Irvin Feld

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American businessman

title: "Irvin Feld" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1918-births", "1984-deaths", "american-people-of-russian-jewish-descent", "businesspeople-from-maryland", "american-circus-owners", "american-music-promoters", "people-from-hagerstown,-maryland", "ringling-bros.-and-barnum-&-bailey-circus-people", "20th-century-american-businesspeople"] description: "American businessman" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvin_Feld" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American businessman ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameIrvin Feld
birth_date
birth_placeHagerstown, Maryland
death_date
death_placeVenice, Florida
nationalityAmerican
known_forOwner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Founder of Feld Entertainment
occupationBusinessman
spouseAdele Schwartz Feld
childrenKenneth Jeffrey Feld Karen Feld
relativesIsrael(brother)
Fannie Feld (sister)
Zelda Feld Fribush (sister)
Doris Feld Goldstein (sister)
Freda Miriam Feld Arenson (sister)
::

| name = Irvin Feld | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Hagerstown, Maryland | death_date = | death_place = Venice, Florida | death_cause = | nationality = American | other_names = | known_for = Owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Founder of Feld Entertainment | education = | employer = | occupation = Businessman | networth = | spouse = Adele Schwartz Feld | partner = | children = Kenneth Jeffrey Feld Karen Feld | parents = | relatives = Israel(brother) Fannie Feld (sister) Zelda Feld Fribush (sister) Doris Feld Goldstein (sister) Freda Miriam Feld Arenson (sister) | website =

Irvin Feld (May 9, 1918 – September 6, 1984) was a business entrepreneur who built a chain of record stores, promoted rock groups, produced concerts involving some of the biggest names in popular music. He was also the head of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and founder of Feld Entertainment. He was a music promoter who is credited with discovering Paul Anka.

Biography

Feld was born on May 9, 1918, in Hagerstown, Maryland, to Russian-Jewish immigrants. Following high school, in 1938 he and his brother opened a drugstore on Seventh Street NW in Washington, D.C. Records proved big-sellers at the store. He later opened Super Music City record stores, and eventually branched out into producing both his own records and his own live concerts. After ten years as one of several national promoters for the Ringling Circus, Feld, along with his brother Israel Feld and Houston Judge Roy Hofheinz, bought the circus on November 11, 1967, for $8 million.

Feld died on September 6, 1984, at age 66, in Venice, Florida. He was survived by two children, Karen and Kenneth. He was remembered in the New York Times as the "man who saved the circus".

Personal life and legacy

In 1946, he married Adele Feld. They had two children, Karen and Kenneth. After Adele Feld committed suicide in 1958, the children were raised by their aunt and uncle in Washington, DC. After Feld died in 1984, the circus passed to his son Kenneth Jeffrey Feld, who had joined the company in 1970. In 1987, Feld was inducted into the International Circus Hall of Fame.

References

References

  1. "Feld Stewardship". [[Feld Entertainment]].
  2. Richard Leiby. (March 27, 2009). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603971.html "Kenneth and Karen Feld's Sibling Rivalry Is Headed to Court]". Washington Post.
  3. "American Impresario Irvin Feld Dies". Washington Post.
  4. (March 19, 1982). "Feld Family Buys Ringling Bros". [[Associated Press]] in [[New York Times]].
  5. (September 7, 1984). "Irvin Feld, Owner of Ringling Bros. Circus, Dies". [[Hartford Courant]].
  6. Kerr, Peter. (1984-09-07). "IRVIN FELD, 66, CIRCUS OPERATOR". The New York Times.
  7. (1984-09-11). "Opinion {{!}} The Man Who Saved the Circus". The New York Times.
  8. (September 7, 1984). "American Impresario Irvin Feld Dies; Was Owner of Ringling Bros. Circus". [[Washington Post]].
  9. (August 3, 2008). "The Call of the Circus". [[New York Times]].
  10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1982/04/05/how-irvin-felds-career-path-took-him-straight-to-the-circus/b8d9cc74-683a-4818-bf84-1936e8374120/ {{Bare URL inline. (August 2024)
  11. [http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076452,00.html People: "'Lord of the Rings' Irvin Feld Has Made a Fading Circus the Greatest Show on Earth Again" By Dolly Langdon] May 12, 1980
  12. "Ringmaster of the Universe: How Billionaire Kenneth Feld Keeps Ringling Bros. Circus Alive".
  13. "International Circus Hall of Fame inductees". [[International Circus Hall of Fame]].

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1918-births1984-deathsamerican-people-of-russian-jewish-descentbusinesspeople-from-marylandamerican-circus-ownersamerican-music-promoterspeople-from-hagerstown,-marylandringling-bros.-and-barnum-&-bailey-circus-people20th-century-american-businesspeople