History of The Gamma Phi Circus
The Gamma Phi Circus was founded in 1926 by Dr. Clifford Horton, who was a gymnastics instructor for Illinois State University. The Gamma Phi fraternity was founded in 1929 and held the first Gamma Phi Circus performance in 1931 on the Illinois State University campus. The Bloomington-Normal community has had strong ties to circuses since the 1880s, and was home to the Flying Wards and the Conciellos, both trapeze acts. In 1938, female members began to perform with the all-male circus, with women formally elected into the organization in 1940.
Circus alumni have gone on to perform in a variety of venues including the Shrine Circuses, the Circus Kingdom, Roberts Brothers Circus, Kelly Brothers Circus, the Great American Circus, and the Circus Alleluia. They have also performed at Disney World, Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, Great America, and at Club Med Resorts. Members and alumni have also competed several times internationally in the Rhoenradturnen (Wheel Gymnastics) World Championships.
Read more about this topic: Gamma Phi Circus
Famous quotes containing the words history of the, history of, history, phi and/or circus:
“The history of medicine is the history of the unusual.”
—Robert M. Fresco, and Jack Arnold. Prof. Gerald Deemer (Leo G. Carroll)
“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.”
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809)
“Psychology keeps trying to vindicate human nature. History keeps undermining the effort.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“Adolescents have the right to be themselves. The fact that you were the belle of the ball, the captain of the lacrosse team, the president of your senior class, Phi Beta Kappa, or a political activist doesn’t mean that your teenager will be or should be the same....Likewise, the fact that you were a wallflower, uncoordinated, and a C student shouldn’t mean that you push your child to be everything you were not.”
—Laurence Steinberg (20th century)
“Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey-cage.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)