Dick Pope Sr.

The Dick Pope Sr. Institute For Tourism Studies operates in conjunction with the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, conducting research into the tourism and hospitality industries. In 2013 the Dick Pope Legacy Hall of Fame Awards were established in his name recognizing Leadership in Hospitality Tourism for the State of Florida. A plaque honoring Dick Pope and memorializing his early development of Florida's tourism was revealed on June 11, 2014, in the lobby of the Orange County Convention Center. All Dick Pope Legacy Hall of Fame Honorees join the wall and are celebrated at an annual hospitality scholarship fundraiser in Orlando, The Grand Tour Gala.

Pope worked tirelessly to promote his theme park. He produced over 500 news reels and 75 short films to promote the park. In the 1970s, Cypress Gardens purchased Magnolia Mansion, the New Orleans style mansion, built on Lake Eloise by citrus magnate, John A. Snively. At its height, Cypress Gardens was nationally famous. It was used as a set location for a variety of films, including Moon Over Miami (film). An episode of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was filmed there. The park features prominently in the first Cinerama film "This is Cinerama" from 1952, with dramatic water-skiing stunts showing off the immersive widescreen capabilities of the new format. The park attracted such celebrity guests as Elvis Presley, Betty Grable, and King Hussein of Jordan.

In 1950, he hosted the second World Water Ski Championship. Pope hosted the event again in 1958. For many years, his Dixie Water Ski tournament was one of the most important annual water ski competitions. At the 1964 New York World's Fair, he staged a series of highly successful water skiing exhibitions. He also staged a water skiing exhibition for a segment on the Ed Sullivan Show.

In the early 1930s, his wife Julie showed him an article in Good Housekeeping about a man charging visitors money to see the manicured gardens around his mansion home. From this, they hatched the idea of Cypress Gardens, and over the next few years they worked to convert a section of swamp land on the shores of Lake Eloise into a theme park garden. On January 2, 1936, Dick and Julie Pope officially opened their famed theme park, charging visitors 25 cents each to visit. Cypress Gardens was an immediate success.

In 1926, while in North Carolina, he met his future wife, Julie Pope. Together they spent most of their lives in and around Winter Haven, Florida. They were active members of St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Winter Haven. They had two children, Dick Pope Jr. and Adrienne Pope Watkins.

Pope became interested in water skiing during the 1920s, while working with his brother promoting and selling speed boats in Florida. He began skiing behind the boats as a way to increase excitement during the sales demonstrations. Soon, he began trying different moves and tricks to increase the excitement. In 1928, he became the first person to successfully complete a jump on water skis, jumping a wooden ramp, and going a distance of 25 ft. After water skiing became part of the Cypress Gardens' shows, he helped develop different formations and tricks, including the water ski human pyramid.

Dick Pope Sr. was born in Des Moines, Iowa, according to legend during the middle of a tornado, from where he was said to have derived his whirlwind personality and energy for life. At the age of 7, in 1908, his family moved to Lake Wales, Florida. For a while, he lived and worked in New York City.

Richard Downing Pope Sr. (April 19, 1900 – January 28, 1988), better known as Dick Pope, was the founder of Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida. He was also known as "Mr. Florida" and "Mr. Water Skiing." He played a key role in the development of tourism in the state of Florida, and in the growth of theme parks as tourist destinations. He was a highly accomplished athlete, and helped to popularize the sport of water skiing.