December 2nd marks the birthday of a historic figure we (meaning Mimi and Andrea) swoon over: Mr. Charles Ringling. Known as “Mr. Charlie” by circus employees, there’s a lot of great reasons to celebrate his birthday – even 95 years after his death. The following is our top 10 reasons we love Charles Ringling (and you should too).

#10: Charles Ringling was the most handsome of the Ringling Brothers.

There are some grand circus posters displaying the likeness of all five Ringling brothers, but we believe Charles is certainly the most handsome. This photograph of a young Chas holds up on our “historical hottie’s” list. 

#9: Charles Brought Us Together.

Fun fact: Charles Ringling was the President of the Sarasota Chamber before his death in 1926. Fast forward many years later, Mimi saw Andrea taking a selfie with Charles Ringling’s picture in the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce boardroom and knew they were going to be friends. This sparked a series of history adventures that eventually sparked the creation of Compass Rose History Experiences. We give Mr. Charlie a lot of credit for bringing us together.

#8: His pink marble mansion (and matching mausoleum).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charles and his wife, Edith, built their mansion on the bay out of pink Etowah marble and they built a mausoleum to match! You can visit their mansion along the bayfront at New College of Florida, and their mausoleum at Manasota Memorial Park.

#7: Charles loved animals.

Charles is quoted as saying “If ever I am inclined to wonder whether I am the sort of man I’d like to be, I go out to the menagerie and look my monkeys and tigers and lions in the face. For unless my animal like me, I am a failure.”

#6: Ringling Boulevard is named in his honor.

]Naming something after yourself is one thing (*cough, JOHN RINGLING, cough*), but the community loved Charles so much that they renamed a street in his honor. Yes, Ringling Blvd is named after Charles.

#5: Charles donated the land for the Sarasota County Courthouse.

When Sarasota became a county in 1921, Charles owned the perfect piece of land for the new courthouse, so he donated it!

#4: He built the Sarasota Terrace Hotel.

Charles built the Sarasota Terrace Hotel (today’s Tax Collector’s Office at US 301 and Ringling Boulevard) with a rooftop terrace that had a beautiful view of the bay and frequent live music.

#3: Charles was a musical virtuoso.

Charles could play many instruments and played at least once a year with the Circus Band until his death. He was also responsible for bringing Merle Evans and his band to Sarasota during the winter months.

#2: Mr. Charlie was beloved by Circus employees and colleagues.

The circus employees affectionately referred to him as Mr.Charlie. He was also well-respected in the Sarasota business community, After his death in 1926, the Sarasota flew flags at half staff in his honor.

#1: The love between Charles and Edith.

Charles and Edith had a relationship built on respect. During the Great Depression, Charles’ bank went under. Charles had passed by this time, but Edith would not allow his name to be tarnished. When many banks were giving customers 18-19 cents to the dollar, Edith used her own funds to pay their customers back in full.

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It’s no wonder Charles is our favorite Ringing. If you now love Charles Ringling as much as we do, be sure to snag one of our print-on-demand shirts to wear on December 2nd (or anytime you want to celebrate local history).

Happy Birthday, Mr. Charlie!