Harold "Tuffy" Genders was a trapeze artist who was part of the "The
Wards" trapeze act who eventually became General Manager Ringling Bros.
and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Making his debut in "The Greatest Show on
Earth" in 1911, he was born and raised in Bloomington, Illinois, where
he trained at the Y.M.C.A. during the 1920s.
Tuffy's first professional gig was with the Flying Wards troupe around
1930 or '31. The Wards were a flying return act that trained in
Bloomington, and he likely replaced Eddie Ward, the founder of the
troupe, who died the year before Tuffy caught on with the act.
Tuffy married fellow trapeze artist Gracie Moore when they were both
part of Bob Fisher's Fearless Flyers, another Bloomington trapeze
troupe. Tuffy continued to work with the Ward troupe, but it was sold
by Eddie Ward's widow to one of her late husband's students in 1936.
The new owner, Art Concello, was a friend of Tuffy, who continued to
work with various flying acts owned and managed by Concello over the
years. When Concello became General Manager of the Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey Circus, Tuffy became his assistant.
After Concello retired (some accounts say he was fired) in the 1960s,
Tuffy was promoted to General Manager of the Big Show. After the
GInging Bros. circus was acquired by the Feld family, Tuffy retired. He
died in February 1998 Sarasota, Florida.
