Background
William Henry Ringling was born in 1858 in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
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Otto Ringling
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He was called the "Lieutenant General" of the Ringling family. Upon his death, the New York Times described him as "a man of great ideas and ambition, and an executive of force and character." He was nicknamed "The King" in the circus business. He was nicknamed "Otto".
He was the third of the Ringling brothers to be born, following Albert and Augustus.
Baraboo became an economically unstable town, and the family relocated to Iowa. Eventually, the brothers started touring in Iowa, playing music
After concert tours, the brothers got involved in the circus. During the early days of the Ringling Brothers Circus, Ringling took tickets and money, and served as publicist.
He was the primary decision maker regarding the company finances and business decisions.
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.
Starting in 1909, Ringling suffered from Bright"s disease. In 1910, he sent John Nicholas Ringling his will and testament.
Ringling died suddenly, in 1911, at the home of John, located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New New York He was buried in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
He also left money to staff members.
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.
Achievements
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He was born into a musical family, with each member of the family being able to play an instrument.
