St. Charles is home to world’s largest brotherhood of magicians

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – An unmarked, unnoticed office building sits between a Hampton Inn hotel and a used car dealership off of Interstate 70 in St. Charles.

The building acts as headquarters for two volunteers who play a small part in one of the world’s largest magical organizations.

The International Brotherhood of Magicians, also known as I.B.M., calls Missouri its home, with their headquarters located in St. Charles. Its headquarters may be humble but its impact on St. Louis and the world is impressive.

I.B.M. has members in 88 countries and over 300 clubs or “rings” located in countries like Italy, Hong Kong, and Russia. Illusionists and magicians like David Copperfield, Lance Burton, and Criss Angel even call themselves members of I.B.M.

Amazingly enough, the first and largest “ring” is in St. Louis.

Ring 1, also called the “Spirit of St. Louis,” considers itself the home of magic in St. Louis and holds monthly meetings. Terry Richison, a seasoned illusionist and magician, is a member of the ring.

Richison found a love for magic back in high school while in Carbondale, Illinois, and his interest in it sparked out of a charming desire.

“I’ll give you the honest answer,” Richison said. “It was a good way to meet girls.”

After almost 50 years as a magician, his interest in the art has developed into something that would not only bring amazement, but even tears to his audience.

“The smiles on their faces and the wonderment in their eyes,” Richison said. “And, you know, the first thing they are going to say is, ‘Well, how did you do that?'”

After Richison moved to St. Louis for work at Boeing, he heard of I.B.M. and became a member. He eventually became president of the St. Louis ring and would even take on board membership with the international I.B.M. team.

“Believe it or not, we have a lot of people around the world that just want to be a part of Ring 1 because we are Ring 1,” Richison said.

The St. Louis ring has over 100 members, including local magician Alan Zibits.

Zibits found his love for magic in the fifth grade while at a sleepover with friends. After witnessing his friend perform a simple magic trick out of beginner’s magic manual, it peaked his interest.

Zibits had joined I.B.M. after running into Richison while on lunch break at Boeing. Richison was reading a magic book and this led to a conversation that would convert Zibits to an I.B.M. member.

“It’s not about just doing tricks and fooling the audience; it’s about entertaining them,” Zibits said. “And entertaining them with a sense of wonder and astonishment—I think that’s what magicians thrive on.”

Zibits is now the secretary for the local St. Louis ring and coordinates magician membership.

“The culture of magic is alive and well in St. Louis,” Zibits said. “And that’s a good thing to see because there’s a lot of heritage and history of magic here in St. Louis.”

I.B.M. celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022. The brotherhood began when three men from Canada and New York corresponded through letter-writing about their love for magic.

Their letter exchange would soon turn into a small magic club between the three men. Then, an eruption of interest in the magic club began and membership for the group grew.

By 1926, a member from St. Louis advised changing the name of their magic clubs to “magic rings” in reference to a “Chinese linking ring” routine, according to Richison.

Due to this simple suggestion, St. Louis was granted the right to become the first ring.

When aspiring magicians become members of the group, they are invited to networking events with other magicians, learn ways to save money on travel and life insurance, and even get tips on performance through magic education.

“Anybody can do a trick, but not everybody can do magic; that’s what I like to say,” Richison said.

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