Dick Pope

Richard Downing Pope Sr. (April 19, 1900 – January 28, 1988), known as Dick Pope, was a prominent figure in the development of Florida tourism who founded the amusement park Cypress Gardens and popularized the sport of water skiing. He was widely known as "Mr. Florida", and was also called "Mr. Water Skiing", the "Grand Poobah of Publicity", and an "aquatic Barnum". Pope actively campaigned for Walt Disney World to be located in Florida. At the age of 7, in 1908, his family moved to Lake Wales, Florida. They had two children, Dick Pope Jr. and Adrienne Pope Watkins. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Pope was known for his lively personality and his flamboyant clothing, including a turquoise suit, trimmed in pink, worn with bright white shoes. and through his efforts, the image of Florida as playground for sun and fun spread around the world. He distributed photos he took of attractive beachgoers, and persuaded weather services say partly sunny instead of partly cloudy. In 2013 the Dick Pope Legacy Hall of Fame Awards were established in his name recognizing Leadership in Hospitality Tourism for the State of Florida. A plaque honoring Dick Pope and memorializing his early development of Florida's tourism was revealed on June 11, 2014, in the lobby of the Orange County Convention Center. All Dick Pope Legacy Hall of Fame Honorees join the wall and are celebrated at an annual hospitality scholarship fundraiser in Orlando, The Grand Tour Gala.

Water skiing Pope was an avid outdoorsman and accomplished athlete. He was a member of the first class of inductees into the Water Ski Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

Pope became interested in water skiing during the 1920s, while working with his brother promoting and selling speed boats in Florida. He began skiing behind the boats as a way to increase excitement during the sales demonstrations. Soon, he began trying different moves and tricks to increase the excitement. In 1928, he became the first person to successfully complete a jump on water skis, jumping a wooden ramp, and going a distance of 25 ft. After water skiing became part of the Cypress Gardens' shows, he helped develop different formations and tricks, including the water ski human pyramid.

Despite his prowess as a water skier, his real importance to the sport was promoting it. Pope produced newsreels, films, and magazine articles about the water skiing featured at Cypress Gardens. He promoted the sport in media outlets around the world. His efforts brought the sport international attention for the first time.

In 1950, he hosted the second World Water Ski Championship. Pope hosted the event again in 1958. For many years, his Dixie Water Ski tournament was one of the most important annual water ski competitions. At the 1964 New York World's Fair, he staged a series of highly successful water skiing exhibitions. and is a member of the Water Ski Hall of Fame. They are the only father–son pair in the Water Ski Hall of Fame.