Snowberg

Clown History - Richard Snowberg

By Bruce Johnson

Richard Snowberg began performing as a magician. He turned to clowning in 1975 creating Snowflake, his whiteface character. His wife Jan, and sons, David and Eric, were also involved in clown performances. They successfully performed at fairs, festivals, and corporate events.

Richard was an associate professor in Information Technology at the University of Wisconsin in LaCrosse. (He retired in 2000.) He began teaching magic and clown classes through the college's evening continuing education program. This led to the creation of U-W Clown Camp© in 1981. Over the years this has grown into the world's oldest and largest clown training program.

When Richard began clowning, there was little educational literature available so he began writing his own books for his classes. He has written Clowning For Children, Clowning Wherever We Can, Just For Laughs Clown Routines, The Clown in You - A Basic Textbook, and The Caring Clowns. The Caring Clowns is considered the definitive text on clowning in hospitals which Richard makes his specialty.

Richard was the first education director of the World Clown Association, and held that office for several years. He eventually became President of the WCA in 1987. He was instrumental in starting the WCA Bo Dino Scholarship Program, which was the first one in existence. Since then, he has started the Mark Anthony Scholarship Fund, and a Canadian scholarship fund has been named in his honor. Richard is the World Clown Association 2002-2003 President. He is the second person to serve as WCA President for two different terms.

Richard helped bridge the gap between American and European clowns by inviting European clowns to teach at the U-W Clown Camp©. In 2000, Clowns from Japan were added to the U-W Clown Camp Staff©.

In 1989, he organized the World Clown Summit in Dalkeith, Scotland. At the Summit clowns from around the world gathered for a week of discussion and performance.

In 1991, Richard was the chairman of the World Clown Association Convention held in Bognoir Regis, England. This was the first convention by a major U.S. clown organization to be held outside of the continental United States.

In 1993, Richard was an American delegate to the World Clown Congress in Sweden.

Richard's contributions to clowning include being involved in the establishment of the Wishland Pony Express, a local wish granting organization for chronically and terminally ill youngsters in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The organization is supported by donations from clowns. He has been on the Wishland Pony Express board of directors from the beginning.

Richard has inspired many of today's clown leaders either directly or through the U-W Clown Camp©. Many of his efforts are behind the scenes where few know of his direct involvement.

Richard is a 1999 Inductee into the International Clown Hall Of Fame.

Excerpted from The Clown In Times Volume Five Issue Four.

Information On The Clown In Times, and other publications, by Bruce "Charlie" Johnson