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 – 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 Merle Evans – 3 | Circus Bandleader – Composer, Charter Member WJU #22 (3) Merle Evans Interview 7/18/1985 | 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 |