By the time he enrolled in Marquette Law School in 1942, Clifford Thompson had already lived a remarkable life. Reputedly 8 feet, 7 inches tall, Thompson had become internationally famous as a circus performer and Hollywood actor, but he had also spent much of his life as a dairy farmer and a travelling spokesman for Milwaukee’s Blatz Beer. He also liked skiing and basketball.
In spite of his remarkable height, he managed to live a surprisingly normal life. Twice married to women more than three feet shorter than he, Thompson decided to become a lawyer in his late 30’s. He completed the law course at Marquette in two years, graduating as a member of the war-time Class of 1944. He subsequently practiced law in Wisconsin, California, and Oregon.
A detailed account of his life and times, including photographs, can be found here.
Now that’s a tall tale!
Additional information on Clifford Thompson, including videos of his first wedding and his life as a lawyer in Portland, Oregon can be found at http://www.thetallestman.com/cliffordthompson.htm
Special thanks to Arjen Gnodde, the operator of thetallestman website, for calling this to my attention.