Related by Marriage: Meet Mr. Ned

Bozo’s Circus made its debut on Chicago’s WGN Channel 9 television broadcast at noon on September 11, 1961, with a blast from Ringmaster Ned’s opening whistle and his hearty announcement, "Bozo’s Circus is on the air!" In its forty-year history, the daily weekday show, taped in front of a live audience, became the country's longest running children's program. If you grew up in Chicagoland in the 1960s and early 1970s, then you knew that the waiting list for Bozo’s Circus tickets was years long.

Ned Locke played Ringmaster Ned until his retirement in 1976. The show was a promotional engine for its commercial advertisers. Bun Candy Bars was a prominent sponsor of Bozo’s Circus, and Mr. Ned knew how to reach its consumers.

Ringmaster Ned made frequent appearances in Chicago area grocery and department stores. Mr. Irene met Mr. Ned at the Winston Plaza Kroger in the during one visits (The Kroger store sign is partially visible in this 1963 shot.)

Winston Plaza, Melrose Park, probably 1964. Mr. Ned signs a souvenir photo for Mr. Irene.

Ned Locke, like other pioneers of early television, had a career in radio and in other businesses before joining WGN-TV in 1956. Mr. Locke was an avid pilot. He owned two airports in Iowa and had served as that state’s director of aeronautics for seven years. He retired to Kimberling City, Missouri. He was mayor of that city when he died in 1992.