McKendree University Athletics

Jack earned four varsity letters: three in track and one in football. He continued his contributions to the world of sports long after leaving the playing field. B eginning in 1930 he served as a high school coach and physical education instructor at Pontiac Township High School in Pontiac, Ill. He joined the Florida State University staff in the mid-1940s, and in 1947 founded the Florida State University’s “Flying High” Circus. Under his direction, the circus grew from a small show in an old Army gymnasium to an internationally famous program. Jack also was on the coaching staff of the first Seminole football team. He left the university in 1965 to accept a new challenge as professor and chairman of the Kent State
University Parks and Recreation Department. Nine years later he returned to Florida as the executive director of the Florida Recreation and Park Association. In 1979 Jack was elected to the Florida State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Six years later, the Florida State Legislature recognized his contributions when it directed that the grounds and building housing the “Flying High” Circus be named the Jack Haskin Circus Complex.