Count Olaf, the Norweigan Viking Giant

In the mid 40's my dad and mom rented a dairy farm near Scandanavia, Wisconsin. It was there I learned how to milk a cow. Before long I was milking five cows every morning and again in the evenings. The owner of the farm was Clifford Thompson, known in Wisconsin as the tallest man in the world. I remember the times that he came to visit. As he walked in he had to bend over to keep from hitting his head on the ceiling. He always came in a light gray suit, and used a walking stick to steady himself. He recognized each of us individually. Dad always referred to him as a lawyer. On one of his visits to our home he gave dad a ring from his finger. Dad used to impress others when he would take out Mr. Thompson's ring and push a fifty cent piece through it.

I was totally surprised, years later, when I was doing research to discover that Mr. Thompson had spent several years in circus life. He was known as Count Olaf from Norway. In fact he was actually Clifford Marshall Thompson, a Norwegian-American farm boy from Rugby, North Dakota. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Gustavus Thompson, moved to Scandanavia, Wisconsin, shortly after the birth of their son. Clifford kept growing long after other boys his age had stopped, and eventually reached the height of eight feet, six inches, making him one of the tallest men in history. Despite the limitations of his size, Clifford managed to finish school in nearby Stevens Point before embarking on a career as a professional giant.

After eight years as a career giant, he left the circus to become a traveling salesman. Though no longer a freak by trade, Clifford was still continually on display, representing The Big Shoe Store in Stevens Point. At the Wisconsin State Fair he wore a sign that said "Drink Milk: Look what it did for me". He advertised the 1935 Ford V8 as roomy enough for a giant, although his own car was custom-fitted to accommodate his size.

The research revealed that in his spare time Clifford enjoyed lecturing to civic organizations and was a member of the B.P.O. Elks in Wisconsin Rapids. He and his wife owned a 110-dairy farm near Scandinavia. That farm was the Schofield home in the mid-forties. Like most giants, Clifford required custom-made clothes; his shoes were size sixteen, his hat size nine, his chest forty-six inches and his waist forty-two inches. He was said to consume at one sitting three pounds of steak, three potatoes, three dishes of vegetables, a quart of milk and a whole apple pie. In 1949 he entered Marquette University in Milwaukee and obtained his law degree within two years, becoming the tallest lawyer in history. He practiced first in Iola, Wisconsin, then in Los Angeles, before finally settling in Portland, Oregon. He died on October 15, 1955, four days short of his 51st birthday. See http://phreeque.tripod.com/cliff_thompson.html. To many people in the circus life he was a freak, but to the Schofields he was a hero. He made it possible for us to get into the dairy business.

Scripture Insight: "A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17