John Ringling, born on May 31, 1866, would become 150 years old this Memorial Weekend. John Ringling was the youngest of his seven brothers and also a native of McGregor, Iowa.
Ringling would later choose Sarasota for his place to build a circus. Without Ringling's passion, Sarasota might have just remained a sleepy fishing town. But thanks to Ringling, Sarasota came to its highest peak in the 1920s. If it were not for Ringling's cultural contributions, however, Sarasota might not have earned the title "Florida's Cultural Capital." Being one of the best showmen during the time, Ringling's passion was unmatched by others, mainly because of his wife, who also shared the same interests as he did. The couple were well known across Florida and the entire nation. They housed the rich and famous in their well-known 56-room mansion on Sarasota Bay.
John Ringling was a very cultural person, the more he studied art and creativity, the more he wanted to share his love and passion. He used that to build a museum that would inspire and teach the next generations about art and creativity. While John may have died, he died proud, as he achieved his passion and dreams, teaching art to the generations that would come next.
