John P. Clancy, Little Fog Horn Clancy

A photo of John Patrick Clancy, son of Frederick Clancy. Frederick Melton "Foghorn" Clancy was a famous rodeo promoter, historian, and author. Since he was born in 1882, and already famous by 1923, this is probably a photo of a young boy impersonating him. So cute!

At the age of 15, Foghorn picked up a job as a town crier for a newspaper in Texas. This is where he got his nickname - he had a booming voice! He and a friend entered a local bronc riding contest - Foghorn was bucked off but his voice had become well enough known that the promoter of the contest offered him a job as an announcer. (Remember - microphones were decades in the future. A booming voice could be heard in a huge arena.)

At the beginning of his career, Foghorn announced not only Wild West Shows (rodeos) but also polo games, boxing matches, and carnivals. By the early 1900's, he had become famous throughout the nation.

As time went on, Clancy branched out into promoting the rodeos he announced - and when the microphone became ubiquitous, he began writing about the early West. One of his books - My Fifty Years in Rodeo: Living with Cowboys, Horses and Danger - is still a source for historians.

Foghorn died in 1957. Thirty four years later - in 1991 - he was posthumously inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s, Rodeo Hall of Fame. No wonder this little boy wanted to be him!
People in photo include: Frederick Melton "Foghorn" Clancy