Mac Macdonald

From the list of elephant persons Family: MacDonald

☨ Mac Macdonald

Mac and "India" with Bud E. Anderson Circus 1940
Profession	circus elephant trainer
Personal details
Born	1903-11-15 in United States

Dead	1983-09-22 San Antonio, , Texas in United States

Residence
Country	United States

Locations
Title	elephant trainer 1954-1965
Location	at Polack Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1945-1954
Location	at Tom Packs Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1945
Location	at Russell Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant superintendent 1941-1942
Location	at Wallace Brothers in United States

Title	elephant superintendent 1939-1940
Location	at Bud E. Anderson Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1936-1939
Location	at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer 1935-1936
Location	at Al G. Barnes Circus in United States

Title	elephant keeper 1934-1935
Location	at Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in United States

Title	elephant keeper 1932-1933
Location	at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in United States

Title	owner -
Location	at Mac MacDonalds elephants in United States

Title	elephant trainer
Location	at Bailey Brothers Circus in United States

Title	elephant trainer
Location	at C.R. Montgomery Circus in United States

Biography details

Mack MacDonald , circus elephant trainer in United States

MacDonald was born * 1903-11-15 in United States dead 1983-09-22 San Antonio, , Texas, in United States .

Affiliation with 10 elephants

1: Betty (trainer from 1954 to 1965) 2: Jean (trainer from 1954 to 1965) 3: Kathy (trainer from 1954 to 1965) 4: Mary (trainer from 1954 to 1965) 5: Millie (trainer from 1954 to 1965) 6: Opal (trainer from 1954 to 1965) 7: Tommy (trainer from 1949 to 1954) 8: Penny (trainer from 1948 to 1854) 9: Alice (trainer from 1948 to 1954) 10: Mary Twinkle (trainer from 1948 to 1954)

Circus historian and elephant trainer William "Buckles" Woodcock consider Mac MacDonald as one of Americas best elephant trainers, his 1954 masterpiece being the "Besalou elephants" the combination of the Polack Brothers Circus owners names, Bessie Polack and Louis Stern.

Mac MacDonald presents his masterpiece. "Mary", "Jean", "Millie", "Betty", "Kathy" and "Opal" named for Peggy and Mac's friends such as Millie Ward, Betty Bell, Kathy Goebel and Opal Page.

Records about Mac Macdonald from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog

Among my dad\'s letters, he was asked who the best elephant trainer in America was and he replied "Mac MacDonald and Hugo Schmitt and the rest are a pretty sorry lot".

I later worked for both men and have to give Mac the nod.

Mac told me that he started out working for George Denman on the Ringling Show in the early 1930\'s and became Larry Davis\' assistant when he had the Herd 1936-38.
Walter McLain brought his own crew from the Barnes Show in 1939 and Mac managed to land a job with the Bud Anderson Show.
Anderson had brought him over to train five young green elephants "Modoc", "Empress" and "Judy" from the Cole Show and two imported punks "Bonnie" and "India".
Mac once told me that coming from the Ringling Show, they assumed he would be an expert trainer but only having had experience with Adult elephants he didn't have a clue.
He regaled me with many stories of training by "trial & error" and added that fortunately Matt Laurish, a horse trainer with a lot of all around training knowledge, gave him a lot of tips and Mac being blessed with an incredible work ethic eventually got the job done.

William "Buckles" Woodcock Buckles Blog

Records about Mac Macdonald from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog

The Tom Packs elephant act "Alice", "Jean", "Penny", "Mary" and "Tommy" was so impressive that Louie Stern hired it for the Polack Show several seasons before stealing Mac MacDonald and Peggy away.

William "Buckles" Woodcock Buckles Blog

I came across a copy of an article from White Tops, May-June, 1963 by J. Paul Rusk. This is what he says, "This new Herd was called Polacks Besalou elephants after Bessie Polack and Louis Stern. Cathy (Kathy) for Louis Goebels wife, Millie for Millie Ward, Betty for Betty Bell, of the Ward-Bell Flyers, Mary for Ross Pauls wife, Jean for Jean Merkle and Opal for Opal Paige, Executive Secretary for the Polack Show."

Billie Schuller

Records about Mac Macdonald from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog

"Twelve years later I would work this act but by that time the leader "Mary" had been eliminated and "Kae" added to the 6th position."

William "Buckles" Woodcock Buckles Blog

Mac Macdonald is mentioned on 1 other person pagesHugo Schmitt,

Mac Macdonald is mentioned on 3 location pagesCatalina Wild Life Expeditions (Noel Rosefelt), Polack Brothers Circus, Tom Packs Circus,

Mac Macdonald is mentioned on 9 elephant record pagesBabe, Daisy, Dondi, Jenny (Siam), Kathy, Kenya, Konti, Maude, Targa,

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2026). elephant trainer Mack MacDonald in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 16 January 2026 at https://www.elephant.se/person.php?id=1976. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

Selected publications

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