Roland C. Butler

Career Bulter began working as a sketch artist at the New Bedford Standard at age eighteen, later relocating to Boston.

After the Ringling brothers acquired Sparks Circus, Sells Floto Circus, and others in the winter of 1929, Butler returned to oversee all advertising. He handled poster and program design, wrote promotional material, and ensured special billing for star acts.

Butler created the name "Ubangi" for a circus group in 1930 and made them nationally known through his depictions of their plate-lipped appearance.

From 1938 to 1949, Butler promoted a 525-pound gorilla as the star of the Ringling menagerie. Named Gargantua by Henry Ringling North, Butler expanded the gorilla's nickname to include "the Great" and marketed it to the American public as "The World's Most Terrifying Living Creature". He played a key role in making Gargantua into one of the biggest circus attractions of all time. In 1941, he even staged a wedding between Gargantua and a female gorilla named M'Toto as a joint feature.

Each season, Butler traveled north to promote the Madison Square Garden opening, then toured the country with his wife, covering around 50,000 miles yearly by train or car. After thirty years of service, Butler retired from the circus in June 1954.

He joined the Clyde Beatty Circus as the head of the press department in January 1955. In December 1955, he made a short-lived return at the Ringling Circus press department after resigning eight months prior. The veteran publicist resigned again in January 1956.

Butler, following his Ringling retirement, kept producing artwork for smaller circuses and worked as a publicity consultant for Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Combined Circus.

Gene Plowden wrote Circus Press Agent: The Life and Times of Roland Butler in 1984.