Charter Members
Billy Barty
Diagnosis: Cartilage Hair
Billy Barty appeared in his first Hollywood feature in 1927 at age 3 and performed on radio, television and Broadway during his lifetime.
Among his most memorable film characters were a wizard in ''Willow'' (1988), a tongue-in-cheek role as a German spy in ''Under the Rainbow'' (1981) with Chevy Chase, a suspected stalker in ''Foul Play'' (1978) and an agent in ''Day of the Locust'' (1975).
In 1957 Billy founded Little People of America. He was President of LPA from 1957 to 1960.
Billy passed away in December of 2000. He was survived by his wife Shirley: a son Braden: a daughter Lorie and a granddaughter, Tina.
James Daniel "Dan" Turner
Diagnosis: Acnondroplasia
A native of North Carolina, Dan was born in Ridgecrest, a small community near Ashville. In High School he took tap dancing andballet with the idea of entering show business. The Second World War intervened and he worked in an Army Hospital as a postal clerk. When that job was terminated he worked for two seasons as a page at a hotel in Miami Beach. He returned to North Carolinawith some office experience and went to work for the North Carolina State Highway Commission where he worked until he retired.
In 1957 he attended the Reno Meeting and was elected Vice President. With the assistance of Bob Hinkson and Art Noble he filed incorporation papers for LPA in the State of Indiana. He succeeded Billy Barty as the second President of LPA in 1960. Dan was the LPA newsletter editor in 1962. He hosted the 1962 Annual meeting in Asheville, North Carolina.
In 1968 he married Luana Shelton, who also attended the 1957 Reno Meeting. Dan and Luana were appointed Historians for LPA in 1968, and they were co-hosts for the 1974 Annual Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. Dan Passed away in 2002. He was survived by his step children: Marilyn Enge (Dennis), Gordon England, and Della Shelton.
Harvey Williams
Diagnosis: Pituitary
Harvey Williams grew up in Minnesota. He had a sister, Sadie, but little else is known of his family or childhood.
Harvey was an entertainer, band leader and promoter. He did work at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair where he was married to Grace Gould, a member of his troupe, in a wedding viewed by 120 performers from the”Midget Village” and 5000 fair goers. Following the Chicago Fair Harvey appeared with his band in various venues all over the United States. Both he and Grace appeared as Munchkins in the “The Wizard of Oz”.
Harvey was living in Minnesota in 1957 and traveled to Reno where he joined with his sister Sadie and her husband Frank Delfino. When Harvey became a member in 1961 he was living in San Diego as were Sadie and Frank. In the 1960’s Harvey and Grace were living in Los Angeles, at the Harvey Hotel with several LP’s including Frank and Sadie Delfino, Felix Silla, and Bob Kantor.
While Harvey was living in Los Angeles he owned a full grown live bull that had three eyes and four horns, had a miniature fire engine, and a miniature mechanical farm. These were used in parades, exhibitions and promotions.
There is no recorded information about Harvey’s residence after 1980 or where and when he passed away.
Frank Delfino
Diagnosis: Pituitary
Born: February 13,1911 in Brooklyn, N.Y. As a young man was billed as the“Worlds Smallest Violinist” and appeared with his two sisters. He worked at the 1934 Worlds Fair in Chicago and met his wife,Sadie Williams. They married in 1937 and had a daughter, Ruth. They settled in San Diego.
Frank and Sadie appeared in the San Diego Exposition, and other similar venues during the 1930’s. Frank opened some stores in San Diego with his brothers. Both Frank and Sadie appeared in films in the 50;s including the “Brady Bunch”. Frank appeared in over 20 films. He portrayed the character of “The Hamburgler” in the McDonald’s advertising campaign over a 20-year period.
He passed away Feb. 19, 1997
Sadie Delfino (Williams)
Diagnosis: Pituitary
Born in Minnesota she became involved in entertainmentwith her brother Harvey. She appeared at the 1934 Worlds Fair in Chicago, met Frank Delfino and they married in 1937.
Frank and Sadie settled in San Diego and both continued working in entertainment. She appeared in six films andwas a stand in for child actors.
Frank and Sadie attended the 1957 Reno Meeting where Little People of America was founded. Frank and Sadie were chosen Mr. and Mrs. Lilliput.
Waino Johnson
Diagnosis: Pituitary
Waino grew up in Minnesota and had a typical child hood. He attended school, helped with farm work, and then left home to find his way in the world. For a short time he was a constable in Hibbing, Minnesota and was featured in Ripley’s” Believe it or Not” as the Worlds Smallest Constable. In his varied career he was a nightclub entertainer, circus performer, actor, skier, and ice hockey goalie.
He met his future wife Lillian at a midget circus in Dallas, Texas. This venture was not successful but the couple moved on to other work in entertainment. During WWII Waino worked as a mechanic at a Lockheed Airplane Factory. After the war he and Lillian were custodians on a large cattle ranch near Bakersfield, Calif. Later Waino went to school and learned radio and T.V. repair and then got work at McClellan Air Force Base, Sacramento, Calif., as a Jet Engine Mechanic. After this work he set up a television repair business in his home.
Waino had a knack for and connections with the print media wherever he traveled. His wife Lillian kept a scrapbook of dwarf related items that date from 1929. The scrapbook is sprinkled with news articles and photos of Waino or Waino and Lillian describing their travel and particularly their regular attendance at the annual conventions of the Little People of America.
Lillian Johnson (Minor)
Born: Mar. 23, 1908 Texas Diagnosis: Pituitary
Death: Jun. 25, 1993 Bakersfield, Calif
Lillian grew up in Texas and after high school joined a midget circus where she met her future husband, Waino Johnson. They worked in the entertainment industry for years, and at one time they worked as custodians on a cattle ranch near Bakersfield.
After Waino died Lillian moved to Bakersfield where she lived until her death. Lillian was a strong supporter of LPA in District 12. After Waino died she can be seen at each and every District Meeting until she passed away.
Waino and Lillian attended the Reno Meeting in 1957. Lillian attended the 25th Anniversary Meeting at Reno in 1982. At the meeting, in 1982, she said, “When I was a child, it was either the Circus or Fairs. I’m very thankful for LPA.”
Mike Balluck
Mike was a resident of Oakland when he attended the 1957 Reno Meeting. At the time he was working in the travel industry but nothing is known of his employer or where he worked after that year. He was a member of the San Francisco Chapter for several years. The last contact with Mike was a District 10 Meeting he attended in 1963. No other information is avaiable after that date.
Robert Hinkson
Born: Aug. 6,1920 Diagnosis: Spondylo Epiphyseal Dysplasia
Robert Hinkson’s early life is unrecorded. After high school he went to work with the Federal Government and settled in Maryland. He was employed in the Accounting Department at Walter Reed Medical Center.
After several years Robert requested a leave of absence to work as a clown with Ringling Brothers Circus. His request for a leave of absence was denied so he quit his job and joined the circus. Years later Robert said that the time with the circus was a remarkable experience. He said that he met many people who became his friends and he had a chance to travel all over the United States. He spent a year with the circus and then returned to his job at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Robert traveled the farthest to attend the Reno Meeting. He and others met with hotel staff and demanded that they remove the banner at the front door of the hotel which said: “Welcome Midgets of America”. They objected to the sign stating that “midget” was not a medical term.
The Mayor of Reno welcomed the group to the City and asked who was the shortest person in the group. Robert stepped forward and was presented the Key to the City or Reno.
He was elected the first Treasurer of LPA and was re-elected to the post in 1960. He accompanied Dan Turner, President, and Art Noble, Vice President, to Indianapolis, Indiana, to file papers to incorporate Little People of America. Robert was Assistant Editor of the LPA Newsletter during 1961.
Robert was selected as the first Director of District 3. He was a strong supporter of District 3 and helped to organize chapters and schedule events that would attract Little People to the organization.
He married Ann Curdy in 1968. In 1976 he was appointed a Magistrate Judge for Burke County, North Carolina. He and Ann moved to Hildebran, North Carolina where he lived until his death, Feb. 1, 1989.
Hilda Lange
Born: Aug. 31, 1911 Diagnosis: Pituitary
Not much is known about Hilda’s early years. There was a connection to show business because she was a member of “Show People of America” whose members were owners and performers who followed the carnival circuit. She appeared in the “Wizard of Oz” in 1939 and was a member of the Singer Midgets.
After the movie appearance she moved to Albany, California where she lived until the 1970’s. She was employed in the Insurance and Finance industry’s as a Secretary.
She was among the 20 folks who went to Reno, Nevada for the 1957 meeting that led to the founding of “Little People of America”. She was an early member of the San Francisco Bay Chapter and served as Secretary and Vice President.
Hilda never married and in the 1970’s moved to Sedona, Arizona to be near family. She passed away in December, 1975.
Robert Shoemaker
Diagnosis: Achondroplasia
Robert was born in Antioch, California and spent much of his adult life in Pinole, California and the East Bay. While his birth date is not known he was probably the youngest in attendance at the 1957 Reno, meeting. Robert was an original member of the SF BAY Chapter and continued his membership until his death.
James Robinson
Born: Feb. 22, 1905 Died: July 1985 Diagnosis: Achondroplasia
James Robinson was a native of Pennsylvania. In 1957 he was living in Philadelphia. There is no record of his work or family prior to the Reno meeting. He did join LPA in 1961 but there is no record of contact after that date.
Emil Kranzler
Born 12/1/1910 Died 4/7/1993 Tempe, Ariz Diagnosis: Pituitary
Emil Kranzler was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota when he traveled to the Reno Meeting. Prior to that time he was an entertainer. He was a munchkin in the “Wizard of Oz” and performed with the Singer Midgets.
He was a member in 1961. He moved to Arizona and in the 80’s married Marcella Brower, former wife of the third President of LPA, Bob Brower.
Stanley Osborne
Diagnosis: Pituitary
Stanley Osborne was living in Ogden, Utah in 1957. He said: “I had a marvelous time in Reno. It was the first time I stayed up three nights in a row. I didn’t want to miss anything.” There is no record of his family or occupation prior to 1957.
He was a member in 1961 but there is no contact after that date.
Launa Turner (England, Kinzel, Shelton)
Born: Feb 28, 1928
In 1957 Launa Turner lived in Phoenix, Arizona. There is little recorded information about her life prior to 1957. At the time she was married to her third husband Roy Shelton. She had three children: Marilyn, Gordon and Della. She worked as a secretary and was employed in various business environments.
Launa was elected Secretary of LPA at the Reno meeting. When she returned home she worked closely with Anna Dixon to develop contacts and build a mailing list of Little People throughout the United States. She helped plan and put on the first LPA convention in Las Vegas in 1960. Launa moved to North Carolina in 1968 when she married Dan Turner, the second President of LPA. In 1971 she and Dan were Historians for LPA. Launa was elected Vice President of LPA in 1975 and was the Chair of the planning committee that presented the 1974 annual convention in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1971 she and Dan were Historians for LPA.
She and Dan were strong supporters of District 3. She was elected District Director and with her husband Dan organized events and meetings in North Carolina.
Launa died in July 1982 prior to the 25th Anniversary Convention in Reno Nevada.
At the 25th Anniversary convention in Reno, Dan Turner said, “My wife, Launa, was one of the cornerstones of this organization. She kept corresponding with other members and worked hard on keeping us active. My only wish was that she could have been here to help celebrate LPA’s 25th Anniversary. She would have been so very happy.”
Albert “Shorty” Anderson
Born: Sept 19, 1895 - Minnesota Diagnosis: Pituitary
After high school worked in a round house firing steam engines. Joined a circus and traveled the U.S.as a magician, fire eater, and sword swallower. Hesaid that “fire eating is easy, you use white gasoline on the torch and if you don’t hold the fumes too long you will not get burned.”
In 1936 the circus visited San Francisco and he decided to make it his home. He opened a news stand at the corner of Grant and Market where he worked for 30 years.
In 1937 he was introduced to Mannette. They corresponded and visited each other for five years and then married in 1942. For many years they both worked at the newstand until Mannete had a heart attack in 1965.
The Mayor of San Francisco, George Christopher, on June 10,1965, proclaimed it Albert “Shorty” Anderson Day in San Francisco. The Mayor presented a proclamation to “Shorty” that recognized his 30 years of work in the City. He retired shortly thereafter and lived in San Bruno with Manette until his death in 1967.
Mannette Anderson
Grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. Lived at home until her marriage to Albert “Shorty” Anderson in 1942.
Moved to California and resided in San Bruno. Worked in the newsstand with “Shorty” for overTwenty-five years.
Paul Dolinajec
Born: 3/8/1923 Died: 11/9/2002 Diagnosis: Achondroplasia
Paul Dolinajec was born in Illinois, the sixth child in his family and the only dwarf. When he was 5 years old his mother took him to a hospital and arranged to have his legs straightened. At the time this meant the application of casts and braces as there were no surgical techniques to address this issue. He wore the braces and casts for over one and half years. He said they did no good but he appreciated the fact that his parents were trying to do anything that would help him adapt to the world. When Paul came home from the hospital he was surprised to see that he had a younger sister. He demanded that his mother take the girl back but his Mother just laughed and said that the girl was going to stay.
Paul got his first job, as a doorman at the local show house when he was fourteen. He opened car doors and was paid $1.50 per week and got four passes to the movies which he shared with his family. He worked during his high school summers as a pin spotter, sweeping out a theater, and on a truck farm. He was paid $1.50 per day.
He was excited when he started high school. “There I thought I could get dates like all the other boys. I never had a date in grammar school and I soon found out it was going to be the same in high school and I took it in stride.” Paul was the manager for the basketball, football and track teams for three years. “I got to know everyone on all the teams and had a great time. In high school: “I found that there was more than one way to enjoy school, instead of feeling sorry for myself because I couldn’t have dates with girls.”
When WWII started Paul quit school, left home, and went to work at Goodyear Aircraft, in Akron, Ohio where he worked for over two years. When he returned home he didn’t work for a year and then got a job as a cab dispatcher. Later he took a job as an office clerk for a firm which manufactured parts for air conditioning and refrigeration units. Paul worked here until he retired.