Time period/Baraboo: 1960 – 2003

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Charles Philip (“Chappie”) Fox (1913 – 2003), born in Milwaukee and died in Baraboo. In 1960, Chappie became the first executive director of Circus World Museum. Nobody in the history of Baraboo drew more people to the City, in numbers exceeding millions. He show-cased CWM with the Great Circus Parade and Train. Through national television and books, newspaper and print material, Baraboo hosted an international presence. Chappie served on the boards of Ringing Theater, International Crane Foundation and State Historical Society. Deeply passionate circus historian and collector of all things circus, everyone recognized his fabled hat, bow tie and cigars. “You can’t beat fun!”, Chappie insisted.