmaster	Chicago, IL
2022	John Sterling “Jack” Phillips	Circus Bandleader	Columbus, OH