John Michael Burrell benched pressed RAW (touch-and-go, hips remaining on bench, wearing only a T-shirt and shorts) 500 lbs. in the Georgia Tech Barbell Club's weight room, weighing under 200 lbs., in 1961.
This phenomenal lift was witnessed by former ('59) Mr. America, Harry Johnson, and myself (a former Teen-Age National Olympic weightlifting champion) and others.
In 1961 (three years before official competitive powerlifting began), this was a truly unbelievable feat of bench pressing strength!! Of course, in those days it was done totally DRUG-FREE and without the aid of any support gear whatsoever!
It is interesting to note that some three-plus years later, Bill Seno held the "official" national BP powerlifting record at "only" 440 lbs. in the 198 lb. class. By 1964, of course, drug-use and support gear were being used in powerlifting.
"Mickey" was also a former Jr. National Olympic weightlifting champion (1959, in the 181 lb. class) and did an OFFICIAL Olympic BB press (uhhh...that's a press done while standing-up, where you have to clean the bar to the shoulders, first-all done totally unassisted, of course!) of no less than 350 lbs. while weighing 220 lbs.