Stars of Yesterday - Adrian Catarzi

By Jim Joanos

In the Fall of each year, a handful of former athletes, coaches and others are selected for their contributions to the various athletic teams and honored by induction into the Florida State University Athletics Hall of Fame. Among the outstanding athletes that have been recognized is a man named, Adrian Catarzi. Now Catarzi did not play football, basketball, baseball or one of the other NCAA recognized sports. He was a circus performer.

Adrian Catarzi

FSU is quite different among colleges in that it has a student circus. Only one other is known to have such an activity. After being a woman's college for a number of years, the school became coeducational again back in 1947, following World War II, in order to accommodate the thousands of military personnel returning to civilian life. The leaders of the university looked for an activity that could be enjoyed by men and women together. Somehow, the athletic director at the time, Howard Danforth, learned of a guy named, Jack Haskin, up in Madison, Wisconsin, who supervised a community circus. Haskin was hired and came to FSU with instructions to begin the "FSU Flying High Circus" along with his other duties that first year which included teaching and helping head coach Ed Williamson, as his only assistant, to assemble a football team and begin play in that sport.

In the early days, the FSU Circus performed in gymnasiums and also provided some very popular half time shows on the field at football games. In fact, FSU was invited to play a number of teams with the proviso that the Circus would come and perform at half time. Eventually, the FSU Circus got a tent similar to those used by professional circuses. Recently, they acquired an especially ornate and accommodating new tent where the home shows are performed.

The FSU Circus is now sixty-five years old and has received a great deal of national and international acclaim. As early as 1956, the circus was featured on nationwide television in the Sealtest Big Top show. In 1964, CBS financed a tour through Europe by the FSU Circus with performances at major cities. Other television appearances through the years have been on "ABC's Wide World of Sports", "On the Road" with Charles Kuralt, ESPN and in numerous documentaries. For a number of summers, members of the circus have worked at the Callaway Gardens Resort in Georgia and in addition to their daytime duties as camp counselors they have performed their circus skills for the vacationers in the evenings.

Through the years, a number of great athletes have performed for the FSU Circus. The greatest has probably been Adrian Catarzi. A member of a family with professional circus ties, Catarzi was FSU's star flyer during the 1960-64 years. His hall of fame citation states that "he amazed crowds...with his agility and grace" and that during his performances he "completed the breathtaking triple somersault", something that only a few circus flyers, professional or otherwise were able to perform.

Consequently, when the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame was begun in 1977, along with the other greats, the likes of Fred Biletnikoff (football), Dave Cowens (basketball), and Dick Howser (baseball), Adrian Catarzi (Circus) was selected to be a member of the charter class. So far, he is the only circus performer to have ever been admitted to that honored group. His coach, Jack Haskin, who was also an assistant football coach was admitted in 1979. After FSU, Catarzi, had a professional career in the circus.

It is now early April and the FSU Circus is in the midst of its weekend home shows. You might consider taking in one of the very entertaining performances. Who knows, you might see another up and coming Adrian Catarzi!