A fellow with a pretty potent pair of eyes is Professor George Keller, animal-trainner currently appearing with the Shriner circus at McAndrew stadium. And they have to be potent, for they are the only things between him and a couple hundred pounds of lions, panthers, and leopards.

Professor Keller is a real professor. For when he’s noit taming the lions and tigers, he’s at Penn State Teacher’s college trying to tame students. Really, lion-taming is only a hobby of his. He says that right now he has a year’s leave of absence from his teaching job, but that he has taught art for the last 20 years. Occassionally though, during the last 10 years – since he’s been training animals – he’ll knock off school for a while and takee a swing around with the circus whenever he felt the urge.

For one thing, he paints a pretty picture when he’s dolled up in his trainer’s outfit. But it’s not all show; for his “cats” know that the man inside that colorful suit means business. Some of the tricks they do under the influence of his potent stare are to roll over, walk a wire, and jump through a loop. One of his most hair-raising stunts is to lie down on the cage floor and use a couple of “cats” for pillows.

“Professor Keller is one of the most courageous men alive,” one of the ring-masters said. And the professor’s act would seem to back up these words. He goes into the cage entirely unarmed and “works” lions, tigers, leopards, mountain lions, and a black panther – a pretty potent mixture – to coin a phrase. He puts them through their paces by using his eyes and hands to “give them their cues.”

The black panther is the only performing one in America today. It took him two years to tame it.

Though the professor has had his share of luck, he hasn’t escaped entirely unscratched. Only five months ago a 450-pound lion broke one of his arms. But he’s going strong again today – unless his cats ate him last night.