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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => History - Stories - and Memories => Topic started by: funk51 on December 14, 2009, 01:36:26 PM
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first mr a aau bert goodrich 1906 to 1991 photo credits musclememory.com.
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first mr a aau bert goodrich 1906 to 1991 photo credits musclememory.com.
Thanks funk, never saw first one
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goodrich did a little bit of everything sports wise he ran boxed handbalanced. was said to run the 100 yd dash in 9.8 as a 38 year old. he had a handbalancing act he was the understander. he also married the sister of vic and armand tanny. he doubled for many hollywood stars back in the day and did their stunts.
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the second mr a was roland essmaker born 1916 died 2002. he won in 1939, the interesting thing here was that roland tried again for the mr america crown in 1941 however this time he didn't place.
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next up 1940 and 41 winner was john grimek, who retired undefeated from bodybuilding he was also an olympic weightlifter.born 1910- died 1998.
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more pics
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after grimek won the contest twice they made a rule that you could only win mr america once and that was it for you. so next up was 1942 frank leight born 1912 died 1990. frank usually won the best chest award in most contests he entered.
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I USE THE SAME ROLL PLATE BAR GRIMEK USED FOR FOREARMS EVERY WORKOUT FOR FOREARMS ,GREAT PUMP.
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I USE THE SAME ROLL PLATE BAR GRIMEK USED FOR FOREARMS EVERY WORKOUT FOR FOREARMS ,GREAT PUMP.
i never actually tried one of those how many times a week do you use it?
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i never actually tried one of those how many times a week do you use it?
JUST ONCE ,,,gives u incredible pump toward mid forearm to elbow area.10 lb plate is all u need...i do forearms on back day.
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next in line jules bacon1917- to 2007.. this is the year dan lurie thought he should have won, as he was the most muscular winner for the second year in a row of three total times.
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next in line the 1944 winner was steve stanko, the largest man till this point to win the contest. stanko was an avid weightlifter for the york barbell club. steve was the first man to total 1000 lbs in the three olympic lifts.
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more stanko
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Although there is some controversy regarding who was the first AAU Mr. America, because the contest Goodrich won allowed professionals and amateurs, it appears to me, and there are several mentions in the old mags supporting this, that the first AAU-endorsed Mr. America was the one in 1939 won by Roland Essmaker.
Strength & Health stated this on more than one occasion in the early years, then switched to indicating that Grimek was the first AAU Mr. America. Essmaker told me he had written to S&H asking why they were trying to re-write history, but got no satisfactory response.
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Although there is some controversy regarding who was the first AAU Mr. America, because the contest Goodrich won allowed professionals and amateurs, it appears to me, and there are several mentions in the old mags supporting this, that the first AAU-endorsed Mr. America was the one in 1939 won by Roland Essmaker.
Strength & Health stated this on more than one occasion in the early years, then switched to indicating that Grimek was the first AAU Mr. America. Essmaker told me he had written to S&H asking why they were trying to re-write history, but got no satisfactory response.
maybe it was because bob hoffman didn't approve of roland essmaker who was probably not a competetive olympic weightlifter. just a thought.
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next up the 1945 winner was clancy ross 1923-2008. clancy appeared in many ads for muscle building products back in the 50's and 60's the comic book ads.
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moire clancy
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cr
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clancy's routine from back in the day.
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1946 the winner was alan stephen, when he was in the navy he posed for the recruiting posters so popular back in the day.1924-2005.
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more as
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stephen
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1947 brings us up to the hercules man steve reeves 1926-2000. little needs to be said about this mr a, he perhaps more than any other bodybuilder had more people taking up the weights due to him.
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more sr
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sr
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exer shots
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sr
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sr
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the 1948 winner was george eiferman 1925-2002 he came in fith the year before when reeves won the crown.
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ge
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ge
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that brings us to jack delinger in 1949. lived from 1926-1992
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more jack
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1950 was john farbotnik1925-1998
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more john f
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seems alot of these greats died in late 90's-2000's....too bad.
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1951 was the first time a non-american won mr a roy hiiligenn from south africa. 1922-2008. roy lived a troubled life and spent much time behind bars.
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roy stayed in shape well into his late 50's.
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more roy
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more of mr a 1951 roy hilligenn
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roy was a pretty good olympic lifter as can seen by this contests results.
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in 1952 jim park won mr a lived from 1927-2007, shortly before his death mti profiled jim. he revealed that for a period of time he injested over 2000 protein pills a day, he must have rattled when he walked.
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jim park was the model used on the can for hoffman hi-protein.
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two more pics
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in 1952 jim park won mr a lived from 1927-2007, shortly before his death mti profiled jim. he revealed that for a period of time he injested over 2000 protein pills a day, he must have rattled when he walked.
Looks a lot like reeves
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in 1952 jim park won mr a lived from 1927-2007, shortly before his death mti profiled jim. he revealed that for a period of time he injested over 2000 protein pills a day, he must have rattled when he walked.
Sporting a nice looking package.
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the 1953 winner was born in 1930 and is still alive the legendary bill pearl.
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more pearl
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pearl the star of the classic movie voodoo swamp.
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the 1954 winner was dick dubois1933-2007. he was in the movie athena with steve reeves.
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more dd
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dd
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dd
Great shots funk, thanks!
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1955's winner was steve klisanin from mckeesport pa 1913-1996. steve was a football player, marine and olympic lifter mid 800 lb total.
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1956 was ray schaefer born 1933-?
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1956 was ray schaefer born 1933-?
GOOD FULL BUILDS,,,lean and good beach look,which in most pics u see all beach pics,contest pics on stage with good light seemed to come later on.the beach was the place to be seen .
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57 winner was ron lacy 1929-2005
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1958 winner was tom sansone 1935-1974 many attributed his early death to steroids, no one knows for sure. former training partner of leroy colbert.
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sansone
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sansone
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..
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1959 winner was harry johnson 1924-?, harry first tried for mr a in 1952 and came in 16 th. he finally won it on the 7 th try in 59.
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hj
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1960 winner was llyod lerrille , he was a three time state champ in wrestling.
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1959 winner was harry johnson 1924-?, harry first tried for mr a in 1952 and came in 16 th. he finally won it on the 7 th try in 59.
I hope he didn't defeat the guy on the right...?
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1960 winner was llyod lerrille , he was a three time state champ in wrestling.
I think he stills owns a big gym in Lousiana
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I hope he didn't defeat the guy on the right...?
he didn't beat him in this contest, but some of the noteables he did beat were ray routledge,vern weaver,elmo santiago, lyod lerille, art harris,bill march,and gene wells. he also did beat that guy twice bob hinds in the 56 mr a hinds was 8 th and harry j was 6 th and in the aau version of the mr universe he placed 2 nd to hinds 3 rd.
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I think he stills owns a big gym in Lousiana
he still runs it as far as i know he was an early inspiration to boyer coe.
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the 1961 winner was ray routledge 1931-2008, i believe he was in the movie the incredible two-headed transplant as the motorcycle guy who battles john bloom. under an assumed name.
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the 62 winner was joe abbenda 1939- ?. joe was a lawyer and totaled 850 in the olympic lifts. he later helped dennis tinnerino win the title.
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joe a
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joe a
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1963 winner was vern weaver 1937-1993 he left life on his own terms. he totalled 900 lbs on the 3 olympic lifts.
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more vern
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vern was used in a lot of the york barbell ads
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the 64 winner was val vlasileff. if you look at any old bbing mags he used to be dressed as a caveman to endorse russian bear . he still sells it on his web site. he was reputed to do a legit 150 lb table curl a record at the time.
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vv
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vv
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the 65 winner was jerry daniels 1944-?
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jd
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jd
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pic from 64 mr a
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the 66 mr a was bob gajda 1940-?
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bob g
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bob g
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bob g earning his athletic points
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bob g
Conditioning if awesome for 1966. Well ahead of his time for being cut.
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vv
Great stuff funk vv had a great taper for the times excellent thread here :)
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Great stuff funk vv had a great taper for the times excellent thread here :)
thanks that brings us to 1967's winner dennis tinnerino 1945-?. dennis was in a couple of movies led a seedy doublelife for a while before he found god. and is still alive.
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more dennis the charmin man in tv commercials also in shamus and hercules in ny w ah-nuld s.
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more dt
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dt
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dt
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dtttt
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the 1968's winner was jim haislop of the lestoil tv commercials, he was said to be the reincarnation of steve reeves for looks and proportion.
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jim haislop 1942-?
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jh
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the 1969 winner was boyer coe 1946-?. he now is an insurance man for high end exotic cars.
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several more pics of boyer including his book a decent read if you can get your hands on one.
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mor bc
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the pic of boyer coe disturbed a reader at the time he wrote him that he didn't like that boyer had on pink trunks, this was distubing in 1969.
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before after pic of john farb....k
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EXCELLENT THREAD ...LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EARLY TO LATE 80'S,
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EXCELLENT THREAD ...LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EARLY TO LATE 80'S,
thanks, 1970 brought on the first black mr a chris dickerson, he was the jackie robinson of bodybuilding. it should be mentioned that 1966 was the first time that the mr a was held on a seperate night than the senior nationals weightlifting contest which always accompanied it. hoffman's influence in the aau must of been starting to wane.
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70 mr a chris dickerson born 1939 still alive.
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more dickerson esp noteworthy for his leg and esp calf developement.
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the 1971 winner was the youngest ever casey viator born in 1951, he is famous for working with arthur jones at his nautilis facility. see colorado experiment for more info.
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more cv
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cv
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casey overbuked and other
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casey on im cover
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72 brought us steve michalik 1949 still alive. steve insisted he never took steroids even getting a notarized statement to that effect published in ironman. years later he came out and admited to being a user,to no one's surprise.
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more sm
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sm
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I'VE BEEN TRAINING LONG TIME,NOT NAIVE,WHAT YR OR WINNER IN 50'S OR 60'S STARTING USING ANABOLICS,OBVIOUSLY 70'S ON UP WAS JUICED..
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I'VE BEEN TRAINING LONG TIME,NOT NAIVE,WHAT YR OR WINNER IN 50'S OR 60'S STARTING USING ANABOLICS,OBVIOUSLY 70'S ON UP WAS JUICED..
i'm not saying your naive but steve tried to say he wasn't useing because at this point in time it was becoming somewhat of an issue with the general public. who knows who was the last clean mister america, no one will ever know for sure. more sm.
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the 1961 winner was ray routledge 1931-2008, i believe he was in the movie the incredible two-headed transplant as the motorcycle guy who battles john bloom. under an assumed name.
did that have rosie grier (football player) in it?
man that was a bad movie
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the 62 winner was joe abbenda 1939- ?. joe was a lawyer and totaled 850 in the olympic lifts. he later helped dennis tinnerino win the title.
yes
still in practice
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jh
is that Zane on the left???
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70 mr a chris dickerson born 1939 still alive.
yes
all mr. O's still live
I think only Scott is older, and then just by a year or two
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did that have rosie grier (football player) in it?
man that was a bad movie
no lax that one was called the two headed transplant with ray milland getting his head grafted onto rosie grier's body. the other one has some criminal head grafted onto the giant john bloom 7 ft 4 or 5 . these movies can actually be purchased on a double disc from cduniverse.com.
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is that Zane on the left???
yes thats zane and next is the bizarre dr craig whitehead than doug betts all florida bbers.
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yes
all mr. O's still live
I think only Scott is older, and then just by a year or two
scott actually started as an aau bodybuilder winning mr calif in 60 and mr pacific coast in 61 before switching to the ifbb. maybe he got mad when he only placed third in the mr los a contest .
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1973 mr a was jim morris born 1935 still alive.
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more jm
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bill pearl worked with jim morris on his mr a win.
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74 winner was ron thompson born 1943-2003. he made a lot of his own equipment.
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more rt
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rt im
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ron thompson went from 30 th in 1971 to first in 74.
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the75 winner was dale adrian 1951 still alive. he is currently still doing personal training.
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more dale
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da
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the 1976 winner was kalman szkalak born in 1953 still alive. he is reputed to be into bike racing now.
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kal
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ks
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kal
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kal
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kal
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kal covers
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kal
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ks
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the 1977 winner was dave johns born 1945 died in 1986 of valley fever. dave was in one of the early strongest man contests, he would compete than go home and have a 3 hour workout.
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dj
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dj
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dj covers
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dj
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the 1978 winner was tony pearson born 1957 still alive.
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tp
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tp
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tp
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the 1979 mr a was ray mentzer born in 1953 died in 2001 a few days after his older brother mike.
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in 1971 ray placed 10 th in the teen age mr a above him were lou ferrigno in fourth and his brother mike. the winner was scott pace.
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from 71 till 78 ray bounced back and forth between the aau and ifbb going back to the aau mr in 78 and coming in sixth in his class. the next year he won. :(
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more ray
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rm
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the 1980 winner was gary leonard.
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gl
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gl
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the 1980 winner was gary leonard.
funny
I recall thinking that Leonard should have won the year before
and the year he did win, Bronstin Austin,Jr. Should Have won....passariello and Baldwin won the other classes...this is when the show was carried on network
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Outstanding Thread Funk!!!!!!!!!!!! theres alot of rare pictures in this thread and most showing the former Champs @ or near there best 8) 8) 8) 8)...the one thing that was certain back in the mid 60s etc was the aau were not (@ that particular time) too keen on Sergio Oliva winning the Actual MR America...one article i recall reading said that Sergio could not speak Proper English...and that to a degree was the reason why he wasnt yet "ready" to Win the America...i try dig it up and post it...absolutely bazaar.
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Outstanding Thread Funk!!!!!!!!!!!! theres alot of rare pictures in this thread and most showing the former Champs @ or near there best 8) 8) 8) 8)...the one thing that was certain back in the mid 60s etc was the aau were not (@ that particular time) too keen on Sergio Oliva winning the Actual MR America...one article i recall reading said that Sergio could not speak Proper English...and that to a degree was the reason why he wasnt yet "ready" to Win the America...i try dig it up and post it...absolutely bazaar.
yeah that and harold poole couldn't win because he stuttered, harold reportedly heard hoffman talking on the other side of the curtain saying no black or hispanic is ever going to win mister america as long as i have anything to do with it. if you read a contest report it said poole flipped out after he got his second place trophy.
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the 1981 winner was tim belknap a diabetic born in 1958 still alive.
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more tim
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tb
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more tb
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tb on md and im
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1982 winner was rufus howard
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howard covers
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the 1983 winner was jeff king
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more jk
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jk
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jk
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the 1984 winner was joe meeko born in 1961 died in 2009 suicide.
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this guy had a legendary appetite for food, he once plugged up mike mentzer toilet.
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he trained all over the lehigh valley in such gyms as gold's in allentown the body factory, olympic fitness center, serge's gym , fitness america. i saw him when he started training for the mr america qualifier, he was very smooth two weeks later he was ripped and easily won.
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in later years his wife tried to kill him several times, lastly beating him with a frying pan. she was a bodybuilder to and cousin to matt millen football legend as well as the guy who singlehandely destroyed the detroit lions franchis taking them to new lows.
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joe was the inventor of the power grips which are still being sold to this day.
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more jm iman pics are of joe meeko and jeff king similar phy.
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jm
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jm
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jm
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jm
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Great pics...Excellent thread . Thanks.
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Great pics...Excellent thread . Thanks.
your welcome, moving on to 1985 the winner was mike antorino.
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more mike a
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ma
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ma
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the 86 winner was glenn knerr 1959 still walks the earth.
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your welcome, moving on to 1985 the winner was mike antorino.
Antorino had very good shape and proportions.
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Very good!
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the 87 winner was richard barretta.
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rb
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I love the old IronMan cover shots. I use to buy them all the time and it brings back some great memories.
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rb
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I love the old IronMan cover shots. I use to buy them all the time and it brings back some great memories.
i agree iron man was the best before balik bought it and in my opinion ruined it.
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the 88 winner was william norberg
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i agree iron man was the best before balik bought it and in my opinion ruined it.
Yep, I think it was Perry and Mabel Rader that owned it back then. And the magazine was a little smaller than a standard mag which kind of made it unique as well.
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rb
Last week I got an email for the local NY area advertising his personal training in midtown Manhattan.
Rich Baretta Private Training
1 W 22nd St at 5th Ave; Flatiron; no phone
Get hooked up with a session at this private training-only Flatiron fitness palace, complete with a health evaluation and workout in one of their 10x10 "pods" (customizable air, music, etc) supervised by one of their top-notch trainers or licensed Muay Thai instructors, making you as bad as Van Damme in Kickboxer -- BYO little old man to drop coconuts on you.
The first 50 to email invite@richbarretta. com get hooked up with gratis one-on-one ass kicking, so hop to it
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His slim, tat look:
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His slim, tat look:
[/quote ]
Still looks good if thats a current shot? Can't say I like all the ink though.
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His slim, tat look:
[/quote ]
Still looks good if thats a current shot? Can't say I like all the ink though.
hoffman called he wants the trophy back.disqualified for excessive tatoos. and bob said he's going to hold his breath till he gets it.
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hoffman called he wants the trophy back.disqualified for excessive tatoos. and bob said he's going to hold his breath till he gets it.
sorry about that this is a serious thread, the 1989 winner was matt dufresne
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the 1990 winner was peter miller, at this point i think the mr a contest was losing its steam the ifbb had dropped all mister references their mr a became the nationals, the mr. universe the world championships etc. little can be found on these later contest as their won't be many more of them. the mag muscular developement was shifting more to the fitness aspect and away from hardcoe bodybuilding. as witnessed by later covers when they became all natural MD. ironically their first cover model was melissa coates.
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ironic that the most hardcore mag now went all-natural. they flipflopped twice. went back to not natural MD.
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a mr america winner didn't appear on Md till 1997 again and the contest died completely in 1999 last one. 1991 winner tommorow.
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Still looks good if thats a current shot? Can't say I like all the ink though.
That is current. It is the pic that was included in the email.
Funk that is funny. ;D
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the 1991 winner was joe deangelis 1966 still alive.
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joe d
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jd
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the next winner in 1992 was mike scarcella 1963-2003, died while fighting ghb withdrawal, really a sad case. he was the victim of hospital dumping when he died.
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mike s
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mike s
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the 93 winner was billy nothaft
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the 94 winner was andrew sivert, the 95 winner was terrence hairston,the 96 contest was the first with a tie , two mister americas oh my, doug rieser and jaime rodriquez.
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the 97 winner was bill davey and now he made the cover of MD albeit all-natural MD.
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bill d
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the 98 winner was harvey h. campbell, the last contest was held in 1999 and the winner was tracey dorsey.
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now some points of interest . in 1942 1943 and 1944 dan lurie finished second in the contest yet won most muscular each of the three years. dan went on to bigger and better things though tv show own magazine and barbell co. search his name there's a large thread on here detailing his life as summed up in his book.
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dan lurie
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dan
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lurie's book and mti mag
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example of lurie's weights
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another underrated mr a competitor from the early 40's was lud schusterich finished as high as third.
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along with the aforementioned here are some of the other more noteable 40's mr a contenders.harold zinkin, cliff byers, sam loprinzi, everett sinderoff, kimon voyages, leo stern, abe goldberg, melvin wells.
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..
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..
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funk great thread and the mr a came full circle from cleaner maybe early natural types,to full anabolic users,then to bill davey who may in fact been leaner and more ripped than pre seventies users but some of the older 50/60's mr a looked bigger,thicker,,,than davey,,funny,,,
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Absolutely great thread Funk lots of rare shots of the past BB greats!
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thanks njflex and johnny 1 now noteables from the 50's. melvin wells, marvin eder, zabo koszewski, george paine, carlin venus,vic seipke, mickey hargitay, art zeller, leroy colbert, seymourkoenig, roger servin, lou degni,tony silipini, bud counts, bert elliot, ed holouchik, eddie silvestre, millard williamson, art harris, robert hinds, bruce randall, gene wells, len bosland, chuck sipes, charles collras, bill march, elmo santiago, to name but a few.
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You know what's funny..if someone here on Getbig posted a pic looking as muscular as this guy does from 1940, half the "experts" on here would claim he was juiced.
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the first bunch are guys who never won a mister america contest but went on to win mister u in the nabba or elsewhere.in this bunch aremickey hargitay placing 9th, 12th, 8th, 6thin 1955 mr a yet winning the nabba mr u beating out dick dubois the 1954 mr a winner.
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the first bunch are guys who never won a mister america contest but went on to win mister u in the nabba or elsewhere.in this bunch aremickey hargitay placing 9th, 12th, 8th, 6thin 1955 mr a yet winning the nabba mr u beating out dick dubois the 1954 mr a winner.
that's the best trophy i 've ever seen. more mickey.
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mh
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next on this list is eddie silvestre he didn't place in the mra but won the 1959 ifbb mister universe.
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es
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next on this list is the famous bruce randall placed 13th in 56 than 6th in 57 then won the pro nabba mister universe in 1959, he was a barbell spokesperson and appeared all around the us i actually saw him in allentown pa promoting billard barbell at the time. he is most famous from going from 415 lbs down to 180 or so and then to 235 and winning mr u.
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br
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more br
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first pic is bruce at 280 doing tri pressdowns.
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next in this category is chuck sipes 9th in the 58 mr a , he won the ifbb mister u in 1960.
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chuck
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cs
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the next in this category is elmo santiago 6 th in the a in 59 won nabba mister u in 1965.
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more elmo.
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last in this category is bill march 17 th in the mr a in 59 won the fich mr u in 65. bill was a great olympic lifter and military pressed 390 in near perfect form. see pic.
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more bill
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march was said to be one of dr. zeigler's early guinea pigs hoffman said gains were due to isometric work but the little blue pill probably had more to do with it.2nd pic is bill wo on the power rack useing the isometric principles.
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next up the movie stars.
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mickey hargitay had 19 credits including one hercules and one gladiator movie.
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mh
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mickey's wife.
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the next one was ed holovchik aka ed fury in the movies 34 credits and 6 peplum movies.
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ed f
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ef
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ed was one of the bodybuilders in athena quite a few can be seen on this pic.
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athena
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next in line is lou degni better known to movie fans as mark forrest, he was in twelve hercules type movies. mark or lou is still alive in 2010 and supposedly still teaches opera.
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pic above is with paul wynter mr universe from son of hercules vs the molemen.
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mf
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lou degni aka mark forrest
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irvin zabo koszewski has 5 credits but was in many more thing uncredited like the tv show combat, you can easily spot mr abs in the athena shot.
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mr abs star gazing and in a work of art
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the obligatory as shot.
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tonysilipini was also known as the wrestler tony marino and later the batman.
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art zeller was a physique photographer for the muscle mags.
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Great stuff Funk ;D
I have to admit i competed in the AAU and NPC through the 80's and I was unaware that the AAU Mr. America continued on into the 90's?? ???
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Great stuff Funk ;D
I have to admit i competed in the AAU and NPC through the 80's and I was unaware that the AAU Mr. America continued on into the 90's?? ???
i was surprised to i thought the aau ended in the late 80's.. next noteable dr carlin venus inventor and distributor of super spectrim suplement. 51 comp. leroy colbert never reached his full potential due to a motorcycle accident, runs a health food business.
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various other comp for one reason or other never won main title, but were impressive nevertheless. this bunch probably never won because bob hoffman was bigotted.
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more
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more comps.
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more noteables
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mr mc len bosland entered contest for 56 years a span from 1951 to 2007. a record for americans.
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next section noteables of the 60's. first guy bill golumbick
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john gourgott doctor weightlifter and mr a comp.
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leroy saba
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harold damien poole up to this time harold was the youngest comp at 16 when he placed 18 th in 1960. at 17 he placed fourth in 1961. he was second in both 62 and 63, he probably should have won but bob hoffman was a noted hater of blacks and hispanics.harold went on to place second in the first mr olympia to larry scott probably because weider didn't want a black guy winning the first mr o. harold was actually half black and half native american.
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more hp
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hp
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hp
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more noteables hugo labra
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hl
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the next guy is one of those who did lousey in the mr a 21 st in both61 and 62 yet he went on to win the nabba mr u in 66 against a young upstart named arnold something or other. he later founded a natural org that didn't last long.
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the mag of his org only lasted 7 issues. second pic is chet bulked to 240
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more cy
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next bench press record holder bill seno.
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more bs
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seno
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next is the bizzarre dr craig whitehead an eye surgeon who wigged out on sex and drugs.he reportedly was taken off the roof of his house because he was guarding it from alien attack naked and with a gun, a search of the house found drugs and porno tapes many featuring the good doctor and his wife.
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next up randy watson
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next up don howorth who came in 17 th in 1963, he did better in the ifbb and even made it's hall of fame.
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dh
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don h
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Don Howorth looks phenominal in those photos. Wide, great sholders and such a small waist. Between Vince's and Joe Golds gym, it looks like it was a great era for bodybuilding.
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don h
Awesome shot of Don Funk, one of the best silhouettes from the late 60s early 70s :o :o :o
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carlos rodriquez 26 th in 63 went on to bigger and better things in the 70's
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sergio oliva 7th in 64, 4th in 65, 2nd in 66 and then mr olympia in 67.
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so
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so
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bill grant 17th in 68
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mr deadlift vince anello
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mike dayton in 1st wsm contest also used to like to hang himself.
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carl smith
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buddy basil
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mr nautilis ell darden
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john decola who placed 8 th in the 64 mr a yet a few weeks before beat the 64 mr a winner as well as another guy who won. he later won the ifbb mr a and the masters mr a aau in 1984.
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jd
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joe nista 9 th in 64
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joe n
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charles estes one of the tallest comps at 6 ft 2.
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bill st john a joizy bber
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kent kuehn
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ralph kroger
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rk
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will whitaker
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bill mcardle
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john corvello
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ken mccord
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master and student two mr a's.
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chuck amato
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cc
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the guy who ruined ironman john balik 25 th in 65
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jb
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ca cc again
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Chuck Collras sure seems to have a very solid physique in all those pictures, some through different eras.
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Chuck Collras sure seems to have a very solid physique in all those pictures, some through different eras.
they say chuck was a quirky guy , he'd pose anywhere, i heard he just stood on a table and started posing during a wedding reception.
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next noteable philly's own ken covington.
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ken waller who later won 71 nabba mr u.
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kw
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kw
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waller
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Never thought much of Kenny's physique although he was quiet proportionate and his calves were world class.
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Never thought much of Kenny's physique although he was quiet proportionate and his calves were world class.
maybe it was just his coloring that you didn't care for. red hair and freckles makes tanning very difficult.
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curt haywood.
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ch
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paul love
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when thread hits 3000 will post 70's noteables.
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paul love
Madeline Love Wheeler's father...
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Madeline Love Wheeler's father...
correct.
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bill st john was a new jersey bber who entered the mr a 8 times first time in 1964 finishing 14 th and the last time in 1974 finishing 12 th. his best finish was in 71 when he came in 3 rd.
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next up clint beyerle came in 21 st in 70 than in subsequent tries would usually either win the tall class or come in second or third actually came in 2 nd overall to dale adrian. he was known for his extreme vascularity esp for the period.
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cb his brother eldon was a weightlifter in the 198 lb class.
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vic tanny jr. son of vic tanny of gym fame first gym chain nephew of armand tanny weider right hand man.
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father son and unk
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final tanny shot
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(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_mFtnWbkxEB4/Sb-9DRqtL9I/AAAAAAAAA2A/cYq-m0YUph4/s800/Ken_Waller_34.jpg)
Name the year of this show.
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(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_mFtnWbkxEB4/Sb-9DRqtL9I/AAAAAAAAA2A/cYq-m0YUph4/s800/Ken_Waller_34.jpg)
Name the year of this show.
1977?
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correct.
1977 AAU Mr. America Day Parade, Saturday July 16th.
Rudy Hermosillo, Dave DuPre, Ken Waller
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Amazing physiques. I remember looking for muscle mags when I was a kid in the 80s here in the Philippines. I would see these old Iron Man mags (Small format) with guys on the cover I didn't know about. Is there a book on these guys?
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Amazing physiques. I remember looking for muscle mags when I was a kid in the 80s here in the Philippines. I would see these old Iron Man mags (Small format) with guys on the cover I didn't know about. Is there a book on these guys?
most of these older books are out of print and hard to come by except if you want to pay an exorbiant price on e-bay etc. but you may be in luck robert kennedy of musclemag international is putting out a special issue featuring many of the top bodybuilders of the period 1940-1990. it should be out in the next several monthes watch for it.
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most of these older books are out of print and hard to come by except if you want to pay an exorbiant price on e-bay etc. but you may be in luck robert kennedy of musclemag international is putting out a special issue featuring many of the top bodybuilders of the period 1940-1990. it should be out in the next several monthes watch for it.
Thanks funk!
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I think he stills owns a big gym in Lousiana
Red does and it is quite a health club , one of the best gyms I have ever seen.
Red still sponsers and attends the NPC state meet held each July in Lafayette , La.
Many of the winners come from his club.
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mr a results posted on another site due to timmy leong's death.
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a good mag which did something like i hope musclemag does now on bbings history.
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a good mag which did something like i hope musclemag does now on bbings history.
Now that mag would make Interesting reading! 8) 8) 8) 8)
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while weider probably helped bodybuilding continue for all these years he might have hurt it by doing away with the mister titles. in the 60's and 70's esp. people cared who won the mr america title. who knows or even cares who won the nationals or world's beside the hardcore fan. opinions?
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Funk, to the best of my knowledge, the "Mr " titles were the exclusive 'properties' of the AAU as determined in a federal court.
I also sort of recall our attempt to revive the "Mr America" title but eventually discovered that it was 'owned' by a men's clothing business.
Anyone have an update on this subject?
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Funk, to the best of my knowledge, the "Mr " titles were the exclusive 'properties' of the AAU as determined in a federal court.
I also sort of recall our attempt to revive the "Mr America" title but eventually discovered that it was 'owned' by a men's clothing business.
Anyone have an update on this subject?
so maybe that's why weider and dan lurie discontinued there use, but still could use mr. olympia because that's an original name? lurie mr olympus.
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Yes, Funk, you're basically correct.
I forgett the exact details, but the NPC and the AAU went to court to settle which organization had the right to use specific bodybuilding titles.
After that case was heard the NPC was either ordered to not use (or decided not to use) the term "Mr." in any of its titles. (There were no "Miss" titles at that time to the best of my recollection.)
I believe that same court case made a decision which prevented any amateur sports governing body from rejecting an individual's entry simply because he had participatrd in a rival organization's contest.
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bump for any newbies browsing here for first time. harry should have won.
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Guy on the right looks like he's killing everyone.
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Guy on the right looks like he's killing everyone.
and believe it or not he came in 5 th and didn't even win most muscular.
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No wonder the sport has always been one step forward two steps back....
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:o sergio 7 and 3 rd mm
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Wow
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bumped for robert zuver of zuver's gym fame.
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;D
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Looks like a special olympics line up ;D
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anyone interested in this thread should purchase john fair's book mr america a good read by an academic covering the subject of bodybuilding in the usa.
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necrology of the mr america contest updated as of today....62 mr a winner starting with 1939 and ending in 1999. john grimek won twice, of those who passed away overall avg age was 68.53 years....... it is 75.89 years for those considered pre-steroid 1962? and 53.00 for those dying from the post 1962 cut-off date.if tom sansone the 1958 winner and admitted steroid user is included with the steroid bunch the age goes to 78.00 for pre 1962 winners and 51.50 for the post 62 ers. :o :o :o :o
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necrology of the mr america contest updated as of today....62 mr a winner starting with 1939 and ending in 1999. john grimek won twice, of those who passed away overall avg age was 68.53 years....... it is 75.89 years for those considered pre-steroid 1962? and 53.00 for those dying from the post 1962 cut-off date.if tom sansone the 1958 winner and admitted steroid user is included with the steroid bunch the age goes to 78.00 for pre 1962 winners and 51.50 for the post 62 ers. :o :o :o :o
INTERESTING,,,
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INTERESTING,,,
got this out of the book pictured above.
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;D
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would have been steve michalik birthday today.
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bump for any newbies browsing here for first time. harry should have won.
than in 1959 he did and shouldn't have... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D art harris won most muscular and came in 8 th place in the mr america contest...
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1954 mr a dick dubois
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;D pic from 1945 mr a guy in middle won clancy ross. guy on right was his training partner and future trainer of bill pearl , leo stern...
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I miss the time I used to spend with Mr. Stern. All the gym owners that came out of his place are now gone. May he rest in peace.
Big Pat
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I miss the time I used to spend with Mr. Stern. All the gym owners that came out of his place are now gone. May he rest in peace.
Big Pat
big pat you actually knew leo stern?????{pic'd below} share some memories if you feel so inclined.... :D :D :D :D
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the only un-american mr america in aau history....
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roy hilligenn , bodybuilder, weightlifter, strongman, ........................ ........................ ...........criminal, pervert.
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mr usa 1949....
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;D
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8) two mr a's one training other doing autographs..
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1956 lineup.
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;D parade of early mr a's.
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ralph kroger routine done 7 days a week.
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"big pat you actually knew leo stern?Huh?{pic'd below} share some memories if you feel so inclined..."
Please let me apologize Funk for my lack of response. Been a long 2 years or family obligations and this thread somehow got overlooked.
I met Mr. Stern in late '78 or early '79. I was looking for a well built Mutli Bench for my training and by chance called his Gym Equip. Co. and talked to him personally. I came down to his store in North Park and we sat down and discussed what I needed and I ended up the a Rocmo (Rocky Mtn. Gym Equipment Co.) bench that I still have. Mr. Stern and I just plain got along from the beginning. I was just a big young man with a good memory for all things weight training. Mr. Stern would gladly answer any question I had as long as I could keep up with him while he took care of the gym, equipment store and his wife's figure salon.
I purchased other equipment from him and latter from his son David who tool over the store. Even years latter when I would correspond (by letter mostly) he would remember me and the things we had talked about. It took me 5 years of waiting to get him to autograph a copy of his image that hangs over the stairway to his gym. Mr. Stern was stern in his business dealings,no doubt about that, but he treated me very well and I miss the time we talked. My biggest regret in not taking the time to sit down with him and talk about the history of weight training in San Diego. He was truly the "Father of Weight Training" here. I remember we were talking about various personalities in the industry and he looked me straight in the eye and said, You should meet Dave Draper ( Mr. Draper has always been a person that I admired and have a great deal of respect for). Maybe someday I will.
Sorry for the rambling and I hope I have given some insight into Mr. Stern. Got to meet many other pioneers of weight training that were in the San Diego area. Hindsight is that I should have taken the time to sit down and talk with each and everyone of them. I guess life sometimes gets in the way of things you would have liked to do.
As a note I have always enjoyed your posting here and on the Ironage forum,.
Be safe and strong,
Big Pat
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would have been steve michalik birthday today.
Did he died for us or something?
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"big pat you actually knew leo stern?Huh?{pic'd below} share some memories if you feel so inclined..."
Please let me apologize Funk for my lack of response. Been a long 2 years or family obligations and this thread somehow got overlooked.
I met Mr. Stern in late '78 or early '79. I was looking for a well built Mutli Bench for my training and by chance called his Gym Equip. Co. and talked to him personally. I came down to his store in North Park and we sat down and discussed what I needed and I ended up the a Rocmo (Rocky Mtn. Gym Equipment Co.) bench that I still have. Mr. Stern and I just plain got along from the beginning. I was just a big young man with a good memory for all things weight training. Mr. Stern would gladly answer any question I had as long as I could keep up with him while he took care of the gym, equipment store and his wife's figure salon.
I purchased other equipment from him and latter from his son David who tool over the store. Even years latter when I would correspond (by letter mostly) he would remember me and the things we had talked about. It took me 5 years of waiting to get him to autograph a copy of his image that hangs over the stairway to his gym. Mr. Stern was stern in his business dealings,no doubt about that, but he treated me very well and I miss the time we talked. My biggest regret in not taking the time to sit down with him and talk about the history of weight training in San Diego. He was truly the "Father of Weight Training" here. I remember we were talking about various personalities in the industry and he looked me straight in the eye and said, You should meet Dave Draper ( Mr. Draper has always been a person that I admired and have a great deal of respect for). Maybe someday I will.
Sorry for the rambling and I hope I have given some insight into Mr. Stern. Got to meet many other pioneers of weight training that were in the San Diego area. Hindsight is that I should have taken the time to sit down and talk with each and everyone of them. I guess life sometimes gets in the way of things you would have liked to do.
As a note I have always enjoyed your posting here and on the Ironage forum,.
Be safe and strong,
Big Pat
thank you for your insights, i always like to hear stories of the old iron game... i always regretted not getting to meet john grimek when i would go to york to buy equipment in the mid 60's.usually it was john terlazzo who would sell me the iron.
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Did he died for us or something?
he died in 2012 suicide.
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Dale Adrian
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Bump for the memories.
Bert Goodrich
(https://www.musclememory.com/images/vintage/GoodrichBert.jpg)
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John Grimek
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5bIAAOSwX99Zoebo/s-l300.jpg)
(https://exerciseeggheads.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/grimek.jpg?w=220&h=359)
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John Grimek
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5bIAAOSwX99Zoebo/s-l300.jpg)
(https://exerciseeggheads.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/grimek.jpg?w=220&h=359)
I am amazed that you got away with this one. LOL.
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richie barrett
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richie barrett
all gruskins boys :Dhad great condition and legs
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all gruskins boys :Dhad great condition and legs
bob gruskin was a big influence on a lot of the east coast guys.
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66
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compared to the 1965 ifbb version of mr a. &t=484s
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&t=108s
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Whats the story on Gruskin, why did he show so much interest in all these young men. Gay was he ?
bob gruskin was a big influence on a lot of the east coast guys.
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Whats the story on Gruskin, why did he show so much interest in all these young men. Gay was he ?
i never heard anything like that but who knows. &t=1743s
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&t=436s
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&t=249s
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Awesome funk I have to watch partn2,I was at a gym that had aau jersey guys Casey kutchuryk would train occasionally and couple other really good bets and Gruskin name always came up and he came in once totally like described.
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Thanks funk, never saw first one
1938 Mr America - AAU
1 Bert Goodrich
2 Elmer Farnham
- Bill Curtis
- Gene Jantzen
- Ted Keppler
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1939 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Roland Essmaker
Tall
1 Roland Essmaker
Medium
1 Herbert Marquart
Short
1 Tony Terlazzo
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1940 Mr America - AAU
1 John Grimek
2 Frank Leight
3 Ludwig Schusterich
4 Chick Deutch
5 John Gallagher (1)
6 George Lapausky
- Dave Asnis
- Monroe Brown
- Jack Channing
- Elmer Farnham
- Carl Hempe
- Gene Jantzen
- Melvin Kahn
- Terry Robinson
- Tony Terlazzo
- Joseph Thaler
- Herman Weinsoff
- Charles Whitlock
Most Muscular
1 John Grimek
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Strength & Health, Page 23, July 1940
"Mr. America" Contest
by Siegmund Klein
On Saturday evening, May 25th, America's most perfect group of amateur posers congregated at Madison Square Garden to vie with each other for the cherished title, "Mr. America."
It was indeed a spectacle to see our boys posing. They represented years of physlcal culture training, and showed the audience what they, too, could and would accomplish by practising bar bell training, for all of the competitors were bar bell men.
True, some did not have a chance, but they, too, should be congratulated, for they represented, from an audience's point of view, possibilities, they encouraged those who came to see this show, that all the competitors were not "born that way," as so many of the lay people believe our "studies in physical perfection" are.
It was thrilling to see so many fine physical specimens.
In the afternoon, there was a contest or the "Best Developed Arm," the "Best Developed Chest," the "Best Developed Abdominals" and the "Best Developed Back."
The audience had their favorites which was evident when one of them stepped forward. Waves of applause greeted them from all over the Garden.
Grimek won the Best Arm Development contest
Frank Leight, who entered as Frank Stepanek, won the Best Chest Development, and he has some chest; it is massive without being grotesque, it is deep and broad, and he showed it up to good advantage.
"Chick" Deutsch, won the Best Abdominals and it was quite an easy victory for him. Seldom have I seen such fine clear cut straight abdominaIs and external obliques as this young favorite ad popular athlete possesses.
Joseph Thaler won the best Back Development.
Everyone was wondering why John Grimek did not enter all the other contests save the Arm Development. Had he entered he could probably have won all save the Best Abdominals contest.
However, the audience were waiting for the evening show. This was spectacular. A special posing platform was erected for the poseurs to mount. Special spotlights glared from the ceiling of the Garden upon the athletes, and the only thing that was missing to give it a finishing touch was music.
Well, our old friend, John C. Grimek, won the title of "Mr. America."
Many people were remarking before the show that he would not enter, that he was afraid, that he was too short, that he was too muscular, and I do not know how many other things were said about him before the contest, besides, "he could not afford to lose . . ."
When the announcer, Mr, AI. Frazen, called out the name "John Grimek" next on the program, we could not hear what he had to say in the introduction, the applause was deafening, but we who know Grimek did not lave to hear about him, he was there, and there he was in all his glory. I have seen Grimek poses in pictures, I have seen him perform at many, oh, so many exhibitions, but this evening he was at his best. He looked to me like the reincarnation of Hercules, with the grace of Apollo. When he struck his first pose, well, he did not strike it, he just glided into it, he looked supreme. The pose reminded me of that fine picture of Grimek in Bob Hoffman's book, "Big Arms" opposite page 54. Wave after wave of applause greeted him. Many judges who have never seen J. C. G. before rubbed their eyes, they never saw such grace, such development, such magnificent physical majesty. He shifted into his second and third poses gracefully, and knew what he as doing. He had his poses all selected.
The audience imagined that it was a walk way and easy victory for him, little did they know what was going on in the judges' room, when the totals were added up.
Five points were given for muscular development, five points for proportions, three points for posing, two points for general appearance.
Fifteen points in all, and there were seven judges. The highest therefore that anyone contestant could possibly get would be 105 points.
Grimek won with 99½ points. However, rank Stepanek ( Leight) came second with a total of 97¼ points. This was followed by Ludwig Schusterich with a total of 88 points. This was the young athlete who won the "Mr. New York" contest last winter in Brooklyn. Chick Deutch had the fourth highest number of points, just a notch below Schusterich. Others who figured quite high in the final compilation if points were John Galagher, Terry Robinson, Joe Thaler, Gene Jantzen, and Elmer Farnham. Every man of the approximately 60 entrants had fine physiques. It was unfortunate that all couId not receive some great reward for the splendid muscular development they had obtained as result of their physical endeavors, but only one could win the title Mr. America.
Frank Stepanek was the first to congratulate the winner. He told me afterwards that he was not one bit disappointed, in fact, he felt quite pleased that he came out second, particularly with so high a total. He mentioned in his modest way that had he won he would not believe it, for he thinks there is no one as I good as John Grimek and expressed his opinion that the other contestants as well as himself had a spot of nerve to even compete with weight lifters choice.
In addition to the title Mr. America, John Grimek won the title, "Most Muscular Man in America." These two great triumphs added to the medal he received for his splendid success in the lifting competition, his trophy for Best Arm Development, and his medal for his winning of the Mr. America title made five beautiful trophies in all which he could add to his ever growing collection.
There were seven judges to select the man who was entitled to the Mr. America title. These were: Bernarr McFadden, publisher of Physical Culture and other publications for many years, Col. Charles Dieges, prominent leader of amateur athletics in New York City, former wrestling champion, No.1 timer in national track and field competition, and AAU weight lifting chairman in the early years of official weight lifting competition. Col. KilpatrIck, famous former Yale University athlete, who is now president of the Madison Square Corp., Dan Parker, well known columnist of the New York Daily Mirror, Bob Hoffman and myself.
It may be telling tales out of school, but of these Bernarr McFadden listed John Grimek first with a perfect score of 15. Bob Hoffman had Grimek first with 14 3/4, Stephanek second with 14. I had Grimek first with 14. Stepanek second with 13½. olonel Dieges and Colonel Kilpatrick both had Grimek first and Stepanek second. Evidently the two newspaper men voted for Frank (Leight) Stepanek, the New York policeman, for first place, which brought Frank well up in the final scoring.
I have had the pleasure of being interviewed by many people of the press regarding Grimek, they all wanted to know all about his training, his methods etc. ... of how he got that way. I believe that he is today, and will be for some time to come the greatest boon to weight lifting and body building with bar bells since the days of Eugene Sandow.
How does he compare with Sandow ? I do not know how Sandow looked in the flesh, having never seen him. But from photographs, I think that Sandow had the edge on Grimek from a sharper muscularity. Sandow had more abdominal development than Mr. America.
There still are hundreds of thousands of people that have never seen or heard of Grimek. If he would allow himself to be managed he could be just as famous as Sandow ever was. He is physically stronger. He has personality, and looks the part of a "Strong-Man" more so than anyone I have ever seen, and I have seen many of the world's best representatives of "Super Strength Stars."
If Grimek could be induced to go into the movies which has had offers, if he would give exhibitions for the theatrical public, he would boom the "strong-man" and physical culture business higher than any plane it has ever seen, particularly now that the world is so physical conscious. People are clamoring for something to do, physically. They do not know just what to do. They hear of golf, tennis, swimming, and kindred sports, but it does not give them what they want. If they saw Grimek they would at once want to know what he does and assure you he would inspire them to go in for bar bell training.
John Carol Grimek will have to get use to being called Mr. America. He should be proud of the title, and it will be a long time before he will be surpassed by any of the present crop of physical culturists.
However there is someone, maybe a youngster in his teens, maybe in the cradle, but this youngster will some day see Grimek in person or picture, and will be so thrilled and inspired that he will be the Furture Mr. America.
I am quite sure that most everyone was pleased with the outcome. I was. I know that Bob Hoffman was. I am sure that all the weightlifters were. May John C. Grimek, "Mr. America" enjoy a good long life, may he continue to inspire thousands and may he live up to the title that he deserves.
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Strength & Health, Page 23, August 1940
The 'Mr. America' Contest
By Siegmund Klein
Now that the "Mr. America" Contest is over, I think we should look over the salient points of the contestants and see if we as body-builders have learned anything to benefit us.
It seemed to me that many of the contestants could have trained much harder for this contest than they did. Many of them thought that if they put enough "make-up" ( oil, sun-tan powder) on, they would cover up their defects and bring out their better developed parts.
This may have worked but for the fact that all the contestants except Grimek and Stepanek used "make-up."
So they were all in the same spot, as though no "make-up" was used.
With very few exceptions, it was very apparent to me that those athletes that have good arms, abdominals, shoulders, worked very hard on those parts of their bodies to bring them out even more. This is, as I have often written, a failing of so many of us.
With very few exceptions, most of the contestants did not know how to pose. They got up on the platform and stood there "thinking up" a pose, when all of this should have been done weeks ago. They should have practiced their routines over and over again, so that they would feel at ease, and select poses that showed them up to their best advantages.
Many of them would get up there and start a pose and, like a flash, would change it, not knowing just what they were doing. This did not add to their credit one bit.
Some of the poseurs, to be sure, did a fine job. Monroe Brown, who knows how to pose besides having a fine body, looked very good. He selected some poses that we have seen of him in magazines from me to time. "Chick" Deutsch, who won the "Best Abdominal" Contest, knew how to take poses that showed his abominals up to the best advantage. Elmer Farnum, too, knew what he was doing. Gene Jantzen had some fine heroic poses. Frank Stepanek (Leight) did not look as muscular as he could have, and I assure you that he will never "take it easy" again. He is training harder than he ever has.
As for John Grimek, well, there is not much I can say to add to what I have written about him last month. He knew what he was doing and showed us what practice means. He did not flounder around up there.
I know that Grimek can take most I any pose. That is to his advantage. When an athlete is well proportioned and muscular he can strike most any pose and look good. That is the reason that Grimek always awes us in any pose that we see of him in the flesh or in pictures.
Taking the group as a whole, I would say that leg development was lacking in most them. Many could have had much better abdominals.
"Chick" Deutsch should certainly be very inspirational to many to develop abdominal and pectoral muscles. Frank Stepanek should be inspiration for chest Jospeh Thaler for shoulder (deltoid) and back.
Body builders should now check over their program of exercises and see what should be added or changed. Are you doing enough abdominal exercises? How about the leg exercises? Not one or two heavy "squats" but real muscle-building movements. I assure you that the athletes that looked the best up there spent a lot of time (repetitions) on building up heir musculature.
This contest should be a lesson to many body-builders. Train for all around development. Specialize only on those parts of the body that need the development to come up to the standard of the rest of your body.
It will help greatly if you have a mirror In your training quarters. Between exercises you can spend a bit of time studying your physique, take note of your strong points and see just where your development is lacking, and where the entire physique can be improved. Too many body builders make the mistake of selecting most of their exercises for the parts of the body which are already best developed instead of spending a major portion of their training time improving their weakest points.
Under no condition get discouraged. Remember that no matter how slow your progress may be, you would not have what you now possess if you did not train. We can't all be Grimeks, Leights, ad Deutsches, but we can all improve ourselves.
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1941 Mr America - AAU
1 John Grimek
2 Jules Bacon
3 Frank Leight
4 Robert Elwood Holbrook
5 Ludwig Schusterich
6 Terry Robinson
- Paul Como
- Paul Davis (1)
- Roland Essmaker
- Melvin Kahn
- Constantine Kosiras
- Tommy O'Hare
- Joseph Peters
- Steve Stern
- Kimon Voyages
- Elmer Witmer
- Harold Woomer
Most Muscular
1 Ludwig Schusterich
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Strength & Health, Page 26, July 1941
"Mr. America 1941!"
by Siegmund Klein
This Year's Mr. America Contest was held May 24th, at the Arena, 45th and Market Sts., Philadelphia, in conjunction with the Senior National Weight Lifting Championships. While the number of contestants this year was not as great as last, Dave Asnis, winner of the best abdominals last year, and Joe Thaler, winner of best back, are in service. John Gallagher, working long hours in the shipyards, and many others absent for similar reasons, the very best were seen in action at the Arena. In many sections of the country preliminary contests had been held to select "Mr. New York City," Frank Leight this year. Ludwig Schusterich last Year, "Mr. Philadelphia." Jules Bacon, Constantine Kosiris who was also in this contest had tied for first in the preliminaries. Tom O'Hare, bearing the title "Mr. New Orleans," Robert Ellwood Holbrook from far off California and so many others of the best developed men in this nation.
The judges easily as representative as the contestants, were selected by the national "eight lifting committee. They were, ten in all: Art Gay, Physical Culture teacher of Rochester, N. Y., former strongest man in the navy and himself winner of best built man contests in the past. Emmet Faris of Cincinnati, the president of the Body Builders Club, and vice chairman of the national weight lifting committee, Jack Ayres of Wilmington, Del. in charge of physical education for the state of Delaware. John Fritshe, of Fritshe's gym, Philadelphia, long a leader in physical training, body building and weight lifter. Six of his own men were in the competition. Cy Bermudes of New Orleans Athletic Club, weight lifting leader in that southern city, Willie Clark, physical director Broadwood A. C., Philadelphia, former champion boxer, active wresting and boxing referee, and a famous sportsman, Perry Lewis, sports columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Jeff Keen, columnist Philadelphia Daily News. Bob Hoffman, editor of Strength and Health magazine, and the writer.
The basis of judging was as follows:
Muscular development 5 points
Muscular proportions 5 points
Posing 3 points
General Appearance 2 points
This makes a total of 15 points in all, and with ten judges a perfect score would be 150 points.
The contest started with a parade of the athletes who were entered. This served to give the judges a "line" on the men who were entered and see just how they compared with each other. Then all were given their opportunity to pose in turn. Three poses, 20 seconds each for front, back and optional poses. Practically every contestant was a very extraordinary physical specimen. Those who had entered in the past were improved after another year's training, and some sensational newcomers appeared. Notably Kimon Voyages, Ellwood Holbrook and Harold Woomer. On the grass covered platform, in the center of the stage, the bronzed and frequently oiled bodies of the contestants brought applause and cheers from the great crowd who were present. The winners of the various districts all seemed to have their enthusiastic supporters. Greatest applause was won by the men who were ultimately the place winners and the winners of special awards. One man who did not receive a prize but received exceptional applause each time he appeared was Constantine Kosiris.
When John Grimek, who had recently won the title "Mr. Middle Atlantic," and was the reigning "Mr. America," came running down the isle as his turn came, leaped upon the platform and immediately went into a beautiful back pose, the tumultuous applause he received was pretty good proof that once again he would be the winner, officially "Mr. America."
As usual at all contests there are varieties of opinion...that is why there are judges; in this contest such a generous number of judges. Then the majority can rule and the best men should emerge as the ultimate winners. Often the audience approves the judges' decisions and often not and the audience will not hesitate to let the judges know with the will-known Bronx cheer.
John Grimek received the great total of 146½ points, an average of 14.65 per judge. Last year, Bernarr McFadden who had rated both Grimek and Schusterich with a perfect score of 15 points, was the only one to rate so high, there were a number of perfect scores for Grimek in this contest. John Grimek's victory, judging from the applause, was approved by all the spectators both when he posed and when he was awarded the huge Bob Hoffman trophy, emblematic of the title "Mr. America." John Grimek looked better than ever to this observer. His posing was magnificent, his muscularity unmatched, his proportions symmetrical, his appearance majestic. he really stood far out ahead of all the others. One thing was certain, the contestants themselves, or at least all of those to whom I have spoken, agreed that the judging on first place was right, in their opinions. This is very unusual in such a contest.
However there was quite a bit of controversial opinion as to the second place. The audience naturally applauded for the man they wanted to win. It seemed to me that the applause from the audience was about as even as the judging for second place. For this was indeed a close vote. Remember that Frank Leight Stepenek won the "Mr. New York City" Contest, February the 15th at Brooklyn. Jules Bacon of Fritshe's Gym won the "Mr. Philadelphia" contest May 17th. Here were the two winners in these great eastern cities vying for second place in the "Mr. America" contest. If I could express the other judges' opinion, I would say that they had two of the world's finest physical specimens before them, and it was very hard to choose between them. The contrast of their appearance made it even more difficult. Frank is taller, more bulky, evidently more powerful. Jules is dark, extremely muscular, thin skinned, and was in superb condition, much better than when the photo was taken a few months ago which appeared on the cover of this magazine. Frank had a magnificent chest, selected as the best in America, good legs. Jules was most notable for his abdominals but he was magnificently developed all over.
After the first draft of the judges these two men were tied for second place with 125½ points. The judges had to vote again and once again they came out even. Five for Stepenek, five for Bacon. It was later suggested that the judges choose between these two men by using the point system as in the preliminary judging. They could give a maximum of 15 points to his choice or as few as he thought the other man deserved. Something must have gone wrong with my figures or some of the men did not vote for the second choice, for when I asked Bob Jones who was the announcer at this point, having relieved Bob Hoffman who had been at the microphone from early morning until the completion of the last lifting the championships, just what the points for each contestant were, he informed me that Jules Bacon had won second place with 71 points and Frank Leight Stepenek, third with 58.
At all such contests the element of surprise enters, and I believe the most surprised and pleased athlete in the contest was Elwood Holbrook, the Watsonville, Cal. boy, when he was gien the fourth award in this great contest. Elwood was the only contestant who had competed in the weight lifting prior to the judging in this contest, he also had won the national bent press title, in the annual show I staged in New York. This lad was good however. He had a very muscular, symmetrical physique. His poses were splendid and his appearance unusually fine. In fifth position was Ludwig Schusterich, the lad who won the "Mr. New York City" contest in 1940, when he was just 16 years of age. Ludwig was bigger and stronger, being of about the same size as John Grimek. He weighed over 190 pounds, was broad shouldered and powerful I am informed that he can perform twenty deep knee bends with 350 pounds. He was particularly handsome, red cheeks, wavy silky blond hair, deeply tanned, splendid carriage, a real young superman. Each year he improves and when and if John Grimek retires some time in the future from these competitions, undoubtedly Ludwig Schusterich will be a leading contender for the title.
Terry Robinson of Brookyln, this year greatly improved physically, somehow manages to win one of the places in all such competitions. To garner the sith place medal he had to outscore a great many exceptional contestants. Terry has the sort of physique most poepl like. Broad shouldered, slender waist, powerful, somewhat slender but shapely legs, blond curly hair, an expert poser. The six place winners were the cream of the crop.
There were a number of additional events to be decided, Best Abdominals, Best Chest, Most Muscualr Athlete. Most Muscular Back, Best Arms, and awards for the best developed policeman and the runner up, best developed fireman and the runner up. Bob Hoffman had donated all of these beautiful trophies, and they were beautiful. The "Mr. America" trophy towered three feet in height, with two American Eagles and a beautiful statue of a weight lifter snatching, a stature that Grimek had posed for in the past. The most muscular man trophy was also exceptionally fine with a pedestal, a huge globe, flanked by athleteic figures and a statue with a vitory wreath on top.
As the "Most Muscular Man" competition was next in imporatnce, I will describe this contest first. John Grimek had won the "Most Muscular Man" title last year, also the best arm, the only one of the four special contests he entered. So great is this unsual physique specimen that he should easily win all of the special awards except possibly Best Abdominals. John has fine abdominals, but he does not specialize upon them, and might be outscored by some of the thin skinned men such as Kahn who won, and Bacon who was a finalist in the division. Grimek wanted others to share the trophies so did not enter these competitions. Neighter did Frank Leight enter the Most Muscualr Man contest or he would have been hard to beat in the final scoring.
The judges called for the men they liked best to stand upon the platform. This selected company at first included Jules Bacon, Kimon Voyages, Paul Como, and Elwood Holbrook. As he was leaving the platform Bob Hoffman called Ludwig Schusterich back. The audience and the judges were more divided in the selection of the most muscular man than in any other division of the great contest. Kimon Voyages is big, powerful, possessing a herculean development; in one photo I saw afterward, some who saw insisted it was Grimek and only the closest scrutiny in this particular pose proved that it was not Grimek. Jules Bacon was sensational. Thin skinned as I have repeatedly said before, he showed more muscles than any other. If the prize was given for muscular definition he, closely followed by Elwood Holbrook, I believe would have been the victor. But bulk must be given consideration in selecting the most muscular man. I believe that Ludwig Schusterich was the strongest man in the group. He had a beautiful body, and although his muscular definition was not as great as some, his shoulders wre broad, his chest magnificent, his poses the best of the group, his waist slender, his legs splendid, and he was selected by the judges as the ultimate winner. I believe he was the most pleased young man in Philadelphia that night. After winning the great honor of being selected Mr. New York City in 1940, he was nosed out by Frank Leight this year. Although he was a finalist in all the special contests, he did not actually win one, and would not be blamed for being discouraged for he is much better now than when he was selected as "Mr. New York City." He said afterward that he really will train now and show the judges who voted for him, as well as the spectators who kindly gave him support, that he can and will become much better than he is at present.
Elwood Holbrook won the "Best Arms" and he certainly showed great development and separation when he posed with his triceps shown. He has a triceps that has a perfect horseshoe effect. His biceps, too, lumps up in a well developed and most unusual manner. The muscle builders in the audience were particularly enthusiastic when he struck this pose. It was nice to see a man win this title who not only had a fine looking arm, but also a powerful one, as proven by his victory in the bent press contest.
Melvin Kahn, the young man who first gained fame by winning the Best Developed Abdominals in the "Mr. New York City Contest" was selected as the winner in this national contest. He has extremely thin skin and this helped him no little when he contracted his abdominals. From an expert's viewpoint while they showed extreme chiselled effects, it was not so much from a development standpoint but from a lack of flesh on his body. Proper abdominal development shows abdominal muscularity by having a certain amount of depth, admonials that protrude due to their unusual development and muscularity. Jules Bacon was the closest contender in this event, in fact he was among the leaders in all the special events.
Johnny Davis was the best developed back contest. Johnny just stood with his arms at his sides and I was surprised that he won by taking the pose that he did. Whenever I seen John Davis, I ask him to show me his upper back development and when he flexes his muscles it is really something to see. You get a hint of this development if you remember his back pose which was on the cover of this magazine a few months ago. The judges were no doubt influenced by photos they had seen of Johnny in the past, for he was given the award almost with unanimous acclaim.
Frank Leight Stepenek won the best chest contest again this year. His closest rival was Joe Peters from Schenectday. Joe Peters has the greatest differential between chest and waist of any athlete in the world. 53 inch chest, 31 inch waist, so I am informed. He looked as broad as this barn door we hear about. His chest was beautifully developed throughout, but his smoothness of construction failed to show up as well as the marvelous Frank Leight chest development.
Frank Leight also won the Best Built Policeman award, while Steve Stern, who really is a powerful man, won the best built fireman award.
By this time it was well after midnight on what has been the greatest day in the world of strength and development. The crowd slowly wended its way out of the big Arena, talking enthusiastically of what they had seen, and now doubt promising each other that they would put greater emphasis on their own training and be more like these men.
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1942 Mr America - AAU
1 Frank Leight
2 Dan Lurie
3 Ludwig Schusterich
4 Dave Marcus
5 Leonard Burton
6 Tony Armento
7 George Beegle
8 Jake Hitchens
Most Muscular
1 Dan Lurie
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Strength & Health, Page 25, July 1942
FRANK LEIGHT - "MR. AMERICA"
By The Editor [Bob Hoffman]
For more than a score of years Atlantic City has been famous for its beauty pageant, famous as the place where "Miss America" is crowned each year. Open only to amateurs, the Atlantic City "Miss America" contest has been the beginning of many a promising professional career. Beauty contests are held in principal cities throughout the United States, the fairest representative of that district is crowned and sent to Atlantic City. There a group of judges endeavor to select the most beautiful, and best formed American girl
Back in 1938 Johnny Hordines staged the first truly representative "Mr. America" contest at Amsterdam, New York. The first "Mr. America" contest was well staged. Proper lighting, a revolving platform, music, well built men from many states, famous figures in the strength world as judges, made this "Mr. America" contest one long to be remembered. As man after man stepped upon the platform, handsome, upstanding, powerfully built young men, the spectators were treated to thrill after thrill. What a wonderful lot of competitors there were, hard to choose one, many who did not even receive honorable mention would have been fitting subjects to wear the crown of "Mr. America."
Professionals were not barred in this first contest so Bert Goodrich, a famous all around athlete in his school days, for many years an understander in a herculean hand balancing act was chosen "Mr. America." Elmer Farhnam, of York, who had gone with the writer as a travelling companion, having no hope or expectation of being chosen "Mr. America," had the lowest number of points at the first count which, with the system of judgin in use would have made him Mr. America. Then old Adolph Rhein changed his vote and the title went to big Bert Goodrich with Elmer in second place. Only a few years have passed since that day, but Elmer is far away, a sergeant in the parachute corps. Adolph Rhein, one of the greatest old strength athletes of all time, nearing 80, is now a patient in a hospital and at the point of death.
But it was a beginning, one that is difficult to excell in quantity and quality of contestants, in judging, or staging of such an event.
In 1939 the A.A.U. (Amateur Athletic Union) became interested and as apart of the A.A.U senior national championships, the best built weight lifter was selected. To enter the contest a man was required to be a registered A.A.U. Athlete and expected to take part in the lifting competition. A number of men who trained with weights but who were not usually lifting competitors entered this event and one of these, a tall, handsome, broad shouldered, slender built chap, Ronald Essmaker, from Richmond, was selected as the winner. in this second event advertised as the "Mr. America" contest, winners in three weight classes were chosen, and then the final selection of the grand winner was made.
There was a great deal of dissatisfaction with the judging in this event, opinions differing greatly as to what type of man best deserved the title "Mr. America." Several ladies, artists and art teachers, a sculptor and the operator of a business man's gym, a man who had been a famous strength athlete in his youth, were the judges.
In 1940 at Madison Square Garden, the "Mr. America" contest for the first time played before a huge crowd numbering well up in the thousands, and received world wide publicity. 1940 was world fair year, and these dual events, the "Mr. America" contest and the world's fair brought a great many lovers of the masculine physique to New York. By this time a fair method of judging had been evolved. Seven points for muscular development, five for muscular proportions, and three for hair, skin, face, posture, and posing ability, making 15 in all, were used as the basis for judging.
There were some famous judges serving in this contest. Siegmund Klein, so well known to readers of this magazine, Bernarr McFadden, famous physical culturist and publisher, Col. Kilpatrick, President of Madison Square Garden and a famous athlete in his college days, well known columnist Dan Parker, Col. Dieges, former wrestling champion, former A.A.U. weight lifting chairman, and a leading A.A.U. official, the writer and enough others to make ten, were the judges.
John Grimek, whose admirers shook the solidly constructed Madison Square Garden when he appeared, was selected as "Mr. America," with Frank Leight, the New York policeman, as second. It was a great affair marred only by the fact that Dan Parker for long weeks after the contest was complaining about the judging. Noting that the writer and John Grimek both hailed from York, Pa. he immediately told the world that there was an Ethiopian in the woodpile, that I had been responsible for the selection of John Grimek as "Mr. America." Quite a task one would realize, for one man, myself, to outvote nine others. The truth of the matter was that all the judges except Dan Parker and one of his pals rated John Grimek first, Bernarr McFadden with 15 points, a hundred percent score, compared to the 14 3/4 at which I had rated him. It's all water of the dam now, but if the crowd did the selecting John Grimek would have been chosen by a margin so great that it would have been overwhelming, almost unanimous.
The "Mr. America" contest took another big step forward when it was staged at the Arena Sports Palace in Philadelphia in 1941, again as a part of the A.A.U. national weight lifting championships. The Madison Square Garden "Mr. America" contest was big, but this Philadelphia contest was more representative of the best in America than any previous contest. A great number of cities had chosen their best built man and sent him to Philadelpia to vie for the "Mr. America" title. There was Frank Leight, officially "Mr. New York City," Ludwig Schusterich, former "Mr. New York City," Jules Bacon, "Mr. Philadelphia," Tommy O'Hare, "Mr. New Orleans," Elwood Holbrook from far off California, with representatives from the south and middle west.
All conditions were excellent for the staging of this contest. Lighting was perfect, the man who was being judged stood high above the boxing ring in the center of the huge amphitheatre, and as they took their turn upon the pedestal many of them were Greek god like in appearance. Selections were mad to find the man who had the best built back, the best arm, best abdominals, best chest and most muscular physique. Elwood Holbrook, the bent press champion, won the best arm, Frank Leight best chest, John Davis best back, Melvin Kahn best abdominals, Ludwig Schusterich the most muscular title.
When the final decision of the ten judges was handed down it was found that John Grimek had again been selected "Mr. America," that he stood head and shoulders above the remainder of the competitors and had received the amazing score of 147½ points out of a perfect 150. Hardly possible that a man could score so high, that any human could be considered to be so nearly perfect. But we were gazing at the man that many consider to be the best built of all time. Second in the scoring was Jules Bacon of Philadelphia and Frank Leight of New York City, both with a score of 125. To break the tie, both posed again and Jules Bacon was placed scond, with Frank Leight third.
In the first Mr. America contest at Amsterdam, N.Y. most of the judges were men prominent in the world of strength and development. Siegmund Klein, Joe Bonomo, Otto Arco, the writer, with a local newspaper writer and a high school art teacher. At Philadelphia where the national lifting championships and the "Mr. America" contest was staged by the Middle Atlantic district of the A.A.U., the district of which I am chairman, the ten judges were all men who had long been prominent in weight lifting and bodybuilding circles. Such men as Karo Whitfield from Atlanta Georgia, Emmet Faris from Cincinnati, Harry Paschall from Columbus, O., Siegmund Klein and Ray Van Cleef from New York City. It is to be expected that men who spend their lives as instructors or officials in weight lifting, the group from which the best built men are invariably selected, every leading competitor having trained with weights, would be the best judges of the masculine physique. Although the "Mr. America" contest is open to men of all types, and the earlier contests included a few swimmers, gymnasts, boxers, wrestlers and other athletes, they quickly learned that they did not compare in development with the weight lifters who made a specialty of training with weights to improve their health, strength and development. All the leaders in every official "Mr. America" contest have been men who trained regularly with weights and the progressive system.
This year the national weight lifting championships were staged at Cincinnati, Ohio, and as usual the "Mr. America" contest was held in conjunction with them. As compared to the 66 competitors who appeared at Philadelphia only 13 competed in this 1942 "Mr America" contest. So many of the best developed men are in the army or doing war work; difficulty of travel kept a great many excellent physical specimens, men who would have figured in the scoring, at home.
Conditions were the best that could be obtained although the lighting was not good, which detracted greatly from the appearance of the competitors and the muscle control men and posers who appeared, notably Siegmund Klein and John Grimek. There was no complaint about the judging, even from the spectators who often are keenly disappointed when their favorite is not placed as high as expected. There were four lady judges, girls who were intesely interested in athleteics and lifting, Miss Barbar Faris, Mis Ann Hewitt, Miss Katherine Dunnet and Miss Virginia Gray. Siegmund Klein, Fred Hofmeister, who conducts one of the finest body building studios in the middle west, a man who has developed outstanding lifters and body builders, himself one of the nation's best built men, served, as well as Harry Paschall, national weight lifting champion way back in 1925, a man who held the national record in the two hands snatch then at 194 in the 148 pound class, 15 years later established an Ohio state middleweight record of 230 pounds, known as the "Methuselah of weight lifting" the creator of Bosco, a man highly publicized back in the 20's for the excellence of his physique. And as usual, although endeavoring to be just a spectator first of all, and then the master of ceremonies next of all, the writer was influenced to be the eighth judge.
In the past, the judges marked their scores according to muscular development, muscular proportions, general appearance, which included posture, skin, hair and face, as well as posing ability, totalled their own scores which would range up to a perfect 15. The judges' decisions were collected, added up and as in the case of John Grimek last year with his 147½ out of a possible 150, ten judges, 15 a perfect score for each judge. It was optional at previous "Mr. America" contest to contest for the special awards: best back, best arm, etc. A fraction of those entered in the "Mr. America" contest would enter the special contests, five or six of these would be chosen as finalists, all would pose together, the judges could see how the special points of one man compared to another and they could agree on the man with the best arm or best chest, etc.
At Cincinnati the score cards were marked for each man with a space allotted for the scoring in each special division, best arm, best chest, best back, best abdominals, best leg. There was a special award for the most muscular. 20 points or part thereof, was to be allotted for each of the five classes, these points were to be added up and the man who received the highest rating in all would be "Mr. America." It was not my thought that this was the best way to do it, but I was only one of the judges so the scoring went on as planned. I cited one case where a colored man who had the best arm, the most muscular body, as good a chest, back and abdominals as any, was gnome like or grotesque in general appearance. In individual parts few if any could excel Joe DiPoetro. This method of scoring had no consideration for symmetry, carriage, posing ability, general appearance, facial appearance or hair, all of which should be important considerations in selecting a "Mr. or Miss America." I wonder how the results of the judging of "Miss America" would have been if they were judged by best leg, best abdominals, best chest, etc. They made their selection from general appearances, selecting the girl who was most beautiful in face and body, who was most graceful and presented the best general appearance.
In past "Mr. America" contests the best men were grouped together and it was possible to compare one with another and make the final selection. It was suggested that it would be done this way at Cincinnati, but Mr.Wortmann, the A.A.U. chairman of the natinoal committee, ruled that the men would be seen one at a time, their score marked for each of their best points and then the addition of these points would determine who "Mr. America" was. All in all there could have been little complaint with the final standing the way it was done, but we believe that the method employed at Madison Square Garden and at the Arena in Philadelphia, is the best and fairest way and the most interesting from the standpoint of the spectators. Muscular proportions, muscular development, posture, posing ability, skin, hair and face, all should play a more important part in the selection of the ultimate winner than just he who as the best individual parts.
Frank Leight, the New York City policeman who was second in 1940 and third in 1941, was selected as "Mr. America." Frank is 34 years of age and long has possessed one of the best physiques in the world. Selected each year as the possessor of the best chest, he is a fitting man to wear the crown "Mr. America." He is taller than the average, has good posture, broad shoulders, fine arms, a powerful back, good abdominals, as he is holder of the world's record in the abdominal raise, and a fine pair of straight, well muscled legs. He is handsome in a manly sort of way, and although he always seems reluctant to display himself and to enter these contests, he does pose very well. He had his admirers in New York City and Philadelphia and in this contest with John Grimek being ruled out as a previous winner, he was easily the man who should have been selected to wear the 1942 "Mr. America" crown.
Nearly ten years ago, Frank's picture appeared on the cover of this magazine; a number of good pictures of him have graced our pages since that introduction. He has trained for these many years at Sieg Klein's gymnasium in New York City. Visitors to Klein's gym have watched Frank in his training. He's a star with heavy dumbells, one of his favorite movements being the alternate press with a 110 pound dumbell in each hand. He excels at the pull over, the abdominal raise, and does a bit of chinning and turning on a horizontal bar. He weighs over 200 pounds, and chinning and turning upon a bar, "skinning the cat" is responsible for at least some of his very excellent physique.
Getting along in years, a family man, with an admiring wife and a young family, with the irregular hours of work necessitated by being a New York City patrolman, he deserves especial credit for maintaining his interest for so many years, and for building a physique which this year was selected as America's best. He received a total of 69 points out of a possible 80. He had been given the award of best chest.
Before going on to a brief comment concerning other winners I'll mention the special award winners. Melvin Kahn of New York City as in 1940 and 1941 was given the ward of Best Abdominals. He had gained ten pounds, looked more muscular, and his abdominal development had improved with his added weight. He had won chiefly in the past due to his slender frame, thin skin, which accentuated his adominal development. Competition was not as keen in this division as usual. Men like Dave Asnis and Chick Deutch, who have really extraordinary abdominals, are in service.
The young star, Dan Lurie, of the Adonis A. C. in Brooklyn, who was very much in evidence throughout the entire evening, received the awards of best leg, best arm and most muscular development as well as third prize in the "Mr. America" judging. John Davis last year had entered only one of the special classes, and had received the ward of the best back. This year Lieutenant Bill Bush of the Cincinnati fire department received that award. From the very brief glance I had as the judges' slips were handed past me it seemed that four of the judges had voted for Bill Bush, three for Dan Lurie, and only myself for John Davis. Here in particular I wish that the finalists in best back had posed together so you could see the truly remarkable back of Johnny Davis. I am sure that this type of judging would have given him this special award as it did last year. Bill Bush is wonderful, so is Lurie, but John Davis is more than extraordinary. He much prefers to have a good physique to being world's weightlifting champion. I mentioned to many at Cincinnati as I repeat again, that he in my opinion had as good a physique as any of the men who were present at Cincinnati and were it not for the handicap of color, he might have been "Mr. America." What do you fellows who were there think ?
Dan Lurie was second in the junior "Mr. America" contest at Bristol, Conn. by just half a point. I think it was 67 to 66½. This young chap, whose first picture I ever saw graces a full page in the "Big Chest Book," has a most remarkable development. A former national gymnastic champ, he has trained hard under the supervision of his friend and club member, Hyman Schaffer, and has rounded out his physique to the point where he won three of the six special awards in this contest and was second in best back, second in best abodminals, third in best chest. Rather short for a "Mr. America" he may grow, as he is just 18. From the body builder's standpoint he stood well above most of the competitors.
From the final scoring you can see that Dave Marcus, handsome, powerful, youthful Cincinnatian, the possessor of a most extra-ordinary pair of arms, a man who cleans and jerks over 300 pounds, was fourth. Leonard Burton of Batan Rouge, La., the winner of the title "Mr. New Orleans," was fifth. He is a handsome, curly haired, symmetrically proportioned young man who created a very fine impression at the championships. Tony Armento of Yacos Gym in Detroit, "Mr. Detroit," was sixth. He led by just one point over George Beegle now in the U. S. Marines, but formerly from Toledo, winner of the title "Mr. Toledo" and "Mr. Ohio."
Big Jake Hitchens, representing the York Bar Bell Club, was 8th with the same scoring as Beegle and just a point back of armento. Jake looked very impressive with his 18 inch arms and 50 inch chest.
This even is well liked by the crowd who attend these affairs and we hope that "Mr. America" contests will continue for years and years. It serves as an added incentive for the men who are not competitive lifters, yet like to enter contests and receive some sort of recognition for the physiques that they have won through regular training. And certainly it is inspiring to all who are present to see the sort of physique most of us could win if we would put forth the effort these men who competed in the "Mr. America" contest have expended over a period of months and year
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1943 Mr America - AAU
1 Jules Bacon
2 Dan Lurie
3 Taylor Flanikan
4 Harry Benner
5 Robert Elwood Holbrook
6 Hilmer Dolan
7 Stan Fried
8 Orville Wertzbaugher
Most Muscular
1 Dan Lurie
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Strength & Health, Page 18, September 1943
Jules Bacon, "Mr. America" 1943
by Dick Bachtell
THE 1943 "Mr. America" contest was this year at the Los Angeles Y.M.C.A. under the personal direction of David A. Maltin of the Los Angeles Y. Held in conjunction with the Senior National A.A.U. weightlifting championships, it was a glorious spectacle, comparing favorably with the big "Mr. America" contest of past years. Twenty-two of America's best built men, hailing from a dozen states, vied for the honors in the 1943 "Mr. America" contest. After rather a close contest, Jules Bacon, of the York Barbell Club, was selected as the 1943 "Mr. America". Jules came as close to having everything as any man could; he is handsome in a manly sort of way, has think black hair, perfect teeth, a fine tan, a beautifully proportioned, exceptionally developed body, with more than his share of strength, good posing ability, and splendid carriage. Even among the great group of physical specimens gathered that day of June 27th at Los Angeles, he stood out sufficiently that anyone could easily see that he was the best of the contenders.
In years past various organizations and magazines set out to select the best built man for the particular year. Some of these men bore various titles. For instance, back in 1921, when Physical Culture magazine held a contest through photographs, Charles Atlas was selected as the "world's most handsome man" - not the world's best built man as he advertises, but the "world's most handsome man", judged solely by photos. Perhaps the fact that Atlas had been for some five years a model for Physical Culture magazine may have helped his selection. The next year, Physical Culture again staged a contest, this time in Madison Square Garden, to selected "America's Best Built Man". The contest was open to both amateurs and professionals, but the leading professionals feared to enter for only one could win and the others would hurt their reputations by losing. Competing with a group of complete unknowns, Charles Atlas was selexted as the best of those in the competition and give the title, "America's best developed man".
Strength magazine throughout the years of the middle twenties held an annual posing contest and the winner received considerable acclaim. Lurten Cunningham, later physical director at the Athens, Ga. Y.M.C.A., and a writer for this magazine, won the 1925 contest. Early in the 1930's Strength and Health magazine sought to hold a contest for both men and women to determine the best physical specimen of both sexes. The ladies division was well filled, and as the amateur rule was not in effect, beautiful New York City chorines were the victors. There was little competition in the men's division as the leading competitors once again feared to enter, although they were invited, including Charles Atlas. The contests were not representative so no claim of "Mr. America" titles was made, and the contests were discontinued.
And along came 1939. That year Johnny Hordines, of Schenectady, N.Y., sought to conduct a real "Mr. America" contest, using the same rules as were in effect in the "Miss America" contest held each year in Atlantic City. The contest took place in Amsterdam, N.Y. and was very beautiful. Lighting was good, music was used as the posing progressed, each contestant stood under the lights on a revolving platform, and had 20 seconds for each of several poses. There were men in action from various states. Gene Jantzen from California, Bill Curtis from Indiana, Bert Goodrich from Arizona, and many men from nearby states. When the judging was completed Elmer Farnham, who had gone along with Bob Hoffman for the ride, had the lowest number of points, which was the method of scoring in that contest. The judges listed the men they considered first, second, and third. It seemed that every judge of the six had his favorite for first place, but Elmer Farnham had received one vote for first place and five for second. After the first count, this gave Elmer the lowest score and he would have been the winner. But one of the judges was persuaded to change his vote. It made no difference to him anyway, as he was an old man, and was judging due to his reputation of the past, and this first, instead of the third place he had formerly given the ultimate winner, permitted him to have a one point lower score than Farnham.
Later that year, at the national weight-lifting championships in Chicago, a posing contest was staged to find the best built weight lifter in the nation. One of the rules was that men must be amateurs, that they must compete in the lifting that day, so the lifting dragged out tremendously because these men could not lift on an equal basis with the competing weight lifters. Roland Essmaker, of Richmond, Ind., was declared the winner. At that time he was tall and slender, and few considered him the best built man in action; only his height permitted him to outscore Tony Terlazzo, who was second. Later Roland greatly improved his physique and presented a very impressive appearance.
In 1940, the first real "Mr. America" contest was staged by the A.A.U. The championships that year were held in Madison Square Garden before a huge throng. The event, highly publicized by the New York newspapers and the news reels, was easily the feature of the two days of competition. Those who exerted themselves to win the title were posed on the platform in the center of Madison Square Garden and it was a magnificent affair. John Grimek won easily, in spite of the fact that some officials such as Dan Parker, New York columnist who had no previous experience in judging the well built masculine physique, and has been knocking weight lifting ever since, thought that a New Yorker should have won.
The next year a similar well-staged contest was held to determine the "Mr. America" of 1941. This contest was conducted at the Arena in Philadelphia under the auspices of the Middle Atlantic A.A.U. weightlifting committee, of which Bob Hoffman is chairman. There were ten judges, from over most of the nation, and John Grimek won again by a big margin. Frank Leight, officially selected as "Mr. New York City", had been second in 1940, and this year was outscored by Jules Bacon, officially "Mr. Philadelphia", who finished in second.
It was evident that John Grimek would go on winning year after year, so a rule was made that a man could win this title only once.
In 1942, a junior "Mr. America" contest was held at Bristol, Conn., and the senior "Mr. America" contest staged at Cincinnati, Ohio. Frank Leight, the New York policeman, was selected as the official "Mr. America", with Dan Lurie second in both the junior and the senior events. Jules Bacon did not compete in the 1942 contests.
This year, the national championships and the "Mr. America" contest were to be held in far-off California. Bob Hoffman sent five men to the championships. Tony Terlazzo was national A.A.U. champion for the 11th time, Johnny Terpak who won first in 1936 and every year since, his eighth, John Davis who finished second to Stanley Kratkoswki in the Nationals of 1938, later wining the world's title in Vienna the same year, won his fifth national title, while Jules Bacon annexed the "Mr. America" title (myself annexing my 10th title, my first win being in 1926). Five out of five. Johnny Grimek, who had pressed 285 in the nationals of 1940, who has scored totals of 850, as a light-heavy, could have easily won that title this year, had he made the trip. But back to the 1943 "Mr. America" contest.
On Sunday afternoon, at the Los Angeles Y.M.C.A., 22 of America's best built men were on hand to compete for the title, 1943 "Mr. America". Some of these men are well known to S. & H. readers: Al Berger, from Philadelphia, but now in the U.S. Army, a S. & H. cover man, who has posed for exercise articles in this magazine; Jules Bacon, of York, the ultimate winner; Dan Lurie of Brooklyn, a leading contender; Manuel Villegas, a Mexican school teacher of Redland, Cal., a man whom we met first when the York team staged a demonstration at March Field, Riverside, Cal.; R.E. Holbrook, representing the Oakland Y.M.C.A., one of the leading contenders in the "1941 Mr. America" contest, winner of the best developed arm and second for the most muscular title, national bent press champion, a man who had repeatedly bent pressed 270 pounds; Arturo Bianco, perhaps better known as Art White, a muscle control expert extra-ordinary who had appeared in most of the states of the union; Joe Di Pietro, of Paterson, N.J., the winner of the title in the 123 lifting class; Orville Wertzbaugher, holder of the west coast press record, and many times winner of the Pacific coast lifting title in his class; John Davis, who needs little introduction to S. & H. readers - he had won the best back in the 1941 and 1942 contests, the only division in which he competed; Stan Fried,now of the U.S. Army, but a member of Tanny's gym at Santa Monica; Taylor Flannikan, of Long Beach, who was to finish third, and Harry Benner of San Diego, who was placed in fourth place by the judges.
There were ten judges, most of whom are well known to readers: David A. Matlin, prominent Los Angeles attorney, member of the Los Angeles Y, who was the director of the entire meet, served as a judge; Al Treolar, great old string man and instructor of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, one of the nation's best in the 20's; Bert Goodrich, great all-around athlete, former champion of the University of Arizona, now a petty officer in the navy, formerly a professional hand balancer and winner of America's best built man title; Sam Weston, one of the Pacific coast's best middleweight lifters, a leading contender for the national two-arm press record, chairman of the A.A.U. California committee; Jere Kingbury, long prominent as a weightlifter and leader in California, former national champion; Bill Robusch, former national champion high jumper and pole vaulter when he was an athlete at University of Pittsburgh, later was Ohio weight lifting champ as he comes form Salem, O.; Gloria Gene and Penny Davidson, two movie stars who had more than their share of feminine pulchritude; D. K. Brigs and Arnold Eddy.
The judging was done as usual, 15 points were perfect, 5 for muscular development, 2 for posture, 5 for muscular proportions, 2 for posing and 1 for hair, skin and teeth. The big contest was held on Sunday, the 27th, the subdivisions on Saturday night. In spite of the unusual competition in the special divisions, Jules Bacon and Dan Luire finished first or second in each class. In best chest, Jules Bacon was awarded first place, Dan Lurie second, Stan Fried third, Florian Heintz and Harry Benner tied for fourth. In the best back Lurie was given the first award, Bacon second, Hilmer Dolan, of the Los Angeles Y, third, L. McDade, of the South Point Barbell club, fourth. Jules Bacon was selected as the possessor of the best legs. Jules squats with 425 pounds, so comes honestly by his fine lower limbs. Dan Lurie was selected second in this subdivision, with Robert Holbrook third and Villegas fourth. In best Arms , Lurie was given the award, Bacon second with Holbrook third.
Being a judge at one of these affairs is a difficult and thankless task. We should not quarrel with judges who are doing their very best, without remuneration of any sort. Both Bacon and Lurie have wonderful arms, but we wonder if Holbrook should not have won this award. He won the best developed arm at Philadelphia against very impressive competition. Few men in the nation have such arms as Holbrook. Aside from being a pretty good weight lifter on the three lifts he is one of the best bent pressers of his weight in all time. When members of our team were touring the nation, Holbrook made 225 at his home contest in Watsonville the first attempt and 250 his second. how he can press 250 any time "cold", with his clothes on, and seldom misses 270 in his second. he has an arm which bulges up in a manner which reminds one of the Otto Arco arm, the largest arm for the size of any man in history. Holbrook's arms are truly amazing, in fact he is one of the most muscular men in the world, considering his entire body. Al Berger, another great physical specimen, the man who made the highest back hand curl on record, 165, was forth in this class.
Jules Bacon was selected by the judges as the possessor of the best abdominals. Lurie again was second, Vic Harmon of Tanny's gym third, Wertzbaugher fourth. Bacon was easily the class of this subdivision; it seemed that there was little specialization in the west in abdominal development as there is in the east.
One of the greatest honors of the "Mr. America" contest is to win the "Most Muscular Man" title. Grimek won in 1940. he desired to give the other fellows a chance in 1941 so did not enter the subdivisions. he has everything and would have come pretty close to winning all the titles, in 1942. Dan Lurie won this title again this year. In Jules Bacon, whose every muscle stands out well moulded and clear cut, with Holbrook, is a strength athlete trained down fine, and Al Berger who is exceptionally physical, the winner was sure to be an outstanding specimen. The final scoring saw Lurie first, Bacon second, Berger third and Holbrook fourth.
In the big contest the next day, the scoring went as follows:
Jules Bacon York Bar Bell Club 142
Dan Lurie Brooklyn, N.Y. 137
Taylor Flankan Long Beach 135
Harry Benner San Diego 128
Robert Holbrook Oakland, Cal 123
Hilmer Dolan Los Angeles Y 112
Stan Fried U.S. Army 112
Orville Wertzbaugher L.B.Y. Los Angeles 110
S Griffiths S.D. N.A. 110
Al Berger U.S. Army 108
John B Habereiter Tanny's Gym 101
Jules Bacon trailed Lurie by one point in the scoring for muscular proportions, 45 for Bacon, 46 for Luire. In the second division, muscular development, the judges gave Lurie a perfect score, ten times the perfect five for each judge or 50 in all. Bacon had 47 in this division and at this stage of the scoring lagged 4 points behind Lurie. But in posture Bacon made it all up. Lurie for years practiced gymnastics as well as weight lifting and like too many gymnasts walks around with his shoulders held forward. Bacon carries himself so well that he is the center of all eyes at a bathing beach and the judges deservedly gave him the perfect score of 20 for this class, with Lurie receiving 16. Jules went still farther ahead by receiving another perfect score of 20 for his posing. Although not the equal of John Grimek, the master of them all in displaying his physique, few photos do Jules justice, as he is good and undoubtedly was the best of those who were in the contest.
It has always been my thought in selecting a "Mr. America" that a man's hair, face, skin, teeth, etc., should count heavily. That a man was hardly deserving of the "Mr. America" title only on the strength of his physique. But Jules is handsome, has a smooth brown skin, perfect teeth, plentiful well-kept hair, etc., so here again he received the perfect score of 10 while Lurie, more rugged in appearance, not so handsome as some others, received 7 points.
Thus Jules Bacon received the selection as America's best physical specimen for 1943. A great honor and one that he richly deserves. Regular readers of this magazine who have read of Jules in the past will remember the hard knocks, the setbacks which beset his journey down the road to superstrength and development. Early in life he fell into a vat of boiling lard and carries many scars to show for this episode. Later in life he was accidentally show through the leg, still later he had his leg broken and suffered for a lengthy period with blood poison, the result of an accident, so that he was confined in bed for a full year with his leg in a plaster cast. It is this latter condition, a heel which refuses to heal entirely, which has kept Jules from succeeding in enlisting in the service the many times he tried. He is married, to the attractive blond girl who was pictured in this magazine in the story, "Jules Bacon Gets Married."
Now back home with all his trophies, he is unchanged, as unpretentious as ever, lives in a home next to Bob Hoffman, at Brookside Park. He is more ambitious than ever and even a hard day in the foundries does not deter him from taking his almost daily workout at the York Barbell Gym. He is assistant to Bob Hoffman, which takes in a lot of territory, as the activities of Bob are multitudinous.
Visitors to York will see Jules doing the work he loves, being identified with Strength and Health and the York Barbell Co., working hard with his hands rather than accepting offers such as he had to try out for the movies.
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944 Mr America - AAU
1 Steve Stanko
2 Dan Lurie
3 Gene Jantzen
4 Marvin Urvant
- Sam Azhderian
- Harry Esman
- James McIver
- Kimon Voyages
Most Muscular
1 Dan Lurie
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Strength & Health, Page 16, July 1944
"Mr. America 1944"
by Alan Carse
The 1944 Mr. America contest was held In conjunction with the national weight lifting championships, at beautiful Memorial Stadium, Chattanooga, Tenn., May 7th. This popular event had its inception in 1939. That year a big, highly publicized Mr. America contest was conducted at AmsterDam, N. Y. The best male physical specimens from widely scattered points entered, the winner being Bert Goodrich, the runner up Elmer Farnham. In Chicago, that year as a part of the National A. A. U. championships the best built weight lifter was selected. To compete it was essential that a man take part in the weightlifting events and the lifting of men of little strength and lifting skill who entered the lifting merely to qualify for the best developed weight lifter contest slowed up the championships. So in the years that have passed since, any amateur was eligible. Bert Goodrich was a professional and would not be eligible for competition in the Mr. America contest staged each year by the A. A. U. Roland Essmaker of Richmond, Ind. was the winner of this first A. A. U. contest in Chicago, Tony Terlazzo, the runner up. Essmaker at the time of winning the Chicago contest was tall, and not too well developed, but his type of physique met with the approval of the three lady art teachers, the little sculptor and the operator of a business man's gym who were serving as judges. To the eternal credit of Roland Essmaker, he continued to train, and developed one of the finest physiques in the world, a physique which would make him a leading competitor in any Mr. America contest.
The 1940 contest was held at Madison Square Garden and was the big feature of the weightlifting championships. Metropolitan newspapers carried columns before and after, and the Mr. America contest became an important event in American athletic circles. John Grimek was the winner of this 1940 contest (he did not enter in Chicago) winning the most muscular man title and some of the special awards. Grimek won gain at the Arena, Philadelphia, in 1941 but did not enter the special divisions, practically all of which he would have won, for here is no other man like John Grimek. He has the most amazing muscular development, knows how to display it, has fine proportions, and as it seemed that he would go on winning forever, a rule was made that a man could win just once. Jules Bacon was the runner up in 1941. Frank Leight, who had been second in 1940, finished in a tie with Jules and after additional posing Jules was given the second place trophy. The 1942 contest was held at Cincinnati, Ohio with Frank Leight winning the coveted title. Jules Bacon did not enter, and Dan Lurie was the second place man. That year at Bristol, Conn. in conjunction with the Junior national championships, a Junior Mr. America contest had been held, with Kimon Voyages the winner, Dan Lurie second.
In 1943 the Mr. Amemica contest took place at Los Angeles, Cal., Jules Bacon winning the title, and Lurie again being second. Jules was an exceptional Mr. America, possessing an unusual muscular development, thin skinned, he has muscles that spectators have never seen before, always willing to pose when requested as he did three times at Chattanooga this year.
In 1944, in Pittsburgh, the Junior Mr. America contest was staged by our hard working weight lifting leader, Wilbur Smith, with Steve Stanko winning the Junior title, Lurie second.
This gives you some idea of the background of this popular event. The special vents, Best Arm, Best Chest, Best Back, Best Developed Legs, Best Abdominals, were held in the afternoon at Chattanooga. This gave judges and spectators alike an opportunity to see all of the contestants on the stage at one time, to compare one with another, and to form some idea of who would in the Mr. America title.
In the past years there were ten judges, weightlifting leaders and body builders from over all the nation. This year owing to a shortage of qualified officials at both the Junior and Senior Mr. America contests, there were just five judges. At Chattanooga, the judges were: Ashley Black, Chattanooga, George Yacos, Detroit, Jim Messer, Bridgeport, Penna., Emmet Faris, Cincinnati, Ohio and Captain Karo Whitfield, whose home is in Atlanta. For long he had been the hardest working weight lifting leader in the South, the promoter of important lifting and best built man contests of the past.
A splendid bunch of young men appeared or the contest, and created a wonderful impression as they posed on the platform. More than half of them were service men and many had journeyed a great distance to take part in their favorite event. Among the leading competitors were Dan Lurie of Brooklyn, perennial runner up, Staff Sergeant Sam Azhderian, whose home is in San Pedro, Califoria, although he is stationed at Tucson, Ariz., Sgt. Kimon Voyages, of Randolph Field, Texas, a man who possesses one of the most Herculean developments in the nation. At the 1941 Mr. America contest in many poses he compared favorably with John Grimek. Lt. James McIver, also of Randolph Field, a man with limited training experience, but a handsome well built man, who will improve as he continues with his training. Steve Stanko, former world's strongest man, holder of the world's record in the two hands clean and jerk, a man who had struggled to the top in development after an injury and physical setback which would have discouraged any man not made of suci1 courageous fibre. James Richie of Frye Institute, Chattanooga, Tenn., a handsome, beautifully proportioned lad who was the physical ideal of many of the "Ohing" and "Awing" spectators, the ultimate winner of the Best Developed abdominals. He had a beautiful body, and with added development will be a leading competitor in future Mr. America contests. Cpl. Marvin Urvant, a Strength & Health cover man, from the Army Air Forces in Massachusetts. Powerfully constructed, beautifully proportioned, he had posed for the Air Force posters and it was certain that he would finish well up in the scoring.
Capt. Bill Bush of the Cincinnati fire department, who had been winner of the Best Built Man in Ohio contest, and had just won the national 181 pound title, a man of fine proportions and exceptional muscularity. Staff Sergeant Gene Jantzen, who is stationed at Lincoln, Nebraska, home in Illinois and California, leading competitor in past Mr. America contests, famous all around athlete, the man who in the opinion of many had the idea! physique. Broad shoulders, deep chest, exceptional latissimus dorsi muscles, splendid abdominal development, all supported with a pair of fine, straight, beautifully muscled legs. Henry Esman of the Hoffmeister Club, Indianapolis. Sgts. Al Lamkin and Tom Hanney of Nashville Barbell Club, Pvt. Ellwood Holbrook, stationed at Lincoln, Nebraska, home in Watsonville, California, winner of best developed arm division in past Mr. America contests, the nation's best bent presser of his weight, runner up in the 181 pound lifting championships, and as powerful, rugged looking a physical specimen as you could see in a day's travel. Corp. Irving Tepper, 513th Parachute Infantry, home in Brooklyn, N. Y., a little man, but beautifully built, and James Liban.
It was a pleasure to see these splendidly developed, clean cut, fine young Americans upon the platform. It was proof that barbell training has done so much to build the youth of our nation, to strengthen our fighting forces. Without exception, all of the competitors were barbell trained. For no other branch of athletics, no other system of exercise produces physical specimens which will compare favorably with the men who train with weights. At one time track and field men, wrestlers and football players, gymnasts, swimmers, baseball players appeared in Mr. America contests, but they suffered in comparison with the men who had moulded their bodies through weight training and weight lifting. Weight training was proven to be "the best way" and now all competitors are weight trained men.
The judges were in their places, the competitors were called one by one by Bob Hoffman, the master of ceremonies. The basis of judging was muscular development, muscular proportions, posture, posing ability, with some consideration given to a man's general appearance, his skin, hair and face. The competition in Best Arm was first, and Steve Stanko won this event with a vote of 4 to 1, he single vote going to Ellwood Holbrook. Steve has not only big arms, varying in size from 18 to 19 inches, but they are shapely and beautifully moulded. Stanko also won the Best Developed Chest, with the votes of the five officials, but Gene Jantzen, while receiving no first, was second in the opinion of the majority of the judges. Stanko also won the best back, but the decisions were much closer in this event, as he received two votes, of the five, with Voyages, Bill Bush and Jim Richie winning one vote each. It was evident that Steve was experiencing considerable pain from standing so long, especially after walking and pushing the car so much on the way down, so he withdrew here and did not compete in the other special divisions. Best abdominals were won by Jim Richie of Frye Institute, Chattanooga. He richly deserved this award, for he was young enough to be thin skinned, his abdommals were well developed and clear cut, and he knew how to demonstrate them in a superlative manner. Corp. Marvin Urvant received two of the five votes for best abdominals. He was well developed all over, and his powerful, all around development detracted somewhat from his abdominal development, but he had exceptional abdominal development nevertheless.
The Competition in Best Legs was keen, with Voyages winning the approval of three of the judges. Cpl. Urvant one vote and Dan Luire one vote.
While the judges were making their decisions, Jules Bacon, the 1943 Mr. America, offered a posing exhibition, which pleased and surprised the spectators. So many said that he was much better than he was at Los Angeles when he won his title.
After the lifting championships the big event of the program, the Mr. America contest took place. The same five officials served in the evening. It was hoped that Captain Bill Curry, who had won the Best Built Man in the South contest three years before would enter, but he sat throughout with his friend, former training mate, Capt. Karo Whitfield. Lt. Vernon Schwenke, of the armored forces, Fort Knox, Ky., at one time selected as Mr. Milwaukee, was expected to enter as he did in the juniors in Pittsburgh, but he did not come upon the platform. Small men suffer in comparison with a well developed bigger man; Vernon is small but mighty, and finely built. Tony Terlazzo had won many best developed awards in the past, is better this year than ever before, but he too did not enter.
When all had their opportunity to pose before the judges, the final decision was made after Jules Bacon had again complied with the desires of officials and spectators alike, by his exhibition of muscle control and muscle posing. In the opinion of the judges Mr. America was Steve Stanko. The ovation big Steve received as he was given the huge, beautiful trophy, emblematic of the Mr. America title, was tremendous. The presentation was made by his teammate, also of the York Barbell Club, the retiring Mr. America, Jules Bacon. As a matter of interest, in four years of the last five, the selected Mr. America has represented the York Barbell Club. Dan Luire was again the second place winner with Sergeant Gene Jantzen third, Cpl. Marvin Urvant fourth.
The competition in the most muscular man division was a bit surprising. Steve Stanko had won best arm, best back, best chest. In Pittsburgh he had won best legs too. He has fine abdominals, muscular and slender. One would think that when all these extraordinary muscle groups were combined into a big handsome, symmetrical body, that he would win the Most Muscular title. But Dan Lurie, who had received but one vote all afternoon in the five special divisions, was selected as the most muscular man. Dan certainly excels big Steve in muscle control, in posing, for Steve never practices in front of the mirror and only gave a halfhearted display when he was on the platform but he dwarfed all other men on the platform with his amazing development. Mr. Americas of the past, John Grimek, Frank Leight and Jules Bacon, have been the world's best. Big Steve is a fitting man to bear the coveted title Mr. America for this coming year. Having weighed 230 as a weight lifting champion, after his injury his weight sank to 176, he built himself up again, entirely through practicing sitting and lying down exercises. He made a display of intestinal fortitude that proves he is a real man, for few will know the pain he suffered during these years in bed andof training on the comback trail.
Another word before closing. When once a man has won the Mr. America title he is no longer eligible for the special competition of the Mr. America contest. A man does not like to be placed on the shelf because he has won once, the spectators like to see the best in action. Bob Hoffman has invited Frank Leight to go with us to Chattanooga, and to pay his expenses, but at the last minute, Frank, who is a New York policeman, could not make the trip. The special events should be open to any man in the country. This is only fair for those who do not win the big event, the Mr. America title, have been winning special event titles for years. Everyone should have a chance in these special divisions, both before and after they have won Mr America titles.
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1945 Mr America - AAU
1 Clarence Ross
2 Harold Zinkin
3 Kenneth Graham
4 Elias Rodriguez
5 Phil Courtois
- Cliff Byers
- Perry Combs
- Jack Delinger
- Gene Jantzen
- Joe Lauriano
- Sam Loprinzi
- Eric Pedersen
- Leo Stern
- Marvin Urvant
- Kimon Voyages
Most Muscular
1 Clarence Ross
2 Sam Loprinzi
2 Kimon Voyages
4 Phil Courtois
4 Eric Pedersen
4 Elias Rodriguez
Related Articles
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National Lifting Championships and Mr America 1945
This fine report was sent us by Mr. Norman Fay of San Francisco. We know that our readers will appreciate our including a report of this popular event in this issue of "Iron Man". When additional paper will permit we intend to carry lifting reports in "Iron Man" regularly.
The National Weightlifting Championships were held in the Hollywood Legion Stadium, Sat and Sun, June 2 and 3 David Matlin was the director. As usual, the "Mr. America" contest was also held with this meet.
Saturday night the subdivisions of the Mr. America contest were held before a large crowd. The lifting took place then the Mr. America contest. I had one man entered in the contest, Rodriquez. He is small but has a perfect build When I saw them lined up I was amazed. Never before has mortal man gazed at such a display of wonderful manhood. The average height was about 5' 10" and many were over 6'. They all had the beautiful lines of greek statues I was sure that Rodriquez would get last place as all of them were taller and heavier built.
This night they were going to judge the best arms, chest, back, legs, abdominals and most muscular man. The best arms was first. Sam Loprinzi was first to come on. He has as fine a pair of arms as any man ever built 16¾" on a 5' 5" man. He received only 41 points as the judges were a little slow about giving out point at first. Eric Pedersen a 16 year old ran up a score of 44 with a super pair of arms. Cliff Byer came next with a winning score of 47 points. He has wonderful arms. Words can't describe the wonderful biceps and triceps that he shows. Clarence Ross made a score of 43.
The best chest came next. This was a tough one as one fellow had a chest that stuck out a foot and was round like a barrel. Clarence Ross won tho because he had a beautiful pair of pectorals and a fine deep rib box.
Joe Lauriano the "Jr. Mr. America" won the "Best Abdominals". Rodriquez won second place. His abdominals were sharper but Joe showed his better.
Ross won first in the most muscular man contest. All contestants used the same pose as is used by Rudy Gambacorta on page 19 of this issue of "Iron Man". Ross kept tensing up for about 15 seconds until I thought he would surely blow a fuse Sam. Loprinzi took second with 46 points. Kimon Voyages got 42. Rodriquez 41.
Best Legs was won by Kimon Voyages. He has huge legs and good shape. He does 5 sets of squats for each workout. Rodriquez was second and has without doubt the best shaped legs as you can see every muscle in them.
Best Back was won by Ross. He had fine arms and terrific separation along his spine. Ross won on total points Sat. night and Rodriquez was second. Right then I picked Ross for Mr. America to be chosen Sunday night and moved Rodriquez up to fifth place because of his showing against taller men.
Sunday afternoon after the lifting championships. Mr. Walter Baptiste gave a very fine show of muscle control. He has super muscles and a way with a field of 31 men. They were all marched on the platform good change of pace. [sic]
The Mr. America contest got under and introduced. The night before I told Sam it was too bad that he had to go on first as a test case or starter and so on this night he refused to go on first. Five mins. later he was disqualified but the crowd made such a furore that the judges let Sam back in but the judges decided that after such a show, Sam needed spanking. They did with a poor score of 92.
Rodriquez now went on and ran up a score of 102. I almost fainted. He did too. Then Clarence Ross went on and made the top score of 111 points. Others came and went with Harold Zinkin making 107 for second place and Ken Graham also making 102 and thus tying with Rodriquez for third. They gave 3rd place to Graham.
Clarence Ross is a very nice looking fellow -- modest and of fair hair and skin. He is 5' 10" tall and weighs 178 and has a very beautiful build. Everything is in the right place and has a thin skin with no flaws, all of which made him the most pleasing to the eye and that is how the judges pick them. There were many who had larger muscles but they did not have the eye appeal that Ross had.
I have not said much about the lifting but I must mention one thing. You will notice that there is no 123 lb. class given. This class was to start at the Legion Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Sat. There were two men in this class - Emerick Ishikawa and Joe DePietro, two of the best men in the world. However the officials of the American Legion heard that Ishikawa was a Jap born in Hawaii, and they would not let him lift in their Stadium or have anything to do in the meet. It looked bad until Johnny Terpak got the idea of letting Emerick lift in the afternoon at the L. A. YMCA. I was invited to watch the lifting along with a small handful of men. DePietro said he would lift in the 132 class as he wanted to lift at the Stadium. Muril Mitchel said he would lift with Emerick. After a short warm up Emerick started off in the press with 185 then 195 which was not good then again to succeed nicely. Muril made 140 in the snatch Emerick took 185 and then 195 and then a miss with 200. Muril made 140. In the clean and jerk Emerick made double bodyweight 245 very easy and then failed on 255 as he did not try very hard because of a lack of competition. Muril made 190. This gave Muril a nice total of 470. He only made one attempt on each lift as he was unprepared to lift for he didn't know he was to lift until the morning of the meet, Emerick totaled 635, one of the best totals ever made in the 123 lb. class. He lifts like Terlazzo in the press and like Terpak in the snatch and clean and jerk. Bachtell was too nervous in the 132 class and lost to powerful DePietro. Terlazzo did wonderful tho training injuries prevented him from proper training. Terpak had an easy victory tho Weeks made him work to stay ahead in the press. Weeks has great power but needs to change and work on his form. Zinkin with a wonderful build had it his own way in the 181 class. All three top men in the 181 class used the squat in the snatch and clean. The squat is here to stay. In the snach it is risky business but in the clean it is unbeatable. Have seldom seen a man miss a clean in the squat style. The heavyweights were all good at pressing. Fair in the snatch. Almost all tried 300 in the clean and jerk and had plenty of power but lacked good form.
NOTE- Mr. Fay starts a complete course in handbalancing in next issue. Don't miss it. He is also planning an article on "'How To Enter a Physique Contest".
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1946 Mr America - AAU
1 Alan Stephan
2 Sam Loprinzi
3 Leo Stern
4 Joe Lauriano
5 John Farbotnik
6 Abe Goldberg
7 Victor Nicoletti
8 Kimon Voyages
9 Everett Sinderoff
10 Gene Jantzen
11 Mike Dubel
12 Joseph Thaler
13 John McWilliams (1)
14 Robert McCusie
15 Peter Bonny
Most Muscular
1 Sam Loprinzi
2 Alan Stephan
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Strength & Health, Page 30, July 1946
The "Mr. America" Contest! 1946
by Bob Hoffman
A GROUP of America's best built young men appeared for the special events of the "Mr. America" contst on Saturday night, June 1st. This gave the officials a good opportunity to closely observe the meritorious features of a liberal number of America's best developed athletes in action as they selected teh winners of the special divisions; best arms, best back, best chest, best legs and best abdominal development.
The majority of those who had entered the "Mr. America" contest also took part in all of these special divisions. I believe that this year's contestants as a group were the best, ever to participate in this most outstanding physique contest.
The first special event was the subdivision, big arms. The exceptional physical specimens competing in this event were called out one by one to pose. After closely examining the arms of the entire group, the judges requested John McWilliams of the Athletic Club of Columbus, Ohio, Sam Loprinzi representing the York Barbell Club, John Farbotnik of Fritshe's Gym in Philadelphia and Alan Stephan of the Douglas Park Club of Chicago to pose again. Incidentally, Alan Stephan is the AI Steponaitis that has been featured in Strength & Health. He recently changed his name. All of these selected contestants provided wonderful displays of arm development in this special repeat posing exhibition. John McWilliams was declared the winner of this event. His massive upper arms measuring over 18 inches were very impressive. Sam Loprinzi was a close second in this subdivision.
In the best back event the muscular development of the majority of the entrants was most extraordinary. The ultimate winner of this sub-division was 22 year old Alan Stephan of Chicago. He was recently released from the Navy after serving for three years. During this period he took part in some of the battles in the Pacific. All the time he was away he had with him a pair of 40, pound York adjustable dumbells and one of the pre-war ten black cable expanders. These exercising appliances combined with some heavy barbell training, when barbells were available, were chiefly responsible for developing his wonderful back musculature which won for him the special award in the best back event, and paved the way to his victory in the "Mr. America" contest.
Broad shouldered Joe Lauriano from the York Barbell Club was second. John Farbotnik of Fritshe's Gym was third and the "Junior Mr. America", Everett Sinderoff of the FaII River Boy's Club was fourth in the best back sub-division.
The best chest division brought out as finalists John Farbotnik, Sam Loprinzi, Kimon Voyages and Joe Lauriano. This group was finally narrowed down with the repeated posing to Farbotnik and Sam Loprinzi. It was difficult to select a winner between these wonderful physical specimens. Farbotnik a few months ago looked like Jules Bacon of some years ago. But Farbotnik has been gaining strength and muscle at a rapid rate. Gained 8 pounds since his appearance at the "Strength" show Fritshe sponsored in Philadelphia in March of this year. All of the weight had been built in the right places and he seemed to have everything.
The judges finally declared that Farbotnik was the winner of this event. He had the deepest chest in the competition. Please pardon the seeming immodesty but Farbotnik's chest swelled out more like my own chest than any I have seen. I told John that he certainly deserved to win one of the awards. He is sensationaI and will unquestionably be still better in the future.
It was tough for Sam Loprinzi to lose all of these special divisions by such a narrow margin. I said at this point that Sam was having the same experience as a girl who is often a bridesmaid but never a bride. Also said that Sam was on a par with the best in each division. Continued by saying "When Sam gets all of these extraordinary features together he would be hard to beat for the Most Muscular Man title." Although any athlete would like to be selected for the "Mr. America" title, Sam Loprinzi, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall, thought that his shorter than average stature would be a handicap for that honor. So he had centered all his hopes and training upon winning the Most Muscular Man title.
Last year's winner of best abdominals was the winner again this year. I refer to Honolulu Joe Lauriano, last year's "Junior Mr. America", who was representing the York Barbell Club. Abe Goldberg of the East Side Barbell Club from New York City and Everett Sinderoff proved to be Lauriano's closest rivals for the best abdominals award.
Similarly last year's winner of best legs repeated this year. Kimon Voyages has a powerful herculean body of which the best feature is his remarkable legs. They are large and powerful yet extremely shapely. The sweeping curve of his vastus muscles and the front upper thigh, the full rounded curve of the thigh biceps and the shapely contours of the calf muscles make his leg development truly extraordinary.
Lauriano's thigh development is so exceptional that he gave Voyages competition for the best leg award. John Farbotnik and Sam Loprinzi were also close rivals in this sub-division.
Sunday evening, June 2nd, the competition to determine this year's "Mr. America" and "Most Muscular Man" was held. Emmett Faris of Cincinnati, who is Chairman of the Ohio Association of the AAU Weight Lifting Association, Chester Teegarden, now instructor of weight training at Purdue University, Art Gay, famous physical culture director of a gym in Rochester, Harry Paschall, creator of Bosco and an expert official, and Fred Hoffmeister, who operates a gymnasium in Indianapolis, served as the official judges for the subdivisions in the physique competition on Saturday evening and again for the "Mr. America" and "Most Muscular Physique" events on Sunday evening. Thus, the contestants had a group of very capable officials to judge their physical merits.
Both awards were to be decided at the same time on Sunday evening. The scoring basis for the "Mr. America" event was to allow a maximum of 7 points for muscular development, a maximum of 5 points for proportions or symmetry, a maximum of 2 points for the combination of posture, general appearance, condition of skin, teeth and hair, and 1 point was allowed for posing ability. Each contestant was allowed one minute to pose as an individual. The lighting was so arranged that it was sufficiently adequate and uniform to allow the judges to clearly observe the merits and flaws of each physique on display.
After all of the contestants had posed the judges requested the five finalists to appear upon the stage together. The athletes in this select group were Alan Stephan, Sam Loprinzi, Leo Stern of San Diego, California, who recently won the "Mr. California" physique title, Joe Lauriano and John Farbotnik. The audience was tense, eagerly awaiting the final decisions, for it was evident that the competition between these five wonderfully developed finalists was close. A minute or two after the finalists appeared upon the stage together the decisions were announced. Alan Stephan of Chicago was the grand prize winner of the much coveted "Mr. America" title. Sam Loprinzi was a close second. The scoring of the five finalists was as follows:
Name Points
Alan Stephan 72
Sam Loprinzi 69
Leo Stern 63
Joe Laouriano 62
John Farbotnik 59
A perfect score would have been a total of 75 points so it is evident that Alan Stephan, the 1946 "Mr. America" title holder, was nearly perfect in the judges' estimation. He makes an ideal "Mr. America" for he is tall, well proportioned, broad shouldered, deep chested, has a pleasing and impressive muscular contour and is extremely handsome. The next issue of Strength & Health will feature an article devoted to his athletic career and will be illustrated with some fine recent photos of our new "Mr. America."
Soon after the decisions in the "Mr. America" competition were released the judges decided the ratings for the "Most Muscular Physique" title. The first check of their totals revealed that Sam Loprinzi and Alan Stephan were tied for this major award with a total of 34 points each. A perfect score in this event would have been 35 points. A recheck of the judges was then taken and four of the officials decided in favor of Sam Loprinzi for the "Most Muscular Physique" title. This decision proved a favorable one with the spectators and made Sam very happy to have won the title he was striving for. Joe Lauriano placed in a tie for third with Leo Stern in the scoring for the "Most Muscular Physique" title and added to his world fame for possessing one of the best physiques among bodybuilders.
Strength & Health Magazine is donating suitable attractive trophies to all the subdivision physique winners. Especially large trophies are being presented by this publication to Sam Loprinzi for winning the "Most Muscular Physique" title and to Alan Stephan for winning the "Mr. America" title. We hope, in an early future issue of the magazine, to publish photos of these outstanding physique title holders posing with the Strength & Health trophies.
Results of the Mr. America and Most Muscular Man Contests for 1946
Points
Name Affiliation City Overall Muscular
Alan Stephan Douglas Park Chicago, Ill. 72 34
Sam Loprinzi York Barbell York, Pa. 68 34
Leo Stern Progressive Health Training San Diego, Cal. 63 31
Joe Lauriano York Barbell York, Pa. 62 31
John Farbotnik Fritshe's Gym Philadelphia, Pa. 59 29
Abe Goldberg East Side BBC New York, N. Y. 58 29
Victor Nicoletti Brooklyn Central YMCA Memphis, Tenn. 58 29
Kimon Voyages Unattached New York, N. Y. 55 23
Everett Sinderoff Fall River BC Fall River, Mass. 55 24
Gene Jantzen Unattached Bartelso, Ill. 54 23
Mike Dubel Detroit Body Builders AC Detroit, Mich. 52 24
Joseph M. Thaler New York University Brooklyn, N. Y. 51 23
John McWilliams Columbus AC Columbus, Ohio 50 23
Robert McCusie Unattached Amsterdam, N. Y. 49 22
Peter Bonny Unattached Spring Lake, Mich. 45 18
Best Arm Development won by John McWilliams
Best Leg Development won by Kimon Voyages
Best Back Development won by Alan Stephan
Best Abdominal Development won by Joe Lauriano
Best Chest Development won by John Farbotnik.
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IronMan, Vol 7, No 1, Page 14, est. Fall 1946
excerpts from
Supermen On Display, 1946 Senior Nationals and Mr America Contest
We are devoting considerable space to a report with photos of the 1946 Sr. National Championships and the Mr. America Contest. It has seemed that this big National event is the culmination of the months of hard work for both lifters and the bodybuilders. The lifting for the lifters and the Mr. America contest for the bodybuilders. We hope our report will help you who were not there to visualize this great event.
Without a doubt the Nationals of 1946 will rank as one of the best championships ever held in America with all those who had the opportunity to attend them. Your Editor and his Wife were two of those priviliged to attend this great meet. New Champions were crowned in most classes and many surprises materialized. Some of the best lifting the world has ever seen took place. Any one. who missed this great meet missed some of the thrills of his life time. In the Mr. America Contest there appeared what was probably the finest array of muscular perfection ever seen in one group in America or for that matter in the world. The judges of this contest had a herculean task deciding the winner as well as the winners of the best developed arm, chest, back, abdominals, and legs.
We realize that so many of you couldn't be there and that many of you who had planned on attending, found it impossible to make the trip at the last minute so we will take considerable space in this issue to give you a complete picture of the meet in words and pictures. We will show you quite a number of pictures in this issue and more will appear in subsequent issues. We feel that every one of our readers will be vitally interested in this great meet whether they are bodybuilders or weightlifters because both are represented in the Nationals. We feel that the Mr. America Contestants are representative of the bodybuilders of America. They represent the ultimate of perfection that most bodybuilders are striving for just as do the lifters represent the peak of the development of strength and lifting technique that all weight lifters seek.
Mrs Rader and I arrived in Detroit the morning of May 30th, tired from a long trip but excited at the prospects of the meet and meeting new friends. We were not disappointed in any way. We were fortunate in that we had asked George Yacos to get us a room reservation, as many of the fellows found it impossible to find a room in Detroit as the "Golden Jubulee" of the Automobile industry was in progress and the city was crowded to capacity, so much so that people were warned not to go down town because of the traffic jam which would prevent their returning for the evening sessions of the lifting. However cots were placed in the beautiful auditorium of the Boys' Club where the meet was held and all were taken care of.
Many of you will express surprise over the fact that the meet was held at the Boys' Club after it had been announced for Cass Tech. High School. This was done, we were told because of the coal strike which prevented them from obtaining coal necessary for operating the air conditioning system at the High School. There was some question as to whether the Boy's Club with a capacity of 1200 would hold the crowds expected at the event. However as it developed it was large enough -- possibly because of the charge of $1.20 each for reserved seats for each of the four sessions. The Boys' Club is a beautiful building located about 6 miles from the business section of the city. Under the circumstances it was a fine place for the meet. Much credit must be given to the hard working committee for the preparations for the meet. Don Wille was chairman of the committee which included Dietrich Wortmann, Helmut Frank, E. Rommeck, Frank Romano, A. Maleski, John Krill, E. A. Wright, George Yacos, George Fraser, Frank Kalbfell, Stanley Cieslak John Wlodyka, Edward Wlodyka, C. H. Brennan.
As soon as my wife and I had cleaned up and had our breakfast, we went at once to George Yacos Gym. George has a wonderful place there for musclemen to train. We show you a fine photo of it in this issue which will tell you better than words just what it is like. George devotes his full time to his gym and his large list of famous pupils. Some of the best built and strongest men in the country train at his place. Emerick Ishikawa, the featherweight champ, and N. Schemansky the Jr. Nats. heavyweight champ, both train at the Yacos gym. While visiting at the gym on the 30th we also met the mighty little giant, Joe DePietro, who later won the 123 pound class and made a world record in the press with 217 pounds. What a physique he has. We show a photo of him in this issue. Orville Wertzbaugher, former lightweight champion of Calif., now with Uncle Sam's forces stationed at Denver dropped in. Orville had bad luck in his lifting as he failed with all his presses and decided to drop out as he didn't want to slow up the contest. Orville was not in his best shape and overestimated his strength. In his best condition he could have won the lightweight class.
We also met Leo Stern the "Mr. California" of 1946 at the Yacos Gym. Leo is a fine young fellow, honest and sincere with a pleasing personality. You will hear more about him later in this report. Leo had trained down to 185 pounds from 205 for this event and was in very fine condition.
The following day we visited the Boys' Club and also met a lot more of the fellows arriving for the contest the following day. Then back to the Yacos Gym where we found more of the fellows coming in for the meet. The York boys came in that evening. We also met Ray Van Cleef there and went out to dinner with him. Ray is now an associate Editor of Strength and Health working at the thing he loves best. We had a very enjoyable visit with him. Most of the lifters and enthusiasts came in the evening of the 31st so they could get a good night's rest. The truth of the matter is, your Editor and his wife got very little sleep -- we were so busy getting acquainted with many barbell men from all over the country and we wouldn't have missed a moment of it. We wish we had room to tell about all the fellows we met and what we talked about but there just isn't room. Perhaps it will come out later in Iron Man.
About noon of June 1st, we found everyone gathering at the Boys' Club. What a great congregation of might and muscular magnificence went on display there in the next two days. The first lifting session began at about 3 o'clock before a full house of about 1000 spectators. The 123 lb. and the 148 lb. classes were run off in this afternoon session. They were both run off together and tho this caused the contest to run along faster, yet it slightly confused the audience who were not all able to determine whether a featherweight or a lightweight was lifting. Bob Hoffman was Master of Ceremonies throughout the whole meet. Officials were changed for each lift. Most of the officials being picked from the National Weightlifting Committee of which there was a large delegation present. Mr. Wortmann presided over the whole meet from his place on the platform beside the announcer and score-keepers. [...]
The evening session of Saturday the 2st, was devoted to the 181 pound class and the subdivisions of the "Mr. America" contest. [...]
After the lightheavy class had lifted and the platform had been cleared, we were treated to one of the finest displays of the perfect male physique most of us have ever been privileged to see. Fifteen marvelously developed men participated in the "Mr. America" contest and on Sat. night they contested for the "Best Legs", "Best Back", Best Abdominals", and "Best Chest". Moving pictures were taken both of the lifting and the "Mr. America" contest, most especially of the "Mr. America" contest. If they come to your theater don't miss them.
The men posed on a raised platform with an overhead light and against a background of green curtain. Personally I liked the first night better because the flood lights used for the movies spoiled the overhead lighting the second night.
The judges for both nights were: Harry Paschall, Chester O. Teegarden, Art Gay, Fred Hoffmeister, and Emmett Faris. The contestants were all called to stage at one time. What a breathtaking sight that was. Everyone of them perfectly developed with beautiful tans, and superb posture. They were an imposing sight such as few people there had ever even dreamed of. It is impossible for photos to do any of these fellows justice. After the contestants had retired they were called out one at a time and given an opportunity to pose for the best arm then again for the best legs, then again for best back and so on for all the sub-divisions. In some cases several were asked to return to the stage that the judges might view them together -- say those judges had a terrific task. There wasn't a one of those boys who didn't have marvelous arms. I guess the judges could do nothing else than give it to the man with the biggest arms -- John McWilliams. His arms Were 18.5 and all muscle. They were beautifully shaped. His triceps were terrific. We will show photos of all those boys from time to time. You will see group photos of them in this issue. Kimmon Voyages won the best legs without a question. His legs are beautifully shaped with good separation and large size. I believe he said they measured 27 inches and he is about 5' 6" in height. In photos his legs look a little out of proportion but in the flesh this is not the case as he has a terrific upper body too. He had been doing 10 sets of 10 repetitions each of the squat with 300 pounds and over in preparation for this contest. He has done 10 squats with 385 pounds. Correct me if I'm wrong on this Kimmon, but as I recall it this is what you told me.
Everyone of those boys had wonderful backs but none of them had the separation shown by Alan Stephan who was to win the Mr. America contest the next night. Never before have I seen such muscular mass and separation combined on a back. Most of you will remember Alan under the name of Steponitis. He is a very strong lifter and is especially good on the curl.
Joe Lauriano, last year's Jr. Mr. America, won the best abdominals with his unusual development and separation. Joe has a marvelous all round development and photos fail to do him justice.
John Farbotnik won the best chest with his amazingly deep chest. We would say that John has just about reached the limit of chest depth. He is really barrel chested with a pair of highly developed pectoral muscles to match.
[...]
The evening session on Sunday started at 7 P.M. The first even was the heavyweight lifting. [...]
After the heavyweight lifting, the stage was again cleared for the big event for many people, the Mr. America contest. The hall was certainly packed this Sunday evening for the big events of the heavyweight lifting and the Mr. America contest. The Judges called all the contestants up to the stage at one time as they did the first night. The audience was again treated to an amazing sight. The entire stage was highly lighted this evening with overhead lights and also the flood lights of the movie cameramen. Some little difficulty was experienced arranging the lighting satisfactory for the judges. The contestants were then called to the stage one at a time and allowed one minute for posing. They were allowed to use any poses they wished. Most of them did not use the full minute of time. All of them gave an amazing show of muscularity, shape, posing and personality. After each had his turn at posing alone the judges called back some of them and had them pose together again. We show photos of these groups in some of their poses. Various contestants and groups were called back several times before the judges had completed their work and made a decision for the Mr. America and the Most Muscular awards. You will see a complete tabulation of points for each contestant elsewhere.
The audience roared its approval when it was announced that Alan Stephan of Chicago won the Mr. America and tied with Sam Loprinzi for the Most Muscular title. Sam was awarded the title by the judges. Alan Stephan, whose family name was formerly Steponitis but has been officially changed to Stephan is a tall handsome blond with a very strong personality. His winning smile as well as his marvelous physique endeared him to everyone. He has very good separation. His measurements are large enough to satisfy the boys looking for bulk. He possesses tremendous strength as he is credited with a two arm curl of 225 pounds as well as other fine lifts. He was at one time considered as a great prospect for the heavyweight class but his interest has turned more to bodybuilding recently. He had a beautiful light golden brown tan with a flawless skin and beautiful teeth. He carried himself with magnificent posture and had excellent posing ability.
It was a very close contest between Alan and Sam Loprinzi. All that we have said about Alan can also be said of Sam. We would say that had Sam been a little taller he would probably have won. He is extremely muscular. He is perfectly developed in every respect. He showed very good separation, has wonderful posture and is very good at posing. He had a little darker tan than Alan. This is probably because he is a brunet with beautiful black curry hair, beautiful teeth and a winning smile. We believe that he probably had the most attractive personality of any contestant (and we say this with all due respect to the others as it was hard to choose between any of them in any way). Sam is opening a Studio in his home town of Portland, Ore. shortly and is sure to succeed.
Joe Lauriano fourth place winner, has a wonderful physique. He has unusual development of the abdominals and chest muscles, and is much improved over last year. Leo. D. Stern who was recently chosen Mr. California, won third place. He surprised everyone with his wonderful development, excellent separation and general appearance. Leo is opening a studio in San Diego as soon as he returns home and we wish him the best of luck. As we know, California is full of perfect physiques. Leo was chosen as the best of them all and sent to the Nationals to represent California. The fact that he took 3rd place is some indication of the high class physiques represented at this meet. Abe Goldberg just out of the service has a beautiful physique and particularly fine abdominals. Victor Nicoletti is a handsome brunet with a very dark tan and a fine development. He was heavier and more compact than most of the other contestants. Farbotnik is very good all over but his deep chest was outstanding. He took fifth place. Kimmon Voyages has a very heavy build but is withal very shapely. His legs are outstanding. They are very shapely as well as massive, with good separation -- a refutation of the old saying that specialized squatting will not give you shapely legs. Sinderoff who won the Jr. Mr. America contest has a fine physique. Jantzen, handsome blond is quite shapely but seemed lighter and more slender than we remembered him before. With more bodyweight he would be a strong contender. Dubel has a fine physique and will doubtless improve a great deal. Joe Thaler has a nice physique and will show great improvement as he is quite young yet. John McWilliams is the man with the huge arms. He likewise has a marvelous chest and back. He has the most fully developed triceps we have seen. His biceps are tremendous too. He has overcome great handicaps in developing his wonderful physique. He will be a strong contender in future contests. Due to an injury his legs were but 13" but now they are well developed tho they appeared slender compared to his great upper body. Bob McCune has a fine physique as has Bonny. Both these, boys will improve a great deal.
Every man had outstanding posture. All of them had nice tans. All contestants were forbidden to use oil on their bodies. Some of them were confused in their posing. More thought should be given to a posing routine. Each pose should be carefully studied for effect. Wiggly or moving poses should be avoided. Each pose should blend with the last one and the one following. There should be no hesitation between poses. It should be a smooth flow of rhythm and muscular beauty. The best points of your physique should be shown in each pose. Avoid poses that show up any defects. Do not hold a pose too long. Also do not hold it too short a time. Just long enough for judges to get a good overall view of your physique but not long enough for them to start picking flaws. When you are through with your routine, leave the stage at once. Don't stand there hesitant and trying to think up some new poses to use up your time period. And always remember that a pleasing smile helps a lot. Be courteous to judges and audience no matter how hard it is at times.
Now I think a few thoughts on preparation procedure and judging are in order. It is our belief and suggestion that all perfect man contests be conducted under uniform rules and conditions. We suggested that a rule book be made up for this purpose and that all contests be conducted strictly according to these rules. Thus every contestant will know beforehand what poses he can use how much time he has, what lighting will be used, what make up if any he can use, and a number of other things that may come to their mind.
It will also give a uniform point system for judging. The judges can become familiar with the entire procedure so that they will be more capable of doing an efficient, honest and satisfactory job.
This suggestion met with the approval of the members of the weightlifting committee that were there. We believe that now is the time to start the ball rolling. We therefore are asking that our readers send in any suggestions they may have for the makeup of this rule book. When we have collected all possible material and suggestions we will arrange it and present it to the Committee through our chairman, Mr. Dietrich Wortmann.
Special Act -- Guy Gibby who billed himself as the "All-American Boy", put on two special acts during intermissions in the second day's performances which kept the audience in good humor. Guy was entered in the Mr. America contest but did not compete. He did some handbalancing tumbling, and a few strong man stunts. Dressed as "Superman" he lifted a high stack of tables and chairs precariously balanced with his teeth by biting the corner of the bottom table. He also gave a nice exhibition of chain breaking and cable stretching, having 10 men of the audience come up and attempt to duplicate his stunts.
Point Scoring For Mr. America Contest
Name City Points
Mr America Points
Most Muscular
Alan Stephan Chicago, Ill. 72 34
Sam Loprinzi Portland, Ore. 68 34
Leo Stern San Diego, Cal. 63 31
Joe Lauriano York, Pa. 61 31
John Farbotnik Phila., Pa. 59 29
Abe Goldberg New York City 58 29
Vic Nicoletti Brooklyn 58 29
Kimmon Voyages New York 55 23
Everett Sinderoff Fall Riv. 55 24
Gene Jantzen Bartelso, Ill. 54 23
Mike Dubel Detroit, Mich. 52 24
Joseph Thaler Brooklyn 51 23
John McWilliams Columbus 50 23
Robert McCune Amsterdam 49 22
W. Bonny Spring Lake, Mich. 45 18
Tie for Most Muscular was given to Loprinzi by judges. Best arm, John McWIlliams (18 1/2"). Best Legs, Kimon Voyages (about 27"). Best Back, Alan Stephan. Best Abdominals, Joe Lauriano. Best Chest, John Farbotnik.
Judges - Harry Paschall, Chester O Teegarden, Art Gay, F. Hoffmeister, Emmet Faris.
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ronMan, Vol 7, No 1, Page 5, est. Fall 1946
Alan Stephan - Mr. America for 1946
by Peary Rader
Here for the first time is the complete story of Alan Stephan, "Mr. America of 1946." We know that you will receive much inspiration from his story.
On the evening of June 2nd in Detroit in connection with the 1946 National Weight Lifting Championships we were privileged to witness the 1946 "Mr America" contest. In addition we had the opportunity to view in all its magnificence the finest manhood that America has been able to produce. As you know this event was won by Alan Stephan who we feel you will agree, after seeing his photos and reading his story, ranks at the top of winners of "Mr. America" contests. If you are interested in Shape he has it. If it is separation, we doubt if any of them have had more. If it is measurements that interest you, you will find his are probably larger than any winner thus far. If it is strength that interests you, this young fellow ranks at the top with John Grimek. Here is a handsome young fellow with a personality, grace and posture that seem natural to him. Here is a man with everything you could ask for. He has the height that so many people demand in a "Mr. America". What else could you wish?
Nothing that we can say or any photo that we can show will give you a true conception of the beauty and magnificence of his physique. If you have an opportunity to see this young fellow in action, don't miss it! We are not belittling Alan's competitors in this event for as you can see they ranked so close to him in the point scoring that it was very close to a tie. However we must consider that this was Alan's first physique contest He had never had any experience at posing before the public. He had only trained for 6 weeks for this event, having been discharged from the Navy just 2 months to the day before this contest.
But let us get on with Alan's story. We'd like to give it to you in his own words. But Alan is a modest young fellow and has asked us to rewrite it.
Alan Stephan was born 22 years ago in Cicero, Ill. (his present home), of Lithuanian parents. His name was Albert Steponaitis until recently when he and his family had it changed to Stephan. His father was a very large and powerful man and at one time had a 22 1/2 inch arm. This arm came from hard work on farms in the old country and later in steel mills in Gary, Indiana. Thus you can see that Alan had a good heritage for the physique he developed.
Alan tells us that he was not unusually strong as a boy, just average. He participated In the regular athletics as a boy in school such as football.
When Alan was 15 years old he visited Douglas park where he saw the great star George Hanus performing on the flying rings. It was George's skill and marvelous development that determined Alan to seek physical perfection. (You may remember George Hanus was the young fellow who some years ago was called the second Grimek. George later gave his life for his country in the Merchant Marines during the last war. Alan speaks very highly of George for his help and inspiration to the young fellows he came in contact with). Alan at once began to ply George Hanus with all the questions he could think of. George gave him a lot of advice and among other things set him a goal of 100 chins to the back of the neck and 100 dips on the bars. During that summer by hard work following the advice of his friend, George, he managed to gain 35 pounds in bodyweight. He also reached 25 reps. in the chin behind neck and the dips on bars.
That fall he entered high school (The J. Sterling Molton High School in Cicero), and joined the gymnastic and tumbling teams. During his high school days he followed a terrific program. He worked out with the gymnastics teams at high school and in the evenings three nights per week he would go to the Douglas Park Gym and work out some more at wrestling and weight training. At that time (or for that matter any time in the future) he was not interested in competitive lifting to any great extent but in bodybuilding. During this time however, he entered a few local and central district A. A.U. lifting meets and won many first places. Alan tells us that his lifts didn't amount to much and he doesn't consider it worth mentioning but as I recall he pressed 260, snatched 240, and clean and jerked 325 when he was 19 at a bodyweight of about 205 pounds. We feel that the above lifts are very good considering that he didn't specialize at lifting but was a bodybuilder.
Alan graduated from High School in June of 1943 and in July entered the Navy. He had his boot training in Farragut, Idaho. One day while working with the physical training class in the desert, his fine physique and ability caught the attention of Lt. Gustafson, the Public Relations Officer of the training station. Alan was immediately transfered to "Ship's Company" at the station to model for the Navy's Public Relations Artists. In this work he posed for Navy Recruiting Posters, Warbond Posters, and many other things requiring a model.
Later he was transferred to the Seabees at Camp Perry, Virginia. He was now assigned as a Judo, Wrestling and Hand to Hand combat instructor. He worked under the former 140 pound world amateur champion wrestler, Roy Moore. Moore is the only white man in the world to earn the coveted "Fifth Degree Black Belt" in Judo contest, which symbolized over a hundred victories in Judo against the best the Japs and Whites could offer. He learned his Judo from the originator. Baron Shimura and then came to the U. S., trained an American team, and took on the best the Japs could offer in their own country. His team beat the Japs. This was before the war. During the war, Moore trained hundreds of Navy, Marine, and Seabee men in the art of the hand-to-hand combat. This was not pleasant work, but was necessary. Alan feels he was very fortunate to be able to work under Mr. Moore as one of his instructors. Alan also won several wrestling and Judo titles in Navy competition.
After several months at Camp Perry, Alan was sent to Davisville, R. I. Then to other U. S. Seabee bases and then to Pearl Harbor for eight months and finally to Guam for another eight months. All this time he had very little opportunity to work out with the weights. The only exercise and training he obtained was what he got in teaching hand-to-hand combat. You can well understand that he had little time to improve his physique for 3 years or slightly less that he was in the Service. On April 2 1946 he was discharged from the Navy. Two weeks later he started training for the Mr. America Contest which allowed him just 6 weeks of training.
A good friend of Alan's persuaded him to enter. He tells us that he hadn't the slightest idea of winning as he didn't feel that 6 weeks would allow for much training and he had no experience whatever in perfect man contests. He did however feel that it would be a wonderful chance to meet all the greats in the game such as Loprinzi, Jantzen, Stern, Voyages, Lauriano etc. who were also entered as well as famous lifters such as Davis, Ishikawa, Spellman, Terpak, Kay, Grimek and many others. Alan felt that after some experience like this and another three or four years of training he might be able to win. He writes. '"To my joy and surprise, I won! I consider it the finest honor that has ever come my way, and I am going to work hard to be worthy of it, and to try to inspire all the young fellows I can to work the same way, just as George Hanus and my friends have inspired me. Anyone who wants to win a physique contest can do so if he works hard and if he begins early enough, as I have been so fortunate to discover this month." Alan tells us that he uses the old standard favorite exercises that everyone uses, with lots of repetitions. In other words there is no secret to his training methods except hard work. He trains very similar to other men who enter perfect man contests. He has done repetitions with 215 pounds in the curl. We would judge that this is just about a world record. We have been told that he has succeeded with 225 lbs. in the curl tho Alan did not mention this. He has also done reps. in the pullover with 200 pounds. He has also supine pressed 330 pounds on a bench and 335 on the floor. These as you will notice are all power lifts with little chance for science to enter in. You will also notice that they class him with the strongest men of our time, or of any time for that matter.
As most of you know, Alan won the best Back contest at the meet. He has a marvelous back with knots of muscles standing out all over it. He also had wonderful separation of the back muscles. Much of his back development probably comes from his practice of chins behind the neck as well as his pullovers. He has a marvelous spread of latissimus muscles.
His advice to new men is to start early, work hard, and don't loose faith and you are sure to win recognition for your physical development.
Alan's future plans include going to University this fall. He doesn't intend to turn professional as he says he is much more interested in obtaining an education than the money he could make as a professional. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer people took a lot of news reels of Alan after the meet and some offers are being made him but unless they are unusually attractive Alan will turn them down for as he says "I don't consider myself an actor but an athlete! But it is mighty flattering, anyway!"
Most of you have been wondering what measurements the 1946 "Mr. America" has. Here they are at the time he won his title. Age 22, Height 5 ft. 11 1/2 in., Weight 205, Chest 48 1/2, 50 expanded, Waist 31, Biceps 18.4, Forearm 14.5, Wrist 7.5 Thigh 26, Calf 17, Ankle 10 1/2, Neck 17. A few of Alan's measurements have been just slightly larger than this at one time, I believe, but he was trained down fine for the contest. We predict that Alan will soon have a 19 inch arm and perhaps some time he will reach even 20 inches in hard condition. Remember that his father had a 22 1/2 inch arm tho not in the hard condition that Alan is in. We predict a great future for him and extend the best wishes of all the barbell men in the world to Alan Stephan, "Mr. America" for 1946!
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Your Physique, Vol 6, No 2, Page 8, September 1946
Mr. America Contest
1946 Senior Nationals
DETROIT, Michigan, was the busy scene of two events of national importance the weekend of June 1st and 2nd. The Motor City celebrated its "Golden Jubilee" Week of 50 years of automotive progress, and it was host city to the 1946 A.A.U. Senior National Weightlifting Championships and "Mr. America Contest.
It was quite a sight for visiting weightlifting enthusiasts to arrive in the Motor City and find Woodward Avenue painted gold for a mile of its length downtown! Those not in the know thought it a rather elaborate welcome for a weightlifting meet, until they realized that it had been painted for the Automotive Golden Jubilee. Nevertheless, it added considerable to the festivity of the affair.
Competition in the lifting events and "Mr. America" contest was particularly keen after the war years, and most of those present agreed that it was the best meet in a long period of fine competitions. The Boys' Club of Detroit and the Michigan A.A.U. presented a beautifully organized and operated program, and the fine big gym of the Boy's Club was packed to capacity at every session. That the meet was held at all after the nation-wide upsets of the coal and railroad strikes, and with Detroit packed and crowded with the Jubilee celebrations, was a tribute to hard work and enthusiasm on the part of the Michigan A.A.U. and Boys' Club officials. That it should have been such a success was due largely to the efforts of C. H. Brennan, Secretary, and E. A. Wright, Chairman, of the A.A.U. and the Boys' Club. And also to the enthusiastic crowd of contestants, many of whom were experiencing their first competition since returning from the service.
(weightlifting report skipped)
Saturday Evening Session
(weightlifting report skipped)
Competition for the "Mr. America Subdivisions" to select the best back, best chest, etc., was especially keen. Twenty competitors in all were entered, including such well-known muscle men as Gene Jantzen, Kimon Voyages, Joe Lauriano, Sam Loprinzi, Leo Stern, Vic Nicoletti, Abe Goldberg, and the "dark horse" Al Steponaitis competing under his new family name of Stephan. A little difficulty was experienced at first when the lights provided for the benefit of the photographers present at the meet were found to "flatten out" the definition of the first few contestants, and they were changed for a pair of overhead spotlights. It was unfortunate that the first three competitors had to be judged under this lighting, as readers may be able to determine from analysis of the photograph of the winners of the "Mr America Subdivisions"; particularly since the "Best Chest" judging led off - a body classification in which lighting is particularly important. The first three competitors were Kimon Voyages, John McWilliams, and Alan Stephan. However, the judges were careful and thoughtful, and undoubtedly awarded the titles as they saw them.
In the "Best Chest" Division, the judges called back Gene Janzten, Sam Loprinzi, Joe Lauriano, John McWilliams, Vic Nicoletti, and John Verbotnik [sic]. Handsome likeable Gene Janzten possessed admirable symmetry and good bulk, plus beautiful posing ability. Loprinzi had amazing bulk, and a pair of pectorials like watermelons. John Verbotnik had bulk, symmetry, and definition, as did Lauriano, and Nicoletti. McWilliams possessed amazing bulk. In a close decision, the title for the "BEST CHEST" Division was awarded to John Verbotnik of Fritsche's Gym, Philadelphia, with Sam Loprinzi a very close second.
The "Best Arms" Division boiled down to a contest between Abe Goldberg of the East Side Barbell Club of New York; Sam Loprinzi of York; John McWilliams of the Columbus, Ohio, Athletic Club; Leo Stern, "Mr. California" representing the Progressive Health Training Club of San Diego, California; and John Farbotnik of Fritsche's Gym. Despite Loprinzi's amazing definition and bulk, and John Farbotnik's symmetry, definition, and bulk, John McWilliams' might arms stood out well above the nearest competitor. We tried to get a measure of them, but lacking that, have had to guess their size. However, it is quite possible that they measure 20" or more.
Competitors for the "Best Abdominals" were boiled down to these four after elimination by the judges: Abe Goldberg; Vic Nicoletti representing the Brooklyn Central "Y"; Joe Lauriano, "Mr. Honolulu", of York; and Everett Sinderoff of Fall River, Massachusetts. Al Stephan did not compete in this class, although many looked to him to take the prize. Abe Goldberg's definition and muscle control were phenomenal, but he was nosed out by Joe Lauriano, who thus won the title for "Best Abdominals" two years in a row.
Far and away the "Best Back" at the meet was that of Al Stephan, who was later to win the title of "Mr. America". Against such stellar competition as Sam Loprinzi, Vic Nicoletti, Everett Sinderoff, and John Farbotnik, Al's mighty back muscles easily walked away with the title. By the time of judging this event, the lighting errors had been rectified, and Stephan's amazing bulk, definition, and symmetry stood out like Hercules himself. The decision of the judges was unanimous in awarding "Best Back" to Al Stephans.
There remained only the "Best Legs" division to complete the session. Here, too, competition was keen, with handsome Abe Goldberg, Leo "Mr. California" Stern, Joe "Honolulu" Lauriano, Kimon Voyages, and John Farbotnik all likely contenders. All five were called back by the judges. Leo Stern had tied for fifth "Best Legs" in the 1945 Nationals in Los Angeles last year, and he had made tremendous gains since then. In an interest-packed decision, the judges awarded that title for "Best Legs" to Kimon Voyages of New York, making him again the winner of the title he won last year.
Sunday Afternoon Session
(weightlifting report skipped)
Sunday Evening Session
(weightlifting report skipped)
Then came the moment for which most of the audience had waited: the big 1946 "MR. AMERICA" contest. Judges were well-qualified men: Harry Paschall of Columbus, Ohio; Chester Teegarden, Weightlifting Coach at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana; the well-known Art Gay of Rochester, New York; Fred Hoffmeister of Hoffmeister's Gym, Indianapolis, Indiana; and Emmett Faris of Cincinatti, Ohio, and the National Weightlifting Committee.
Again came the unfortunate mix-up in lighting arrangements. The newsreel cameramen required strong lighting for their movies, and had set up a battery of lights that drenched the platform in brilliant white light. However ideal this may have been for newsreel photographs, it was very poor for muscle posing, as it flattened out all semblance of definition in a white glare. Some of the early contestants had already come on and posed before the lighting problems were ironed out, a weighty problem involving much free advice shouted out by everyone: audience, judges, and contestants alike, and ending in the erection of a ladder on the platform to adjust the overhead lights. Finally everyone was satisfied, and the contest went on.
Kimon Voyages - "Mr. Legs" - had the lead-off spot: a tough position to fill. Voyages filled it "but good" with fine posing, those mighty thighs of his like knotted cables. Next came John McWilliams "Big John" of the might arms and chest. A big man all over, McWilliams made up in bulk what he lacked in definition. Then handsome blond Al Stephan came on. Al's poses were beautifully planned, and his smile caused many a sigh among the gals in the audience. Al possesses a chest and rib box development that is phenomenal, and he has the capacity of expanding it and projecting it to little short of enormous size. Regardless of the judges' opinions, many a feminine heart in the audience had already selected its own personal "Mr. America" by the time Al left the platform! Casimir M. Dubel of Detroit was next, a well-proportioned dark-haired lad who with more training and practice should be a likely contender in future meets. Bob McCusie of Amsterdam, New York, followed with a nice series of poses, followed in turn by Orville Wertzbaugher of the U.S. Army at Denver, Colorado, who bounced onto the stage full of pep and vinegar, did a few poses with a mile-wide grin on his face, and bounced off. Had a prize been awarded for pep and personality, Sgt. Orv Wertzbaugher would have had it!
Little Joe DiPietro, four feet ten inches of bulges, paraded on the stage as the next contender, got a good chuckle from the audience, then withdrew for more serious contenders. He was followed by Abe Goldberg, the Brooklyn marvel; Leo Stern, a well-proportioned and muscular "Mr. California", whose blond-red hair and white skin made handsome contrasts under the lights; dark Vic Nicoletti, a very good poser; Everett Sinderoff of Falls River, Mass., who had placed 4th in the 181 pound lifting contest. Next came tall, dark and handsome (!) "Honolulu Joe" Lauriano; Sam Loprinzi, a mass of muscle; collegiate-looking Pete Bonny of Spring Lake, Michigan, with his well-proportioned body and crew-clipped blond hair; followed by 17 year old Joe Thaler of Brooklyn and New York University. Endurance athlete Gene Jantzen and Ed Sheperd of Indianapolis brought up the rear. Jantzen has lost none of his famous posing ability and perfect symmetry, although building a new home by hand for his lovely wife, the former Pat King, had kept him from training for the superb definition he usually possesses.
Even before the official announcement had been made, the audience by some strange quirk knew that ALAN STEPHAN was the new "MR. AMERICA". He was led to the front of the stage, and the photographers' bulbs started popping, the audience cheering and shouting, and the judges trying to make themselves heard in the uproar, as the other four contestants stood uncertainly in the background. Someone led an attractive girl on the stage, and once more the bulbs started popping as the embarrassed and grinning new "Mr. America" had to pose showing her his muscles! Finally the master of ceremonies made himself heard over the uproar long enough to announce the official results: Alan Stephan, the new "Mr. America" by an almost perfect total of 74 out of a possible 75 points; Sam Loprinzi, 2nd with 68 points; Joe Lauriano 3rd with 62 points; Leo Stern 4th with 61; and John Farbotnik 5th with 58 points. By scoring 74 out of a possible 75 points, Stephan had achieved the amazing score of 15 - perfect - with four of the five judges, and missed perfection by only one point with the fifth!
In addition, he had tied with Sam Loprinzi of York for points on muscular development, which determines the "Most Muscular Man" winner! Loprinzi and Stephan both scored a total of 34 points in this classification, and at first it was intended to announce the title of "Most Muscular Man" as a tie until it became necessary to determine who was to be awarded the trophy and medal. By vote of the judges, Sam Loprinzi was declared "Most Muscular Man", and it was so announced over the loud speaker.
It was an excited and enthusiastic crowd that finally left the big Boys' Club Gym at around midnight on Sunday June 2nd, following the meet. It was the unanimous opinion of everyone, contestants, spectators, and judges alike, that it had been the Best Senior National A.A.U. Weightlifting Meet in history.
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1947 Mr America - AAU
1 Steve Reeves
2 Eric Pedersen
3 Joe Lauriano
4 John Farbotnik
5 George Eiferman
6 Kimon Voyages
7 Ed Simon
8 Alex Kigas
9 Russ Fields
10 Keevil Daly
11 Valerio Pasqua
12 Joseph Thaler
13 Kenneth Graham
14 Joe Shaw
15 Bruno Markunas
16 Moss McCray
17 Gene Jantzen
18 John McWilliams (1)
19 Mike Dubel
20 John Morley
21 Lyle Fox
22 Bill Custer
23 Ricardo Fernandez
24 Yas Kuzuhara
25 Gene Bohaty
26 Ed Banaszewski
27 Al Pasqua
28 Frank Troha
29 George Lapausky
30 Dan Bax
31 Mario Anosky
32 Ed Francis
33 John Ford (1)
34 Ray Miller (1)
35 John Apostol
36 Russell Carroll
Most Muscular
1 Eric Pedersen
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ronMan, Vol 7, No 5, Page 7, est. Fall 1947
Steve Reeves - "Mr. America" 1947
by Peary Rader
We are happy to present this interesting story of Steve Beeves the new "Mr. America". The information contained in this article was obtained from the man who has trained Steve through almost all his exercising career, Ed Yarick. so the information can be considered quite authentic.
On the night of June 29, 1947 at the Auditorium of the Lane High School in Chicago about 3,000 people witnessed the crowning of a new and sensational "'Mr. America". Most of the audience left the Auditorium amazed that such a muscularly perfect speciman existed. It was unbelievable that anyone could have such huge muscular size and yet retain the perfect balance in proportions, the excellent separation, that Steve Reeves displayed. Here was a man who combined the massive muscular development that appeals so much to barbell men with the broad shoulders and slender hips that the average man prefers. Here was a man who not only had a magnificent physique, but also combined it with a very handsome face crowned with beautiful jet black, curly hair. a magnetic personality and a flashing smile that showed his ivory white teeth.
We have never seen a man who looked finer in his street or dress clothes than Steve Reeves. Everywhere he goes people, turn to stare at this handsome young giant with the very broad shoulders and the erect carriage and lithe step. Steve Reeves was born January 21, 1926 of Irish Scotch and English descent. He grew up as any normal, healthy boy would with an interest in general sports and play. However, he acquired a desire to be larger and more powerful at an early age and missed no opportunity to increase his knowledge on any subject concerning bodybuilding.
Steve was not introduced to barbell exercise until the age of 16 when he visited the home of a friend, Joe Gamina. Some of the boys at Joe's house were having a wrist wrestling contest and Steve, knowing that he was much larger and heavier than Joe, decided to try himself. Much to his surprise he was turned down. Upon inquiry concerning this turn of events, Joe told him of his weight training and showed Steve his outdoor gym and weights in his back yard. Steve at once realized that here was what he had been looking for and immediately began training with Joe.
The progress he made from the first was very inspiring. and, having a fine framework for a well developed physique, Steve secretly started training for the top reward -- the "Mr America" title. Barbells became to him what baseball, football, etc. are to other young fellows. Steve literally lived for his training. He began buying all the magazines he could find, both new and back issues, with information on bodybuilding and today has a superb collection.
Steve realized his need for the best information available if he was to make the greatest gains toward a perfect physique. To this end he sought out Ed Yarick who has one of the oldest and most successful barbell gyms in California. Steve placed himself under Ed's expert supervision for several months. Then was away for a time only to return again to the gym to resume training. After two years training here, he enlisted in the army. During this period he had gained from 166 pounds to 190 pounds of super physique at 6 feet in height.
After six months training, Reeves was shipped to the Philippines. While there he contracted Malaria. He lost 20 pounds bodyweight from his first attack. Thereafter he had 7 more attacks. This placed him in very bad physical condition. It was shortly after this that he was sent to Japan. It was here that he was able to obtain a barbell set from the Japanese. For the first time in many months he was able to train again. He knew that his training would help him develop resistance to disease and return his lost bodyweight.
It was just 2 years and 2 days after he entered the service until he was discharged. When he returned home he went at once to Yarick's gym and trained with Ed again. Here he remained training hard until one month before he went to Chicago for the big "Mr. America" Contest.
Little had been heard of Steve until he won the "Mr. Pacific Coast'" contest staged in Portland of last December. Steve has always been very regular in his workouts ana any misses were noticed by Ed and the other pupils. One Sat. of December '46, Steve failed to show up for his workout. Ed thought this very irregular but thought he would wait until the next workout period before inquiring into the matter. On the next workout period for Steve, Tuesday night in he walked with two fine trophies for having won the "Mr. Pacific Coast" contest in Portland No one but Steve's Mother and a friend, Bob Weilick, who went with him, knew where he had gone. This is quite characteristic of Steve. He would much rather make his plans quietly and leave the shouting until after his victory.
Not knowing that he was eligible for the '"Mr. California" contest until too late, Steve did not enter. However he did enter the "Mr. Pacific Coast" contest held in Los Angeles. This was for the 1947 title. This he won also. Eric Pedersen, who won the "Mr California" contest placed second to Steve in this as he also did in the ""Mr. America" contest, the two of them tying in the latter contest and Steve winning by vote of the judges. Steve was quite confident of winning the "'Mr. America" contest and knew that he had trained the best he and his teacher knew how to win it.
Steve's mother has cooperated in every possible way to help her boy realize his ambition by giving him all possible encouragement, helping him keep his training and cooking the things he wanted the way he liked them. How fortunate other boys would be if their mothers took as much interest in their training efforts. She is very happy about Steve's triumphs and thankful for the kindness shown to her son wherever he has been. Steve is not fussy to cook for and likes plenty of salads, meat vegetables and milk. Previous to the training period for the contest, Steve drank one quart of milk per day, but while training for his big event, he greatly increased the quantity of milk consumed, realizing its value. He does not eat white bread, white flour products, candy or white sugar. He likes a lot of fresh fruit, and uses honey for sweets. He always gets lots of sleep each night for he needs plenty of rest when working out so heavily. His mother tells us that he has never had to have a doctor for he has always been in perfect health. His teeth are very beautiful and have not a single cavity.
Other than his training with barbells, which is his passion, he likes horse-back riding and likes to visit his aunt and uncle who have a ranch in Montana. He also likes swimming and sunbathing and has a very beautiful tan and a fine textured skin denoting vital health.
Steve has no favorite barbell exercises. He just likes lots of all kinds of exercise and hard work because he knows that only by hard work can one succeed. He has followed many programs during his 5 years of exercising but just before he left for the '"Mr. America" contest he was performing the following very strenuous program:
3 sets prone presses with wide grip.
3 sets of incline presses (a favorite invention of Ed Yarick)
2 sets of side presses.
2 sets of front raises.
2 sets of curl and press 3 sets of chins behind neck.
3 sets of Latissimus rowing on 45 degree pulleys. .
2 sets of triceps curls on the dorsi bench. .
2 sets of bent arm curl behind neck 2 sets of triceps bench curl.
6 sets of incline benc'h curls.
4 sets of squats.
4 sets of leg curls for leg biceps.
4 sets of calf raises on leg press mac'hine.
2 sets of good-morning exercise on roman chair.
Steve has never gone in for Olympic lifting in any form being interested only in bodybuilding. In his exercises he has worked up to 20 reps in half squats with 400 pounds. He did 6 repetitions with 70 pound dumbells on the incline curls. 20 reps in the calf raises with 450 pounds.
His before and after measurements are as follows:
Before After
Weight 166 lbs 213 lbs
Height 6 feet 6 feet
Neck 13½ 17½
Chest normal 37 49½
Chest expanded 39½ 51
Waist 30 29
Thighs 22½ 25½
Calf 16 17¾
Arm 12¾ 18
Although Steve has been a barbell man 5 years, yet only 3 years of this have been spent in hard training under Yarick. He is sure to improve a great deal more as the years pass. With his broad shoulders and narrow hips, he has acquired the nick name of "Lil Abner". We wish hi the best of everything in a life that is just beginning for him.
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ronMan, Vol 7, No 5, Page 12, est. Fall 1947
Mr America Contest 1947
(excerpts from Sr Nat Championships, Mr America Contest)
by Peary Rader
In the following story we have tried to give you a word picture of the Senior National Lifting Championships and the "Mr. America" contest so that you who did not have the privilege of attending can thrill to some of the experiences we had.
On the night of June 25th, ye editor left Alliance on a journey to view one of the greatest events in the lifting history of the U.S.A., the National Weightlifting Championships of 1947 which were held at the beautiful and spacious auditorium of the Lane Tech High School at Western Ave. and Addison St.
We had for long anticipated this event being one of the best, due to the great interest recently developed in our sport. We were not disappointed and came away wishing that more of you had been there to enjoy the meet. However, we are going to try to give you the story of the Championships by word and picture. Also a story of the "Mr. America" contest.
It was necessary that I leave a day early on the train due to the floods between here and Chicago which had washed out much of the track. I traveled over considerable detours and your Editor arrived in Chicago that day before the meet was to begin, or about noon on June the 27th. Mrs Rader, who usually goes to meets and helps so much, was unable to attend because of duties here at home. Therefore I was lost without her companionship.
I at once went out to the Lane High School and looked over the wonderful layout available for this meet. This school takes up several city blocks and has a tremendous and beautiful lawn in front that the contestants made good use of during the day in sun bathing and posing for the photographers who swarmed the place. I heard one fellow remark that there must have been 1,000 people on the lawn watching the contestants pose and taking photos. A record number of pictures were probably taken of this event this year. We will probably be showing some of them to you for some time. This high school, we understand, is the largest in the world and they have so many graduates each year that graduation exercises must be held on the athletic field. It is filled with all kinds of machinery and special equipment for teaching young men vocations that they might follow the life work they choose. It is our belief that if we had more such schools we would have fewer misfits in our social life and that a high school education would mean something other than just a diploma.
Mr. John Dolce, the Meet Director, and all his helpers did a wonderful job in preparing for and conducting the meet. Norbert Grubber, editor of "Chicago Bodybuilder", was in evidence at all times helping out whenever he could. Mr. Dolce as chairman of Weightlifting of the Central District had his committee busy most of the time. Too much credit can not be given them all for a difficult job well done. We believe that in many ways it was one of the best conducted meets in America.
After a look at the location of the meet I rushed back down town to hunt a room and none too soon it seems, but I finally found one at the huge YMCA Hotel which has about 3,000 rooms but is usually full. Some of the other boys who found rooms elsewhere were evicted to make room for another convention scheduled in Chicago at the same time.
The next day the meet was scheduled to start at 3 P. M. but the competitors were on hand early as were the "Mr. America" contestants who obligingly stripped and posed for the news reel men and other photographers. To help decorate the scene several models from the Patrica Stevens agency were on hand. Ordinarily these beautiful girls would be quite an attraction but it was to be noticed that when the muscle men came around, the enthusiasts crowded around them with all thought of beautiful gals gone from their mind. You will see some of these attractive young ladies in pictures illustrating this article.
Before the meet started Mr. Worttman called his committee and officials together to discuss rules and regulations for the meet as well as to discuss the World's Championships to be held in the latter part of September. This big event is coming to this country for the first time through the efforts and financial support of Bob Hoffman. Every barbell man and weight enthusiast owes it to the game, his country and Bob to put every effort behind this big meet. Talk it up. Try to get others to attend and BE SURE TO ATTEND IT YOURSELF. We'd like to see and meet all of you there.
After this meeting the weighing in of the athletes for the afternoon event took place. By the time this was over it was time for the meet to begin. [...]
Sun. JUNE 29th
Sunday was certainly a big day. A large number of the boys went to church in the morning but by noon they began to gather at the Lane Tech. High School, taking pictures, becoming acquainted and visiting. Many of the greats of the muscle world were there and such an array of might and muscle has probably never gathered in one spot before.
There was Bob Hoffman who acted as Master of Ceremonies part of the time while Joseph A. Paul acted the rest of the time. Mr. Paul is a hard worker in the Central District on all phases of the Iron Game. Dietrich Wortmann, our hard working chairman has done a great deal for our game these many years and leaves his large business a great deal that he might attend the meets and conventions of the game that is dear to his heart. He has developed a great deal of lifting talent in his Metropolitan District. There was LON, the man who supplies the magazines with the beautiful photographs. George Quaintance who does the art work for "Your Physique" and "Muscle Power". Bert Goodrich (the first "Mr. America") and his wife. Al Berger, bigger than ever (he looks like a giant) and why doesn't some one get him into competitive lifting? Chet Teegarden, associate editor for Iron Man and proprietor of "Strong Barbell Co". The great John Grimek, Steve Stanko bigger and better than ever. J.C. Hise with some new theories on body building. Alan Stephan and his wife, the former "Miss Legionaire". Alan is now quite busy with his new bodybuilding studio in Minneapolis and looks een better than he did last year when he won the title. Ray Van Cleef was there and busy with his work as associate editor of Strength and Health. Gord Venables, taking photos of everyone. I recall Gord's wonderful squat snatching of a few years ago. Leo Stern of San Diego, taking care of his boys from the west coast. Leo has a wonderful gym that he operates with his partner, Henry Fletcher in San Diego. We will have a lot to say of these boys when we write about our trip to the west coast. Harry (Bosco) Paschall and his wife were on hand as was Jack Libertore who acted as Master of Ceremonies for the "Mr. America" Contest. Charles A Ramsey that great trainer of colored lifting champions, was on hand. Mr. Ramsey spends much of his time traveling for a large Banking firm, but is now training some boys in New York. This man was once one of the world's greatest wrestlers and has wrestled every four hours in a match with the champion George Bothner. He trained on weights for many years in England with such famous athletes as Sandow, Saldo and others of like caliber. Tony Terlazzo was there and looking fine. Too bad that Tony can't lift for the U.S.A. in the coming world championships as we need a good lightweight. All these and many others were present. We regret that we do not have room to mention the names of all of them and tell you something of them but we just can't give more room to it this issue.
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"Mr. America Contest"
All the posing that had been done on the huge lawn in front of the High School building had evidently been good advertising because on Sunday evening the big auditorium was nearly filled. The stage lighting had been carefully arranged by Al Urban, that Master Physique Photographer of Chicago. The muscular development of each contestant could be shown to best advantage this year.
New rules formulated by the A.A.U. were used this year in running off the event and it must be said that the entire show was smooth compared to other years. A nice platform was provided for each contestant to pose on. As Jack Libertore, the Master of Ceremonies, called the name of each contestant he came out from the wings and onto the platform under the carefully arranged lights and was allowed three poses of his own choice of 15 seconds each. In this manner the large number of contestants were quickly run through. All judges, appointed by the National Chairman Mr. Dietrich Wortmann, sat down in front where they could have an excellent view. All selections were made by points and a card system was used for the tabulations.
After the men had all posed a number were called back to pose again and two in particular who were tied, Reeves and Pedersen. Although the audience had not been told what they had tied for they had guessed that it was for the "Mr. America" title and not some of the subdivisions. Most certainly it was a problem to choose between these two magnificent physiques. Pedersen, who won the "Mr. California" title a short time ago, is a blond giant who has almost perfection of development. Earle Leiderman who was a good personal friend of Sandow, tells me that Eric greatly reminds him of the great Eugen Sandow. He has beautiful abdominal formation. His arms are unbelievable, especially that biceps which appears to be two baseballs placed one on top of the other. His deltoids and pectorals leave little to be desired. His separation is unequalled. Eric is only 18 now and has his eye on next year's contest when he plans to be better than ever.
Steve Reeves on the other hand, is a brunet with a dark tan and is somewhat taller than Eric. He has a tremendous breadth of shoulder, perhaps the widest appearing we have ever seen. His hips appear slender, although they actually are not, compared to other men, but it is his wide shoulders that make them appear so. Here is a man who looks the part in his street clothes as well as under the lights, posing. Many people are greatly impressed with the shape and development of his entire leg. He has very fine calves. His posing routine is very good. He has a pleasing smile and stage personality. The judges found it impossible to choose between these two and gave each 72 points out of a possible 75. Thus it was necessary to vote for the "Mr. America" and in the vote, Steve won. Steve also won the best back award. His back is very wide and Is superbly developed as photos we will show of him indicate. Eric Pedersen won the title "Most Muscular Man" as well as the "Most Muscular Arms". In talking to him after the show. he seemed as well pleased with these, awards as if he had won the "Mr. America" title. Score for "Most Muscular Man" title was 30 points for Pedersen and 29 for Reeves so here again they almost tied.
Joe Lauriano again won the "Best Abdominals". He certainly has a magnificent abdominal development. His rectus abdominus muscles are very thick. His external oblique muscles form great rolls of muscle around the crest of the Illum or hip bone. Joe seemed to be more massive and shapely than ever before and is a great favorite with the audience. He placed 3rd in the "Mr. America" contest.
John Farbotnik was better than ever this year, showing more muscle mass than ever and his chest seemed even deeper and more heavily muscled than last year if that were possible. Again he won the "Best Chest" award and the 4th place in the "Mr. America" event.
George Eiferman of Philadelphia, won 5th place in the "Mr. America" and probably had the heaviest pectoral development of anyone there. They look especially large when you are standing close to him. They must be 2 1/2 inches in depth.
Kimon Voyages of New York again took the "Best Legs" award. This boy who is built like a hercules all over, certainly has marvelous legs. He also placed 6th in the "Mr. America" contest. Kim has won the best legs title for many years now and we wonder just how long he can continue. He has earned it though, with all the heavy leg exercise he has performed to develop his legs. He has won this one award at the "Mr. America" contest more than anyone else has ever won the same title. Probably Lauriano comes second with his abdominals.
Russell Field of the Goodrich gym in Hollywood, has a marvelous physique. He is very massive and well proportioned, but does not have as much separation as some of the others. With more separation he would make the best of them look to their laurals.
Alex Kigas who recently won the "Mr. Chicago" title, has a wonderful upper body but rather slender legs. He is working hard to develop them to compare with his upper body. Next year he should be serious competition. Dan Bax of Niagara Falls, N. Y. is a very massive little fellow. Not very tall, he has the measurements of a heavyweight and is very impressive, although he hasn't the separation that some of the others have.
Big John McWilliams was there. He was the largest man in the "Mr. America" competition. His arms were by far the largest, being slightly over 19 inches cold. His shoulder breadth is terrific and his chest like a huge barrel. His injured leg is much improved over last year and almost the same size as the other one. Mac looks very large dressed too. Truly a man of high character, intelligence, and super physique.
After the posing and while the points were being counted, the last year's "Mr. America" Alan Stephan, came on the stage and thrilled the audience with his amazing development and magnetic personality. He and his beautiful wife both posed for the photographers. Then he and his wife and Steve Reeves posed together. Another popular athlete and the first "Mr. America" came on and displayed his fine physique in some well selected poses. Bert Goodrich still retains his fine development and gets bigger each year even though he is no longer a young man and can't devote as much time to his training as he used to. His fine gym where Pedersen, Field, Leiderman and others train, keeps him quite busy. His wife, who is a school teacher in Hollywood, was with him and they were making a trip of the country in their new car.
Another favorite "Mr. America", Steve Stanko, came up and gave a very impressive posing exhibition. Never have we seen more impressive arms on anyone. They are unbelievable. Steve has put up a great fight to develop his super physique and is to be congratulated.
The audience called for Grimek at intervals throughout the evening and finally John came to the "Mike" and explained that he preferred not to pose at "Mr. America" meets because of the hard feelings that might sometimes be caused and that he preferred to sit in the audience and enjoy the show with the rest of the boys. Too many people fail utterly to understand John's position.
Two very good balancing and dancing acts were presented after the show during the tabulation of points.
We almost forgot to mention that J. C. Hise followed Grimek on the stage and taking off his shirt he displayed his massiveness. There was no doubt but what he has the widest back there that night. As Joe says, "I haven't the shape of the other boys. but I sure got size and mass". Joe weighed about 275 which is some poundage at his height of 5 feet 10 inches.
After the event was officially over, many still remained while the news reel men and photographers exposed a great deal of film on the competitors and the Patrica Stevens models. These girls are to be commended for their patience and charm. They sat on the big stage throughout the entire event and then posed for photographers until almost midnight when everyone left happy and joyous at having seen one of the greatest shows of strength and physical perfection ever presented.
Results of "Mr. America" Contest
Judges
Karo Whitfield, Atlanta, Ga.
Charles M Postl, Chicago.
Dr. Dudley Crafts Watson, Chicago.
Larry Barnholth, Akron.
Roy S. Armstrong, Chicago.
Herman J. Fisher, Chicago.
Vern Heinlund. Chicago
D. K. Penny, Chicago.
Al Urban, Chicago.
Points Earned By Contestants
1 Steve Reeves Oakland, Cal 72
2 Eric Pedersen Hollywood 72
3 Joe Lauriano York 70
4 John Forbotnik Philadelphia 69
5 George Eifferman Philadelphia 68
6 Kimon Voyages N.Y.C. 68
7 Ed SImon Dallas 65
8 Alex Kigas Chicago 64
9 Russ Fields Hollywood 63
10 Keevil Daly Harlem 63
11 Valerio Pasqua N.Y.C. 61
12 Joseph Thaler N.Y.C. 61
13 Kenneth Graham 60
14 Joe Shaw 59
15 Bruno Markunas Chicago 59
16 Moss McCray Cinn. 59
17 Gene Jantzen Bartelso 58
18 John McWilliams Columbus 58
19 Mike Dubel Detroit 57
20 John Morley Cheshire 57
21 Lyle Fox Kansas City 57
22 Bill Custer Chicago 57
23 Ricardo Fernandez Cuba 56
24 Yas Kuzuhara Chicago 55
25 Gene Gohatey Chicago 55
26 Ed Banaszewski Kenosha 55
27 Al Pasqua 53
28 Frank Troha Barbarton 53
29 George Labausky Easton 53
30 Dan Bax Niagara Falls 52
31 Mario Anosky Chicago 52
32 Ed Francis 50
33 John Ford 45
34 Ray Miller 45
35 John Apostol 40
36 Russ Carrol Chicago 39
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Muslce Power, Vol 3 No 4, September 1947, pae 26, September 1947
Mr. America - 1947
by Bert Goodrich, Photographed by Lon Hanagan
(Bert Goodrich is the first Mr. Ameirca. His coverage of the latest show of June 28-29 is herewith presented with inside informations . . . Editor)
When I arrived in Chicago on the evening of June 27th, just a day prior to the great show, I met more famous athletes than I ever anticipated. It seemed as though each street found several strolling along; but the next morning of the first day of the contest, the whole gang were gathered on the lawn of the Lane High School, where untold enthusiasm was displayed as the muscular marvels posed in the bright sunlight for a flock of photographers. There was Grimek, Stanko, Terpak, Van Cleef, Lauriano, Fields, Pedersen, DePietro and numerous others - too many to mention. And to add glamour to this anatomical setting, there were a flock of feminine bathing beauties which kept the newsreel camera men grinding overtime. These newsmen seemed to be parital to George EIferman, John Farbotnik, Eric Pedersen, Kimon Voyages, Russel Field, Lyle Fox and Russ Carroll as well as the great Grimek. Many old-timers were among the spectators and it was indeed a rare treat to witness such an array of physical perfection . But I must get into the show.
The weightlifting meet started at 3 P.M. Saturday June 28th and the 123 lb. class opened festivities. Joe DePietro won this with a total of 615 lbs. Joe also established a national record of 220 1/4 lbs. in the military press. What a lifter this DePietro is! Ed Goyette placed second with a total of 570 and Anthony Vega got third with 555 lbs. But brevity compels that I skip much of the lifting details, yet I must mention that Terpak, in the 181 lb. class, totaled 840, with Spellman next totalling 835, and Harold Sakata of Honolulu doing 805 lbs. The rivalry between Terpak and Spellman was terrific and it surely was a mighty thrill to see Terpak finally defeat Spellman in a last sensational lift of 330 lbs in a clean and jerk. And finally a 900 total was made by the great John Davis who ran away with the heavyweight division.
By the time this reaches print, you will all have known of the winners of the Mr. America contest and the runner-ups, but perhaps a little inside information which I fortunately secured, may enlighten readers as to how the judging was done. First there was the point scoring, with a possible 75 points as top perfection. And the following list of contestants and their points as awarded by the judges is worth absorbing:
Place Name Points Affiliation
1 Steve Reeves 72 Ed Yarick Gym, Calif.
2 Eric Pedersen 72 B Goodrich Gym, Calif.
3 Joe Lauriano 70 York Barbell Club, York, Penn.
4 John Farbotnik 69 Fritshe Gym, Penn.
5 George Eiferman 68 Fritshe Gym, Penn.
6 Kimon Voyages 68 Bal's Gym, New York
7 Alex Kigas 64 Central "Y", Chicago
8 Russ Field 63 Goodrich Gym, Calif.
9 Pat Graham 60 Unattached
10 Gene Jantzen 58 Unattached
And that is the way the winner and the others were selected. As you may note that Steve Reeves and Eric Pedersen were tied for first place. Eric had 30 points for muscularity and Reeves 29 points, but after long deliberation by the judges, Steve Reeves was proclaimed Mr. America, and so the better man won! Though Eric Pedersen was trained by me, and naturally my 'pet boy', still I feel that Reeves deserved the title and I was among the first to heartily congratulate him. He's a swell fellow, with a swell development and has great personality. I salute him! However, I might modestly impart that Eric Pedersen won the most trophies -- for the most muscular development, for the best arms, and a second award for almost becoming the winner. Reeves also won a trophy for the best back. Farbotnik secured the award for the best chest, Kim Voyages won the best legs.
Fortunately I obtained Steve Reeves measurements . . . neck 17 5/8, chest 49 1/2, expanded 50 3/4, biceps 18, waist 29, forearm flexed 16, thigh 25 1/4, calf 17 1/8, height 6 ft.1 in. and weight 213 pounds.
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Muslce Power, Vol 3 No 7, Page 26, December 1947
Steve Reeves, Mr. America 1947
by Gene Jantzen
ONE of the most astonishing muscle men ever to make his appearance at a best physique contest is Steve Reeves of Oakland, California. His Li'I-Abner type physique, tremendous shoulders and latissimus muscles tapering into a wasp like waist of scarcely 29 inches, makes the beholder gasp with amazement. His hips are narrow of course, and his legs are truly phenomenal. The thighs are well developed with plenty of separation, and the calves are every bit of eighteen inches, with definition that is tout of this world. Steve started to work on his calves when he was ten years old, but more about that later. Of course you know that Steve won the Mr. America crown in June, from the largest group of muscle men yet to compete in a best built man contest anywhere. I doubt that there was one man in the contest who did not believe that Reeves would win, after seeing him. For months I had been hearing about this West Coast giant by mail and by word of mouth. Few people had seen him or his pictures, but they had all heard about him. The West Coast and its sunshine has produced a lot of terrific physiques, but this man Reeves is the most striking example so far. He is the most perfect personification of what weight training can do that we have seen in many a day. I heard many comments when he was going through his routine such as, "I've never seen anything like it", "I can't believe it", "He's out of this world", etc. The audience was truly amazed. Steve is also handsome. His face is about as perfect as they come, with regular strong features that fit his physical development to the letter. He has all of the physical assets that go to make up a truly phenomenal muscle man. He has a lot of native intelligence and plenty of ambition. I see no reason why Steve should not hit the top in any profession if he sets his mind to it. I learned to know him quite well during the few days we spent together in Chicago, and from his conversation I gathered that he has always been ambitious. He has always chosen the straight narrow road rather than the easiest one. Reeves has worked hard to build the body he has and I am sure he will continue to work hard to succeed in his chosen profession, whatever that might be.
Steve Reeves was born in Oakland, California, twenty years ago. He was a very average child physically, except in this, that he always liked to try the hard way when it came to physical ability. When he was ten he had a paper route which he covered with a bicycle. His bicycle was a very important piece of equipment in his young life and it is responsible for the terrific calves he displays today. When Young Steve came to a steep hill with his bike, he did not follow the example of his playmates who dismounted and pushed their wheels to the top, instead he set his jaw, pedaled three times as hard as usual and rode to the top. He was also in the habit of riding his friends around on the handlebars of his bike arid of carrying heavy loads of papers along his route. In all of his pedal pushing Steve used the ball of his foot on the pedal, rather than the arch, another point which aided greatly in his calf development. I have always claimed that one needs to start at a very young age to develop really large calves and Steve agrees with me. No doubt there are those among our readers who will say that they rode a bike when they were ten and younger and have very average calves today. My answer to them would be, you did not ride hard enough or often enough and you did not follow through on your leg development in later years. Steve did all three of these things, and he stayed on his toes while doing them. Today he displays a pair of calves that take your breath away. Even though Reeves was an ambitious young lad he developed a bad habit which many tall people are subject to, that of walking with a slouch. Drooping shoulders and a rounded back became so much a part of Steve's child hood appearance that his mother threatened to make him wear shoulder braces if he didn't straighten up. This condition was soon corrected once Steve became acquainted with body building at Castlemont High School, his favorite institution of learning. It was here that Steve first learned the value of chinning, push-ups, climbing the rope, etc. This period of initial training was a sort of hardening period just prior to his being introduced to weight training. Steve says it was his "prelude to weight lifting" and points it out as being the most important phase of his work, because it instilled in him the burning desire to excel physically. "Had it not been for the body building equipment at Castlemont" Steve says, "I might never have gotten the bug. I owe my old Alma Mater a lot of thanks". However, according to Steve's own words his greatest debt of gratitude belongs to his mother. "She is the one who kept me going when the rough times came along. She is the one who encouraged and inspired me with her good advice and kindness. She has been my greatest inspiration." This is what Steve has to say for his mother, and it sounds mighty good. Many a mother could take an example from Mrs. Reeves and do the same for her young son. Too many mothers discourage their youngsters when it comes to weight training, yet they think it is wonderful that their boys play football, regardless of the fact that they do so without any supervision, at an age when there is a very great danger or serious injury. This danger does not exist in weight training, but the possibilities of becoming America's best built man -- do exist.
Castlemont High was also the scene of Steve's first introduction to Barbells. This occurred when he was sixteen years of age. At first the weights were slightly more than a curiosity and Reeves did little more than fool around with them for the first few months. He soon realized their real value however and began a regular training schedule when he was sixteen and one-half years of age. At that time Steve weighed 156 stripped, he was six feet tall, his neck was 13 1/2", chest 37 1/2", expanded 39 1/2", waist 30", thigh 22", calf 16", wrist 7 1/4", ankle 9 1/2" and knee 13 1/2". Keep those measurements in mind and watch what happened. Steve used as much weight as he could handle for each exercise of ten reps and his initial training program included only one set or each exercise. In other words he started out right. He took it in his stride and did not try to overload his body with too much exercise at a time when his system needed most of its energy for growing and for normal development.
This is Steve's first work-out program. Warm up exercise: ten reps, 60 pound clean, military press 60 pounds ten reps, prone press 70 pounds, rowing ex. 60 pounds, reverse curl 30 pounds, regular curl 40 pounds, squats 100 pounds, breathing dumbbell pull over 20 pounds, good morning exercise 60 pounds, breathing lateral raise 10 pounds each hand. All of these exercises were done in ten rep. sets, one set only of each. As soon as Reeves reached twelve reps in anyone exercise he increased the weight five pounds and dropped back to ten reps. This program was followed for the first nine months of his training after which he used the same exercises, the same system of increasing poundages and the same number of reps, but he did two sets of each exercise instead of one set. This second training period lasted another six months, when again he changed his work routine to the following system. Warm-up with dead hang cleans, upright rowing, prone press, one arm rowing, a set of laterals, each of which was repeated for three sets of ten or twelve reps with as much weight as he could handle. Then he did four sets of inclined presses, started with heavy weight and worked down. These reps were done very rapidly and with little rest between sets. Then the pulley triceps curl and the reverse curl were executed ten reps of each, then four sets of dumbbell. curls seated, next a set of full squats and pullover on bench, then a set of half-squats and pullover on bench, ten reps in each case. His work-out was concluded with a set of good morning exercises, again ten or twelve reps. Steve does all of his squats with a two or three inch board under his heels. This is, of course, the best way to practice full squats. Steve discovered this fact on his own, because he used to do squats in high heeled field boots and found that the exercise was of far, greater value when done in this manner. This last system of training was followed for another nine months, rounding out his first two years of training. His weight was now 203, he Was six foot one inch tall, neck 17 1/4",chest 47 1/2", waist 29", biceps 17 1/4", hips 37", thigh 24 1/2, calf 17 1/4".
After two years of body building Reeves was inducted into the service. He was stationed in the states for five months and then shipped to the Philippines, in the Twenty-fifth Combat Division of the Infantry. In June of '45 Steve contracted malaria and had seven very severe attacks of it during the next seven months. During this time his weight dropped from 205 to 170 pounds. Prior to his malaria attacks his weight and measurements had remained the same as they were when he was inducted. After a month or two of malaria Steve was transferred to the Quartermaster Corps and in March of '45 he was sent to Japan as part of the occupation troops. Up to this time he had had no chance whatever to train with weights and sick as he was, very little incentive. However, in Japan he began to feel like himself again and with the war over and a new lease on life, he decided to do something about his muscles and more. So, typical of a weight trained man he took the bull by the horns, and found himself a Japanese interpreter who took him to a foundry. There he designed and gave instructions for construction of a 210 pound barbell set, for which he paid one hundred dollars in American money. These he kept under his bed in his barracks. Then he built an exercise bench which passed army inspections, because it looked enough like an ironing board to fool the inspecting officers. Actually the bench was often used as an ironing board. Steve says it was a success both ways. He also managed to acquire several mirrors which were hung near his bed and so you see there was a well equipped body building studio in the heart of Japan. Reeves used this setup for his work-outs the last six months of his career in the service. During this time he increased his body weight from 170 to 195 Ibs. In Sept. 1946 he returned home.
Home once more, Steve renewed his training with gusto. He began to work out at the famous LaLanne Gym and within a few weeks be was back to 205. In December, '46 he entered and won the "Mr. Pacific Coast contest'" in Portland, Oregon. He continued to train and to gain and in May of '47 he again won the title "Mr. Pacific Coast". His greatest ambition has always been to compete in a Mr. America contest, which ambition he now realized and with the greatest success he could have hoped for. Steve also won the best back award. He was an audience choice as well as the choice of the judges for the Mr. America title.
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our Physique, Vol 7, No 6, Page 8, September 1947
Results of the 1947 Mr. America Contest
by Lon Hanagan
ON Sunday evening, June 29th at Lane High School in Chicago the annual Mr. America show was presented. The place was thronged with body enthusiasts from all parts of our country. This was to be the event that everyone was anxiously anticipating since last year's meet when the superb Alan Stephan carried off the honors.
Who would win this time? How, would he compare with the previous winners? Would he be a perennial favorite such as Lauriano, Jantzen, Voyages, Farbotnik? -- or perhaps, like last year, some new unknown marvel would appear to snatch the laurel wreath of America's best developed man from these established favorites! ! !
There is no doubt but that there was an abundance of great material in this year's show. I did not envy the judges their lot in choosing the best from such a fine group of male pulchitrude. However, in due justice to the efforts these contestants have made, I feel that they were let down in the presentation of this show that they had been working so hard for. The stage setting was flat, perfectly plain as for the weight-lifting that preceded the contest, except for a step-up platform which the contestants were to pose on. The lighting was adequate and revealed the full figure.
First of all we were given a parade of young girl models -- each taking their place on a chair at the rear of the stage -- why? That is the 64 dollar question. I have never heard of a male beauty parade at the Miss America contests, and certainly it was a test of the power of concentration of the audience to keep eyes on the contestants as they went through their poses, while the attractive young beauties occupied the back of the stage. .
One by one, the contestants as announced by the master of ceremonies paraded to the center and ascended the platform to give us their three poses (front, back and optional). The judging was by the point system with 75 as the perfect total. The highest points received were 72, and, for these there was a tie between Steve Reeves and Eric Pedersen. The two boys were later brought out for comparison with each other, and after much deliberation the judges agreed to name Reeves as the winner.
There is no doubt in my mind (or anyone else's I believe) but what Steve Reeves justly deserved the title of MR. AMERICA. He was the phenomenon of the evening -- and from his first step onto the platform, the show was his. Seldom, if ever, does one perceive such perfection as this. From head to toe, here was the personification of manly perfection. I was mainly impressed by Steve's fine leg development, the best I've seen since Grimek and Pat Ryan. This boy Reeves has shape plus! ! !
Eric Pedersen was awarded second place. This young California boy has made a great name for himself this year, which speaks well for the fine training he must get at the Bert Goodrich gym.
Third place was given to Joe Lauriano of York, Pa. I was surprised to note that Joe did not give us a pose featuring his wonderful abdominals. Joe possesses the most outstanding abdominal and external oblique muscles. Joe can also take a bow for some of the finest posing in the entire show. Joe rated 70 points from the judges.
The impressive John Farbotnik of Chicago was fourth with a total of 69 points. Fifth and sixth places were tied for by George Eiferman of Philadelphia and Kimon Voyages of New York. Again, after due deliberation here also, the judges favored Eiferman. Runners up were as follows: seventh -- Alex Kigas of Chicago-64 points; eighth -- Russ Field-63 points; ninth -- Pat Graham-60 points; tenth -- Gene Jantzen -- 58 points. All of these boys were mighty impressive. I might mention that I think that George Eiferman of Philadelphia should have rated higher. I found his physique to be on a par with the best. He had the best pectoral development of any contestant, and he also displayed a marvelous all-over development, I think this boy will one day be a Mr. America in his own right. He trains at John Fritshe's gym in Philly, and recently won the Mr. Philadelphia title. Watch this boy Eiferman! He's tops!
I was disappointed that the judges seemed to overlook the fine physique of Keevil Daley in awarding the points. Surely, his poses were great and his physique of winning caliber Keevil is Mr. New York State of this year -- and in my honest opinion displayed the most muscular back, as far as definition goes, of any contestant. The audience gasped audibly as he posed -- a fact which George Quaintance as well as myself took especial note of. George came along with me to advise on the photos used in the recent MUSCLE POWER article on the show. We both felt that Keevil would surely rate some award, and were disappointed not to find him in the list of winners.
A new boy, unfamiliar to me, by the name of Russ Field also impressed me as one to watch. This Field has got something great about him that bears promise of future fulfillment. Good luck to you, Rus. Keep it up! ! !
Gene Jantzen, as usual pleased the audience with his posing. He seemed heavier to me, but he carried it very well Yes, this contest was surely filled with really GREAT contestants.
As to the staging, I feel the audience must have noticed the awkwardness of the whole affair. First of all, there was a mad scramble of photographers in the orchestra pit. No distinction was made for press or amateur-all were herded together in a confusing group that constantly interfered with the views of the judges. In other sporting events, special place, is made for the press. Why not here also? We hope that this will be corrected at the next Mr. America show, and that legitimate writers and photographers will have a reserved spot up front where they will not be heckled by anyone who carries a camera, for reasons or not.
Why cannot a Mr. America show be a REAL show. A little theatrical atmosphere would not hurt a bit. Everyone should be kept off the stage during the performance except the contestants. There were too many conflicting people walking around the wings and poking their faces out. No theatre performance would allow this. Let's get away from the ordinary, this Mr. America show should be planned and produced with much more "finesse." I also noticed that oil on the bodies was forbidden. This left the bodies "flat" in appearance unless the contestant was lucky enough to possess an oily skin, I think that a little oil rubbed over the body gives it that extra "sparkle" which enhances the muscular development and produces a more perfect picture to the eye. Also, it is hardly fair to judge a fellow with a wonderful tan against one whose skin is chalk white. Naturally the tanned body is more effective -- so why not be fair and give our pale friend, who probably works indoors and gets little chance for sunning, a better chance by letting him don a little tan make up. After all, you can't add muscles, so this is still fair. I have seen contests where a fellow outscores another who is really better because he has a deep tan, and for the moment at least is more impressive because of it. This is hardly fair to the pale boy-so, if he doesn't have time for a real tan, let him make his own temporarily at least. Then we can honestly compare. Let's give everyone a chance to be his best. At a Miss America contest I'm sure that if no makeup were allowed, we could see a drab procession of females. Naturally, I don't approve of facial makeup on men, but surely a little oil on the body is far from effeminate. Who started this oil-on-body business anyhow? Our history tells us of the Greek athletes who always rubbed olive oil on the body to give it a healthy glow. These old Greeks were bodily perfectionists. I think we can take a tip from them.
I am sure if one of these Ancient Greeks came to life today and saw our new MR. AMERICA, Steve Reeves -- he would find it hard to believe that Steve was not a re-incarnation of the body of one of those, superior beings from Mount Olympus. Yes, Mr. and Mrs. American public, we have a great winner this year in Steve Reeves. There are great things ahead for this boy, and I can see him following the star-dust trail to Mount Olympus. Good Luck, MR. AMERICA of 1947.
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1948 Mr America - AAU
1 George Eiferman
2 Jack Delinger
3 Elias Rodriguez
4 Bill Melby
5 James B Smith (1)
6 Victor Nicoletti
7 Joe Lauriano
8 Malcolm Brenner
9 Stan Stanczyk
10 Max Croft
11 Lowell Jennings
12 Alex Carrisosa
Most Muscular
1 Elias Rodriguez
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IronMan, Vol 8, No 2, Page 8, July 1948
Mr America of 1948
George Eiferman
by John Fritshe
One sunny day in July 1946, I was in my yard back of gym soaking up some of these life giving rays commonly known as sunshine. My assistant came out to tell me there was a prospect in the gym looking things over I went in and as soon as I entered a broadly smiling sailor came over to shake hands and introduce himself as George Eiferman. Telling me he had heard a lot about my work and the gym. Now that he was going to be stationed in his home town Philadelphia and expecting a discharge soon, he wanted to know if he could join the gym. "Of course" was the answer, "go and change and come into my office to get measured". It did not take him long. When he came in I was amazed and somewhat speechless. Thinking to myself: "What a physique for a beginner, what fertile fields to tail." People who are physical instructors will know just what I mean. It is not every day students come in with potentialities as did George. Naturally I was anxious to know what he had done before he came to me. Willingly and with his usual sense of humor he said "I'll start from the beginning." Here is his story repeated as well as I can remember it.
"I was born" he stated "November 3rd 1925, a seven months baby." Jokingly he added, "I was in a hurry so I could start training for the Mr. America title. My mother's good care and cooking soon had me around to a normal healthy boy. I was always very active in all the sports a healthy kid is interested in. After entering Olney High School, I spent most of my time in the gym or on the football field. I liked football very much and played on the team for some time. On my seventeenth birthday in 1942, I joined the navy to help in the big scrap. After boot training, we shipped out to sea. On board ship is where I first got introduced to bar bell training. Not much to speak of though. We had very little equipment, long rough periods at sea and prowling around in dangerous enemy zones made our training very irregular. Whenever we hit port, which was few and far between, I'd always look up a gym ,or a friend who had a set of iron. Weight lifting got into my blood and I was dying to do some steady training. Now with the war being over and me getting my discharge, my wish finally comes true. John since you have trained so many outstanding men, I want you to be my instructor and show me the finer points of bar bell training." I told George that he was off to a flying start and began measuring him. Chest normal 42, expanded 43½, arm normal 14, flexed 15½, forearm 12¼, wrist 7 1/8, neck 15½ waist 33, hips 40, thigh 23¼, calf 15, ankle 9½, body weight 180 and height 5' '7½". I told him he had the stuff but some of it in the wrong places. "Well", he said, "write me out a program and I promise to follow it to the letter". I did just that paying special attention to his abdominals and hips which were very much out of shape. Also his chest, although having pronounced pectoral development it was not deep enough to suit me. George did not do much training that day since we had wasted a lot of time talking. He did a few exercises though, everyone on the floor at that time stopped and gazed not believing their eyes. On the sneak they would come to me and ask the usual questions that are, asked when some new outstanding fellow starts in. It did not take long for him to get acquainted since George is a friendly and likeable chap. After his shower he told me, "You will see a lot of me from now on, John. I like the fellows here at your place and want to get some serious training in."
He was not kidding, exercising like clock work was his motto. It did not take him long to show the results we were after. One day in November of that year he came in as happy as can be saying, "today is my 21st birthday and as a present they made me a civilian again. Now I can really start training." So he did. Whenever he had a chance he'd be in the gym working out. Once in a while switching his exercise program for more results. For the Mr. Philadelphia contest in March 1947 he shaped up as follows. Bodyweight 186, height 5' 7½", chest normal 44¼, expanded 46¼, upper arm normal 14 5/8, flexed 16¼, forearm 13, wrist 7 3/8, neck 16, waist 31, hips 38½, thigh 24 3/8, calf 15 5/8, ankle 9¾. George won that title without a question in anyone's mind, that he was the winner. I can tell you Eiferman was one happy boy that night. At the Mr. America contest in Chicago, he placed 5th. He came home apologizing to me because he did not do any better. All his hopes were now set on the Mr. Universe to be held in his home town, Philadelphia, September of last year. George did not expect to win, but hoped for a 2nd or 3rd place. We, here at the gym at the night of the show, wished him and John Farbotnik, who is his training mate, the best of luck. The results of that contest are known to everyone. In my opinion and many whom I have spoken to, George should have placed better than 5th. Of course there were enough men judging the contest and they should know who looked best. This did not discourage him any. He always tells me he is still young and there will be many more contests. A few months ago George left to train with the famous York champions in the hopes of improving himself in his healthful hobby, and perhaps some day profession. All men training with weights have their pet exercises. Here are some of George's favorites: Squats (best 450), supine press on bench (330) on floor (350), press behind neck (235), and all types of dipping movements for the pectorals. Of course he does a lot of other exercises to round out his schedule for all around development. George was in the other day telling me he is leaving for California and promised to be back for the Mr. Philadelphia contest to be held April 9th at Town Hall 150 N. Broad St., Philadelphia. "While we were talking", he mentioned he was going to the west coast to meet some of their champions and get some of that good old sunshine. I took the opportunity to take some more of his pictures and also get his present measurements which are as follows: Body weight 195, height same, chest normal 47, expanded 49, upper arm 15½, flexed 17 1/8, forearm 13¼, wrist 7 3/8, neck 16½, waist 31, hips 38½, thigh 24 7/8, calf 15¾, ankle 9¾. These measurements show George is constantly improving and will go places in the future. He has not only an outstanding physique but also a number one personality. No matter who he meets or wherever he goes, he will make friends. George Eiferman is a real credit to the game. I hope that some, day he will be crowned MR. AMERICA.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The type for this article was set up before we went out to the Nationals and "Mr. America" contest and we told George that he would do us a favor if he won, as we had his story already set up. Though it was a close fight with Dellinger he came out on top and as some remarked "It couldn't happen to a nicer fellow." We believe that George is as well liked by his fellow contestants as any "Mr. America" we have ever had. We know that he will bring honor, respectability and dignity to the title he has won. He worked very hard for the contest out in Vic Tanny's gym in Santa Monica. He looked better than ever and his choice was quite popular with the audience.
There are a lot of other things we'd like to tell you about George, but one little item may give you an insight into the character of the man who has won the title of "Mr. America" for 1948. George told me that he would stay on the west coast for another month then would hurry back to Philadelphia because he was anxious to get out into the Pocono Mountains where he teaches Physical Education each summer to a group of boys at a private boys' camp. He stated that he enjoys working with these boys and being out in the mountains very much. After the summer camp is over he will return to the west coast to make his home. George, we congratulate you on your victory. We wish you the best and know that you will be the kind of "Mr. America" we can all be proud of.
Since George started training for the meet his measurements have increased above those given in this article. His arm is now a full 17½ cold with 47½ chest and 25 inch thigh. Neck 16½, waist 31, calf 16 and bodyweight 195.
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1949 Mr America - AAU
1 Jack Delinger
2 Melvin Wells
3 Bill Melby
4 Harry Smith
5 Valerio Pasqua
6 Jim Krznarich
6 Stan Stanczyk
6 Kimon Voyages
9 Everett Sinderoff
10 Joe Shaw
Most Muscular
1 Melvin Wells
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Strength & Health, Page 12, June 1949
Jack Delinger Wins "Mr. America"
by Ray Van Cleef
THE audience was tense with excitement as Jack Libertore, the master of ceremonies for the physique competition, stepped forward to the "mike" to announce the winners of the "Mr. America contest. This was the moment everyone was anxiously and impatiently awaiting. The suspension was prolonged a bit by revealing the position of the first five men in reverse order. Thunderous applause greeted the announcement that Jack Delinger was selected as "Mr. America" of 1949. Had the decision been otherwise there would have been disappointments galore. It was evident from the instant this handsome hercules from Oakland, representing Yarick's Gym, stepped up on the posing pedestal that he was the popular choice of the spectators. No other athlete in the tournament rivalled the response accorded Delinger by the audience. His massive shapely muscles had the fans spellbound with admiration as he assumed his favorite poses in the competition.
Delinger's victory was a decisive one. No other "Mr. America" winner, with the exception of John Grimek in the 1941 contest, placed so far ahead of his rivals in the scoring. The applause accorded him certainly indicated that the spectators agreed wit the high rating he received from the judges. Considering the high calibre of the majority of the contestants, the conclusiveness of Delinger's success is particularly outstanding. His official score closely approached being perfect for he received a total of 73 1/2 out of a possible 75 points.
This victory fulfills a goal Jack Delinger was striving for several years to attain. In the 1946 "Mr. America" event at Los Angeles he was virtually unknown nationally. By placing high he came into sudden prominence in physique circles. Was 18 years old and a novice at the time for this was the first contest he competed in. Last year he was a close second to George Eiferman. Jack's chances in the 1948 event were somewhat marred by the distorted impressions conveyed through the deliberately slow manner in which he walked and posed on stage. He was following the well intended but misguided advice of a former "Mr. America" title holder. Needless to say, Jack did not repeat this mistake in the competition at Cleveland.
Attaining this pinnacle of success in the "Mr. America"" event was achieved through years of arduous body building and many sacrifices. Jack's perseverance bore the fruit of a well deserved victory. This blond Adonis with his herculean development exemplifies the physical type that constitutes an ideal "Mr. America" to a multitude of body builders throughout the world.
Melvin Wells placed second with a score of 63 1/2 points. The enthusiastic response that greeted this muscular marvel in the competition was only surpassed by that accorded Jack Delinger. A month earlier this new physique sensation won the "Mr. New York State" title by a comfortable margin. At Cleveland he again justified the praise that has been showered on him so liberally since he came into sudden prominence at Bob Hoffman's birthday show in York last November. His unassuming nature is particularly evident in a contest of this kind. The majority of the contestants are puffed up like a pouter pigeon when exposed to the audience. Some make themselves ludicrous with the exaggerated postures they assume endeavoring to accentuate their development. The naturalness of Well's stance and actions is by contrast especially admirable. Wells differs from the majority of physique contestants in other respects. This superman from Buffalo does not participate in the self-inflation orgies, that take place in the dressing room prior to a contest, when the frenzied "pumping up" activities dominate the atmosphere. In the "Mr. America" competition it was noticeable that wells confined his posing display to the restricted number of poses. Some of the other contestants took advantage of the situation by doing a series of poses much in excess of the specified number. Wells' good sportsmanship in this connection added to his prestige. His greatest liability is his comparatively poor calf development. But his drawback is overshadowed by the extra-ordinary features of his physique, particularly the remarkable development of his upper arms, shoulders and upper back. Wells won more individual honors than any other contestant in the tournament at Cleveland. In addition to placing second in the "Mr. America" event, he was selected as "Most Muscular Man" and won the sub-division contests for "Best Arms" and "Best Back." It was truly a field day for this popular athlete.
In the 1948 "Mr. America" competition the fourth place winner was Bill Melby. This year this handsome athlete from Salt Lake City representing LoZan's Gym improved his rating by finishing third with 62 points. Yet it was expected that Melby would prove a more serious rival for the "Mr. America" crown. The increased bulk that he acquired since the competition at Los Angeles gave his well proportioned physique a somewhat smooth appearance. Last year he displayed more muscular definition. Melby is very similar to Steve Reeves as a physical type and in looks. As a competitor in lifting contests, this physique champion from Utah has demonstrated that he is also exceptional in strength.
Much interest was centered on Harry Smith of Atlanta representing the University of Georgia. His victory over John Farbotnik in winning last year's "Junior Mr. America" Contest was an important factor in this The outcome of this event last year was regarded by many as an upset. It was expected and hoped that they both would be participants in the contest at Cleveland. This did not materialize for Farbotnik was obliged to cancel his entry for the "Mr. America" competition. Recently secured a high paying job that at this particular time would not allow for the needed time off from work. Farbotnik's victory in the "Mr. Illinois" contest on the 24th of April can be accepted as evidence of the fact that he is in tip top physical condition. It is unfortunate that circumstances denied him the opportunity to compete in this year's "Mr. America" contest.
Harry Smith certainly proved to the audience at Cleveland that he is definitely a physique champion of outstanding merit. He has a very adequate amount of all the requisites to make a worthy title holder; symmetry, impressive muscularity, good looks. The fact that he is an active lifter and was one of the three "Mr. America" participants to compete in the National Weightlifting Championships is definitely to his credit. Unfortunately Harry Smith foolishly marred his appearance at Cleveland by having his hair bleached a conspicuous blond color. This certainly was a liability. Despite this handicap he finished in fourth place with a total of 60 points.
Fifth place was won by Val Pasqua, the 1949 "Junior Mr. America." He scored a total of 58 1/2 points in rating as a prize winner. This outstanding body builder athlete from New York City has won honors in physique contests for a period of several years. His progress enabled him this year to win a number of titles. Several months ago he won the "Mr. New York City" contest and on May 1st he was victorious in the "Junior Mr. America" event at Chattanooga. He placed second to Melvin Wells in the "Mr. New York State" competition. Val is the leader of the prominent club in the Bronx named in his honor, Val's Gym.
Thanks to the effort of John Grimek and Siegmund Klein the lighting effects on the final day of the "Mr. America" competition were excellent. There were many complaints, chiefly from the contestants, concerning the poor lighting for the competition the first day when the subdivisions were conducted. It is true that the lighting was so general that there was little of the usual accentuation of muscularity. This really was a fortunate deficiency for it enabled the judges to properly evaluate the merits of the contestants under suitable lighting. This is almost impossible to accomplish where the observations are confined to abnormal lighting effects to stress muscularity. Seeing the athletes under natural general lighting as well as under spotlights is to be desired. This was fulfilled at Cleveland.
The competition in the sub-divisions on the first day of the "Mr. America" tournament was keen. Every event brought together a number of contestants possessing outstanding merit for each title. Jack Delinger started his march to victory by winning the first of these events, "Best Chest." His chest development is exceptional for the deep well formed rib box is well covered by his herculean muscular development in an impressive and symmetrical manner. This is not marred by a hypertrophy of the pectoral muscles. Melvin Wells was the top man in the sub-divisions for he won two of the titles, "Best Arms" and "Best Back." His development of these muscles is so extraordinary that it is almost unmatched. George Hackenschmidt declared after inspecting Wells' arm development that his upper arms were the most outstanding he had ever observed. First place in the "Best Legs" event was won by Bill Melby. His legs are almost flawless in that they have symmetry and impressive muscular contours from all angles. The muscles are well developed without being oversized. John Miller of the West Coast won the "Best Abdominals" award. His mid-section development is truly phenomenal. This body builder is an outstanding gymnast.
The judges are indeed deserving of praise for fulfilling their assignment so excellently. There were no unpopular or controversial verdicts in the selection of the winners of any of the events. The only possible fault to be found is in the rating of some of the also-rans, other than the place winners, in the "Mr. America" contest. But this invariably results in all physique events where there are a large number of entries. There is a natural tendency to concentrate on determining the scoring of the leaders for the title. This quite often the rating of the others fails to provide a fair indication of their merits. The situation is unfortunate but is difficult to rectify.
There is some criticism over the delays attached to the present system of determining the winners. This can be understood for there is a natural eagerness to learn the outcome of any contest promptly. There is a tendency for the time element to be magnified during any tense period. This criticism is insignificant compared with the merits of this judging system Detrich Wortmann installed some tow or three years ago. The all-important factor is to protect the interest of the competitors by employing a method designed, as in the case of Mr. Wortmann's method, to determine the proper winners. The welfare of the athletes and their efforts should under no circumstances fail to receive the best possible judging to gratify the desires of the spectators for promptness. The great majority of the fans appreciate the importance of having a judging system in operation that is designed to promote the correct verdict. The complication involved in calculating the results under the present system could be greatly simplified by employing a mechanical adding machine to speed up the process. Delays during this period at the end of the contests should be taken into consideration by those in charge of the meet. Plans should be made in advance to have suitable demonstrations take place on the stage so that the audience will be occupied until the decisions of the judges have been determined. At Cleveland the spectators were entertained during this waiting period by Bob Hoffman and Stan Stanczyk. Bob related the history of all the "Mr. AMerica" events, as well as the recent "Mr. U.S.A." and "Mr. Universe" contests, in a detailed manner that was marked with a frankness in comments. This talk was certainly entertaining and enlightening to the fans. Stan Stanczyk "wowed" the audience with his amusing impersonations of the most prominent physique champions. When it comes to pantomime caricatures of this kind, Stan is the Charlie Chaplin of the "big muscle" world.
After the decisions were released and the awards were made to the winners the show was concluded by Siegmund Klein and John Grimek. Their peerless demonstrations brought this successful championship meet to a fitting end. Sig Klein, the maestro of strongmen athletes, amazed the fans with his versatility. Opened his act with a routine of classical poses followed by a muscle control exhibition. This display convincingly revealed that he is still a superman. After this demonstration he did hand balancing feats, card tearing and weight juggling. As always, his stunts were executed with finesse. This performance marked the first time in recent years that Klein performed in his home city of Cleveland. The grand finale to the show was provided by the king of body builders, John Grimek. This superman is positively astounding when displaying his herculean physique in his supreme posing demonstration. It creates an impression that will long be vividly remembered. Always it proves the most outstanding feature of any variety strength display show at which this physique champion of champions appears.
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Muslce Power, Vol 8, No 3, Page 50, August 1949
Results of the Amateur "Mr. America" and The Senior Nationals
Reported by Charles A Smith
The AAU and Joe Raymond are to be doubly congratulated on staging one of the finest Senior National Weightlifting shows and the Mr. America contest. Held in the Masonic Auditorium at Cleveland, Ohio, on May 21st and 22nd, with an audience of well over 2,000 crowding the hall, the top events of the Weightlifting World went off without a hitch, and provided the customers with a feast of thrills and record breaking.
New featherweight and heavyweight champions were crowned, and Mel Wells put the mantle of a prophet on the writer by living up to the predictions I made some months ago, in winning BEST ARMS, BEST BACK, and MOST MUSCULAR in the Mr. America Contest. Mel also placed second to Jack Dellinger in the contest. Jack won the Mr. America title as was full expected and also took the best Chest title. Bill Melby took the Best Legs award - a surprise here, as Kimon Voyages had won this division year after year. Best Abdominals was copped by John Miller. Kimon's training partner and buddy, Val Pasqua, did very well in gaining 5th place, beating Kimon by HALF a point.
Place Name Points
1 Jack Delinger 73 1/2
2 Melvin Wells 63 1/2
3 Bill Melby 62
4 Harry Smith 60
5 Val Pasqua 58 1/2
6 Kimon Voyages 58
7 Stan Stanczyk 58
8 Jim Krnarich 58
9 Everett Sinderoff 55
10 Joe Shaw 55
Best Arms Melvin Wells
Best Back Melvin Wells
Most Muscular Melvin Wells
Bet Chest Jack Delinger
Best Legs Bill Melby
Best Abdominals John Miller
The lifting saw a new featherweight champ in the person of Richard Tomita and - SENSATION - Norbert Schemansky won the Heavy title. The world and Olympic Champ, Johnny Davis, was suspended by the AAU for thirty days, and so was not permitted to defend his title.
Stanczyk created a new world record snatch in taking 290 as an extra attempt. The bar weighted in at 291. Stan and Pete George were the outstanding lifters of the meet. Stan also attempted a 360 clean and jerk, a lift he came so close to making at the Mid Atlantics on May 7th. Stanczyk had the weight well in at the shoulders, but failed to jerk this tremendous poundage.
Sid Klein, famed old time, and the one and only John Grimek appeared. John, fresh from his triumph on the coast, was once again the sensation of the show, thrilling the audience with his superb physique and display of classical posing.
The duties of Masters-of-Ceremonies were in the very capable hands of Bob Hoffman, who took care of the lifting, and Jack Libertore, who was on the stage for the Mr. America event and the various sub-divisions. All were agreed that this was one of the very best displays ever to be staged.
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1950 Mr America - AAU
1 John Farbotnik
2 Melvin Wells
3 Roy Hilligenn
4 Valerio Pasqua
5 Edward Chrupcala
6 Marvin Eder
7 Vahe Kartalian
8 Al Berman
9 Jim Park
10 Steve Klisanin
11 René Leger
12 Ed Karczewski
13 Irvin Koszewski (Zabo)
14 Jim Krznarich
15 Kimon Voyages
16 John Plaskow
17 Harry Smith
18 Edward Wiza
19 Alan Brijunas
20 Bill Cerdas
21 Irving Bridgers
22 Harold Wiggins
23 Constantine Kosiras
Most Muscular
1 Melvin Wells
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Strength & Health, Page 14, July 1950
The 1950 "Mr. America" Contest
Farbotnik Wins Well Deserved Victory
by Eric Askew
THIS year Philadelphia's famous Academy of Music was the scene of one of the most successful Mr. America contests to date. The standard of the contestants was unusually high, and the smooth manner in which the contest was run off, was a credit to Ray Van Cleef who had done a fine job of organizing the affair. Before the contest, Ray sent out several hundred letters, followup letters, and postcards to different gymnasiums, Y.M.C.A.'s clubs and individual contestants. It was due to his untiring efforts that the Mr. America contest ran according to schedule instead of dragging out as it had in previous years.
A good beginning was made by having the thirty-two contestants line up in alphabetical order in a huge semi-circle right across the stage. This enabled the judges and the Public to compare the contestants with each other. It was immediately apparent that there were some very fine physiques present and that the final judging was going to be very close. It was pleasing to see that this year there were none of the undeveloped exhibitionists who usually insist on entering, and only succeed in prolonging the event, when they have no hope of even placing.
The subdivisions were held on Friday evening, and most of the results were foregone conclusions. Melvin Wells, last year's winner of the Best Arms, was once again successful in this class. In most people's opinion, he has the most muscular upper arm ever seen in America. John Farbotnik easily deserved the Best Chest award, although Marvin Eder and "Buck" Kartalian were outstanding, and gave him strong competition. In a close finish, John Farbotnik, a master poser, beat Melvin Wells, last year's winner of the Best Back, although Wells would probably have carried off this trophy too, if head shown his terrific back to better advantage.
1950 "Mr. America" Scores
Contestant Rating
John Farbotnk 71
Melvin Wells 68
Roy Hilligenn 65
Val Pasqua 65
Edward Chrupcala 63
Marvin Eder 63
Vahe Kartalian 61
Al Berman 60
James Park 60
Steve Klisanin 59
Rene Leger 58 1/2
Ed Karczewski 58
Irvin Koszewski 57
Jim Krznarich 57
Kimon Voyages 57
John Plaskow 56 1/2
Harry Smith 56 1/2
Edward Wiza 56 1/2
Alan Brijunas 55
William Cerdas 54
Irving Bridgers 51
Harold Wiggins 47 1/2
Constantine Kosiras 47
Donald DeLauney 39 1/2
Sub-Division Winners
Most Mucular Melvin Wells
Best Arms Melvin Wells
Best Chest John Farbotnik
Best Bak John Farbotnik
Best Abdominals Irvin Koszewski
Best Legs Edward Chrupcala
JUDGES: Lawrence Barnholth,
Romeo Bergeron, Mark Berry, Emmett Faris,
Jim Messer, Charles Smith, Ray Van Cleef
In the Best Abdominals, there was close competition between Marvin Eder, Wallace Farrell, Jim Krznarich and Irvin Koszewski. These four boys were called back for final judging, and Irvin Koszewski won by a narrow margin. The final event of the evening, the Best Legs, also saw a number of boys called back for the judges to take a second look. These were Edward Chrupcala, John Farbotnik, Roy Hilligenn, Jim Krznarich and Kimon Voyages. Most of these boys had very fine legs, but Chrupcala, a newcomer to these physique contests, easily won the trophy.
The evening was brought to a close by the presentation of the trophies by Miss Me Dennis of Philadelphia, a beauty contest winner and professional model, who supplied the cheesecake for the evening. Judging by the howls from the audience, Miss Dennis should have won the Best Chest award.
Saturday evening, a big crowd saw the main events, the Most Muscular, and the Mr. America contests. There was some exceptionally fine posing from some of the contestants, and it was clear that the judges were going to have a hard time picking the winner.
After the last of the posing, there were a number of good performances while the judges came to their final decision. First, Marvin Eder gave a most unusual display of biceps control. Leaning forward, he flexed his right biceps, and then alternately relaxed and contracted the separate heads of the muscle. Later, in discussing this particular control with several famous muscle control artists, I could find no-one who had seen it done before.
Roy Hilligenn followed with a fine exhibition of tumbling, which demonstrated very well that weight trained men can be very nimble and flexible. Later, he also proved his exceptional strength in an unusual lift of his own. First he cleaned the bar to his chest, holding it in an upright rowing position. With a short dip, he then snatched it overhead. In this manner, he worked up to 250 pounds.
Another of the Mr. America contestants, Alan Brijunas of Chicago, also entertained the crowd with a display of muscle control.
Then Val Pasqua showed his strength and speed, by performing fast repetition deadlifts, with the weight held behind his legs. He lifted 350 pounds this particular night, but is credited with using much heavier poundages. Another popular feature was the posing by Jules Bacon, Mr. America of 1943.
As usual, the crowd called for George Eiferman, Mr. America of 1948, and he obliged by doing a number of supine presses in excess of 350 pounds. George is one of the most likeable personalities in the weightlifting world, and his comic antics and remarks had the crowd in constant laughter. He finished with some excellent posing, and received a great hand from the audience.
Now the time had come for announcing of the winners, and presentation of their prizes - the big moment of the evening. Everyone was eager to know the winners of magnificent trophies, set on one side of the stage. This was the most impressive collection of trophies ever assembled for one contest. It included the awards for the winners of the different weightlifting events. In previous contests, there have been complaints that the bodybuilders have received better trophies than the weightlifters. This year, there was no room for such comment , as all the prizes were exactly the same size, except for the two huge ones (both the same size) awarded to the best lifter, and to Mr. America. The only difference was that the lifters' awards were mounted by the figure of a weightlifter, while the bodybuilders' bore a figure of Apollo.
As in last year's contest, it was no surprise when Melvin Wells was announced as the winner of the Most Muscular Physique. It was a popular decision with the crowd. Next, Roy Hilligenn was called for third place, then in the midst of mounting suspense, the second place was awarded to Melvin Wells, and finally the winner was announced as John Farbotnik. The difficult task which the judges had had, choosing the winner, was evident from the final results, which separated the first from the third place, by only six points.
John Farbotnik, a former pupil of Fritsche and a training partner and close friend of George Eiferman, certainly deserved this victory. In 1946, at the Mr. America contest, he was one of the finalists, then again the following year, he was once more a finalist. That same year, he was second to Steve Stanko, in the Mr. Universe contest held in Philadelphia, which is his home town. He has won Mr. Philadelphia, Mr. Chicago, Mr. California and many sub-divisions in these contests. John, who is now a student at the Physical Services Institute of Conner & Zinken in Los Angeles, worked at a similar Medical Rehabilitation centre during the war, under the famous Dr. Thomas De Lorme, where resistance exercises were used very effectively to help veterans regain the use of their injured limbs.
Hard-working and ambitious, John was recently working 12 to 14 hours a day for a bakery. His bodyweight dropped to 170 pounds. However, since he went to California and resumed training, his weight has shot up to 195 pounds, and he is now in better shape than he has been at any previous time. He is encouraged to greater efforts by his wife, who is also a physical culturist. His strength is remarkable; while training at York, prior to this event, he beat several of the lifters at feats of strength. He is also an excellent muscle control artists, performing a number of unique chest controls.
John is no extremist either in his training methods or his eating habits. He is a serious, reserved, unassuming character, whose victory was a well deserved and popular one.
In second place, Melvin Wells, who has also won the title of Mr. New York State, was another popular winner. He always receives a terrific ovation from the crowd, and this evening was no exception. Such an upper body has seldom been seen, his size being matched by his wonderful definition. Since last year, his legs which were then a little light, show marked improvement. Anyone who sees Melvin Wells on Stage is seeing him as he really is. He is one of the few contestants who does not spend his time backstage furiously "pumping up" his muscles. Apart from his bodybuilding activities, Melvin is an exceedingly good all round athlete. He is a star performer on his baseball team, and has had professional offers in this field. He also excels in basketball, and has been invited to join the famous Harlem Globe Trotters.
After his day's work at the Ford plant, he trains alone, performing with ease such feats of strength as seesaw presses with 115 pound dumbells. But for all his success and popularity, Melvin is quiet and modest, a thoroughly likeable personality.
Roy Hilligenn, Mr. South Africa, South African middleweight weightlifting champion, and Mr. Pacific Coast, is a most versatile strongman. While training at York, he was unafraid to try the pet stunts of any one of the other lifters. At the conclusion of a heavy workout, he has been seen to clean and jerk 300 pounds. He can squat with 400 pounds.
The fourth place was taken by Val Pasqua. In the original voting he tied with Roy Hilligenn, but when the judges votes between the two, it seemed that Hilligenn had a slight edge on Pasqua. The latter is the founder of the famous Val's Gym in New York. At present he is a masseur and is also studying to become a chiropractor. In his spare time, he is an ardent follower of the opera. Val is to be commended for the encouragement his is giving many others in this great game.
Edward Chrupcala, who placed fifth in the finals, was at the York Barbel Company picnic last year, where he was seen by Ray Van Cleef. Ray was impressed by his fine physique and wanted him to enter the Mr. America contest, but had quite a job persuading him. However, the fact that he placed so high and also won the Best Legs, proves that Ray's judgement was correct. his naturally fine legs have responded amazingly well to training. Apart from this recent success, he was recently a place winner in the Mr. Middle Atlantic contest, second in Mr. Philadelphia, and won his height division in the same contest.
The sixth man was Marvin Eder, a teenage muscular marvel, who can supine press around 400 pounds. With his terrific bulk and power, he has great possibilities as a weightlifter.
In seventh place was "Buck" Kartalian from Bothner's Gym in New York. Although he has won many New York Metropolitan awards, his lack of height will possibly prevent him from winning a Mr. America Title. Marvin Eder is in the same position, and it is a pity that there is not a subdivision that would give these smaller men the recognition they deserve.
One man who received a great buildup before the contest, was James Park, from Chicago and winner of the Mr. Mid West title. His physique was good, but he would have shown to much better advantage if he had reduced his bodyweight about fifteen pounds in order to show more definition.
Following Park was Steve Klisanin, who is a capable light heavyweight lifter, and footballer, also the winner of several physique contests.
Half a point behind Klisanin, was Rene Leger, Mr. Canada of 1947 and a finalist in the Mr. Universe contest that year. Unfortunately Rene was not in as good shape as he was at that time.
Irvin Koszewski, the winner of the Best Abdominals, placed next. He has a small rib box and light bone structure, but is heavily muscled.
Kimon Voyages, in the next place, has possibly won more special awards and contests than any other contestant. Like Parks, he has a fine physique which was spoiled by excess weight.
A creditable performance was given by John Plaskow, in what was probably his first contest. In his early thirties, John has trained alone for many years. He is six feet tall and has an impressive physique. He has an eighteen inch upper arm, and the most impressive foreamrs in the contest.
Last year's Junior Mr. America, Harry Smith, another capable lifter, was not in such fine shape as he was last year.
A fitting climax to the evening, was the appearance of the incomparable John Grimek, who had flown over from Hawaii especially for this event. After being presented with the trophy for the Greatest Body Builder of the Century, which was decided by an overwhelming majority in a popular poll, he delighted the audience with his unparalleled posing routine.
Throughout the whole program, the audience was well behaved and appreciative. Photographers, both amateur and professional, were given the use of the orchestra pit, and took full advantage of their privilege. All agreed, that in every respect, this was one of the most successful contest every held.
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1951 Mr America - AAU
1 Roy Hilligenn
2 Malcolm Brenner
3 Marvin Eder
3 George Paine
5 Pepper Gomez
6 Keith Stephan
7 Victor Nicoletti
9 Joe Sanceri
9 John Witkowski
10 Ken Cameron
- Max Grunig
- Ed Heckinger
- Robert Elwood Holbrook
- Ed Holovchik
- Dominick Juliano
- Alvin Lee
- Newman Lewis
- Ralph Mascaro
- Allen Moraes
- Elias Rodriguez
- Stan Stanczyk
- Carlin Venus
- George Waselinko
- Monte Wolford
Most Muscular
1 Roy Hilligenn
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IronMan, Vol 11, No 3, Page 12, September 1951
The 1951 Mr America Contest
(Excerpts from "Senior National Championships and Mr America Contest")
NO one puts on a better lifting meet or physique show than the various promoters in California and particularly the Los Angeles area. It was with keen anticipation therefore, that your Editor and his wife set out from Alliance at 8 o'clock the evening of June 13th and drove steadily for 30 hours to arrive in Los Angeles the night of the 14th, late. We had planned to arrive a day earlier but duties here at the Iron Man office were too heavy to leave at that time. Consequently we arrived just a little late for the first of several dinners for officials and competitors.
After visiting a few gyms and attending to a few matters of business it was time for the lifting and physique contest the evening of the 15th. This was held in the open air Greek Theatre of Griffith Park, a beautiful setting for such an event. At 7:30 P. M. when the show was scheduled to start, it was cool in the park, in fact it became a little chilly later on as the Theatre is located quite high on a hill in the park.
The lighting for the physique contest was, we believe the best we have seen and certainly did much for the fine physiques competing in the "Mr. America" contest. The stage was of ample proportions and a fine $300 lifting platform was specially constructed for the meet and it was a beauty. The meet was sponsored by the Southern California Weight Lifters Association Inc., headed by David Matlin and assisted by a fine committee of the leading professionals and amateurs of the West Coast. We were certainly not disappointed in this meet and feel that it was the best that America has ever had. The only one we can remember that comes close to it was the 1939 meet in Chicago.
A very good attendance was recorded for a first night and they certainly were well repaid with some wonderful lifting and physique display.
[description of weightlifting contest skipped]
SUB-DIVISIONS OF "MR. AMERICA"
Twenty-five of the finest physiques in America had entered this contest and I must say that I've never seen a finer group lined up on the stage. This part of the meet was well organized and ran off smoothly and efficiently. As we have said before the lighting over the posing platform was superb. When a man posed too long, he was called by the announcer. Thus each contestant was given a fair and equal opportunity. Of course there are rules of a front, back, and optional pose and a total of 30 seconds posing time, but this rule is seldom enforced. Marvin Eder from Jersey City was there to display his herculean physique. It is almost unbelievable that anyone can pack so much muscle. This man is terrific. George Paine, the new "Jr. Mr. America" was on hand to display his wonderful development. It is seldom that a man can have such unusual development and such unbelievable definition at the same time. He is a human anatomical chart if there ever was one and a swell fellow too. Keith Stephan from Leo Stern's gym was on hand to display his magnificent physique. This boy will be the most massively developed of any perfect man we have ever had when he reaches his maximum perfection. We predict great things for this boy. He has the largest bone structure of any physique contestant we have ever seen. He already has measurements that equal the largest but still looks as if he could stand a lot more bulk. Then when he works for definition after bulking up a bit more, he will be unbeatable. He is a bit nervous on the platform yet, and needs more posing practice.
Monty Wolford looked better than ever and that triceps of his is certainly one of the largest we have ever seen. Alvin Lee looked wonderful with terrific definition. His only fault if it can be called that, is that most people feel his waist is too thin and slender. It looks as if it didn't measure a bit over 25 inches. Stan Stanczyk was on the platform with his usual clowning. Malcolm Brenner is much improved and certainly looked terrific. His calves are the only body parts that might stand more work. Vic Nicoletti looks terrific as usual. He has been in this physique game a long time now, and still winning contests. Roy Hilligenn made most amazing improvement. A few years ago we would not have given much for his chances of winning a "Mr. America" contest but his physique was so greatly improved that it was hard to believe it was done in 2 months. Ken Cameron looks wonderful and when he gets those arms up a bit he will be hard to beat in any contest. Elias Rodriquez looked better than ever. This boy is tops for definition but does not have quite enough bulk to win "Mr. America." He is certainly a swell fellow.
Following is a list of entries from the program: Ralph Mascaro, Lewis Newman, Elias Rodriquez, Kenneth Cameron, Max Grunig, Victor Nicoletti, Elwood Holbrook, Malcolm Brenner, Edmund Holochik, Stan Stanczyk, Alvin Lee, Joe Sanceri, Allen Morales, Monty Wolford, John Witkowski, Ed Heckinger, Carlin Venus, Keith Stephen, George Paine, Marvin Eder, D. Juliano, Roy Hilligenn, Pepper Gomez, George Waselinko.
Best arms were won by Malcolm Brenner. His arms are huge, nearly 19 inches and possess unusual definition and shape. Malcolm also won Best Chest. Most Muscular went to Roy Hilligenn as well as best legs. Best back award was won by George Paine with his unusual definition. Best Abdominals was won by Ken Cameron. This was a hard decision to make for many of those boys had superb abdominals but Ken has an all round development as well as massive size and definition that is hard to beat. Everyone of the decisions on the above were difficult for the judges to make because all these boys were terrific. Beautiful trophies were presented to each winner.
Everyone left the hall that evening well satisfied with having witnessed a great show.
[next day, more weightlifting]
1951 MR. AMERICA CONTEST
The audience was much larger than for the first night. This is the usual thing for most people want to see the Mr. America contest so the place was packed. They were not disappointed because in addition to the greatest lifting they had ever seen they also enjoyed one of the finest Mr. America contests in history. All the line physiques that had appeared in the Subdivisions the night before were here again fighting it out for the most coveted physique title in the world.
Every one of them looked magnificent under the fine lighting. Walt Marcyan, who worked on the lighting had used some color in the lights which gave the boys the most beautiful golden color imaginable, a glowing golden color. Of course all of them were well tanned.
As each man came on the platform and took his turn posing it became apparent that the judges had a stupendous task on their hands. In the first session all were eliminated but the best ten. These were again called to the platform both as a group and individually to pose again. Now it began to be evident that first place would go to either Malcolm Brenner or Roy Hilligenn although the other boys were pushing them very close. Finally the judges were through with their work and while the audience waited tensely the points were tabulated. The winner was Roy Hilligenn with 68 1/2 points with Malcolm Brenner a close second with 67 points. Marvin Eder and George Paine tied for third and each of them will receive a fine trophy and medal. They both had 65 points. Fourth place was won by Pepper Gomez who has improved a great deal in the past year and now takes his place with the best in the country. His total was 61 points. Keith Stephen won 5th place with 59. Joe Sanceri and John Witkowski were sixth with a tie of 57 points while Ken Cameron was 8th with 54 1/2 points. With so many good and deserving men it is regretable that more than one can't be named ""Mr. America"" but there is always another year.
Those who saw this night's show will long remember it as one of the greatest of their lives. After the show they gathered in little groups to discuss the nights events and the custodians had great difficulty clearing the theatre to close it up, after which the people stood on the side walk in front for hours, finally drifting away in groups together to some all night cafe where they could still further enjoy each other's fellowship and discuss the game so dear to the hearts of each of them.
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Muslce Power, Vol 12 No 5, Page 14, October 1951
Mr. America 1951
Roy Hilligenn
by Earle Liederman
Malcolm Brenner was second, while Marvin Eder and George Paine tied for third place.
The great event is over! Everyone had anxiously awaited the nights of June 15th and 16th past, and not one is disappointed, for it proved to be the finest show the AAU has ever staged. Between the National championships, wherein John Davis made a new world's record in the clean and jerk by doing the enormous lift of 402 lbs., to the final judging of the physique entrants, there was not a dull moment. Each of the 27 entrants in the Mr. America contest was so finely proportioned and so magnificently developed that any among the first ten selected for a second judging, could have been a winner. But this does not take anything away from Roy Hilligenn who was at his best. I have never seen him look better. His compact musculature held spectators captivated when he performed his numerous poses, and when he was awarded the biggest trophy and the title, all in the audience were pleased. But before going into further details, let me give you the setting where this affair was held.
At the north side of Hollywood, there are numerous hills. Some of these rise to nearly 2,000 feet. At the edge of these green hills there is built the Greek theatre -- modeled after one of those of ancient Greek era. The stage is very wide and deep, and back and deep into the sides and rear of this stage hangs a black plush cyclorama drop or curtain. The audience seats itself in very wide rows of benches built upon stone or concrete, and these rows run backwards and upwards, so that the last row seems to be elevated about fifty feet above the first one. In other words, the slope from the last row down to the first row is a great deal steeper than any theatre in which you have been.
As the crowd poured into this space of lengthy benches and aisles, and awaited the parting of the silk-like front stage curtain, everyone seemed to relax into the arms of an enchanted evening. Overhead were the fading colors of the setting sun, for it was but 7:30 o'clock -- the time scheduled for the big events to start. It was not long before the moon could be seen hanging like a huge silver coin in the Eastern sky, while the planet Venus sparkled in the West, and over the tips of the tall pines, like a brilliant diamond. And it was cool! The damp breath from the Pacific ocean crept upon the audience and then onto the skin of those who were about to perform. This was Friday night - the first night wherein the initial section of the lifting and the judging of the best body-parts was about to take place. The final selection of Mr. America was saved until the next night. So, let me quickly take you into Saturday night and to the main attractions, and then I shall return to the weight events and subdivisions later on.
BORN TO WIN
Roy Hilligenn, the Mr. America for 1951, was born to be a prize contestant. When he was a baby six months old, he won the first prize for being the prettiest in an open contest held in South Africa; then, just twenty-one years later, he was awarded the title of Mr. South Africa. When he came to the United States, he possessed a fine attractive physique with very useful muscles. That was about five or six years ago. During this time he trained continually and lead a very adventurous life, travelling all over the States, training in various gymnasiums, and even taking his workouts in the hottest spot in the land -- Death Valley, California, where he settled for a while. This Valley is far below the sea level and the heat is mostly intense. From time to time he entered physique contest and took high honors, but with the title of Mr. America always in his mind, it was not until late in the night of June 16th that his ambitions were realized and all of his dreams came true. He trained mighty hard for this famous event and when he stepped upon the posing platform to show his "wares" in the form of larger and better developed muscles, he appeared to be in the finest shape I have ever seen him.
ALL TWENTY-SEVEN ENTRANTS LOOKED LIKE PRIZE WINNERS
The contest was a very difficult one to judge. Each contestant owned excellent muscles and looked good. Many were prize winners in major events in other States while some held numerous titles. For example, there was Malcolm Brenner who is Mr. California for 1951, and then there was Alvin Lee, who holds the title of Mr. Pacific Coast, and Victor Nicoletti owns Mr. New York City, Mr. Los Angeles and also one of Mr. Pacific Coast. Marvin Eder possesses Mr. Eastern America title, and so on down the line-nearly all prize winners. The judges were reluctantly forced to weed out seventeen, until there became the final ten from which to select the one worthy of the crown. Even this was difficult. The judges were forced to go into a special 100 point system of judging, and the usual hush which occurs during that tense moment just before the final decision, immediately changed to a din as Roy Hilligenn was proclaimed Mr. America! It was then that Roy was all teeth and with a pounding heart. He won because he was given 68 1/2 points. Malcolm Brenner came in second only 1 1/2 points behind, there being 67 points in his favor. And only two points lower were George Paine and Marvin Eder who tied for third spot with 65 Points. Monty Wolford had 61 points for fourth place while Keith Stephen was fifth with 59 points. Vic Nicoletti and Pepper Gomez engaged in a tie for sixth spot with 57 points each, So you may readily see how close this contest really was. The judges did a good job of everything and were very conscientious despite the regular disappointments of the many who personally thought that they deserved the big trophy. And as one of the announcers previously mentioned, "It appears as though there could be ten or twelve Mr. Americas selected."
Photographs and words cannot do justice to the wonderful physiques that lined the wide stage as they stood in a final relaxed uniform posture like a small regiment while the judges gave each a last careful study. The largest entrants were Malcolm Brenner and Keith Stephen who seemed a head taller than all the rest. Pepper Gomez, Marvin Eder and Joe Sanceri appeared to be the "chunkiest" in muscle during this final line-up. And George Paine, the Eastern colored boy, impressed this reporter as possessing the greatest definition of all for a 190 lb. athlete. His abdominals were sensational, yet he did not win the award for the best, though he ran away with the prize for the finest back, as this fellow's back development is absolutely sensational.
Personally, I think that the selection of the best body-parts in a physique contest is the hardest job of all, for when each contestant poses for this special display of a certain body-section, each of the entrants seems to be the best and it takes a perfect memory to maintain the one outstanding "best-section" as twenty-seven are being judged. For example: --Brenner has a marvelous back and so has Eder, and the same can be said for Gomez, Rodriques, Hilligenn, Nicoletti, Lee and others; but Paine simply had all that the rest owned and something more! And as for the selection of the best legs on the opening night of this affair, again there were Nicoletti, Sanceri, Wolford, Paine, Brenner, Rodriquez and Mascaro to consider, but Roy Hilligen secured the award. In selecting the best arms, size alone could not be entertained. There had to be contour and separation as well as appearance of both biceps and triceps with forearm contour a factor. Marvin Eder has remarkable biceps which he can contract in double style. By that I mean, he can first flex them tightly, and as these arms seem to be tensed at their utmost, he can then further contract his biceps so that hey raise and move in rhythm towards his deltoids. I have never seen this done before. And his biceps are as large as standard size baseballs, but the second award was given him because the mighty arms of Malcolm Brenner were just a bit better. Malcolm also won the best chest event for he is difficult to beat in this division, and Roy Hilligenn secured second place. In the best abdominals, the award went to Kenneth Cameron, who has won first prizes before for his clean-cut and finely formed abdominal muscles, while George Paine had to be satisfied with second place.
THE MOST MUSCULAR EVENT
To obtain a decision in the judging of the most muscular physique, numerous factors must be considered, such as uniformity of muscle-structure as applied to entire body, and the size and contour as well as definition of all of the muscles, and last bur not least, the whole proportion of the contestant's physique. Many entrants have great developments but lack neck-size or calf-size and thus become disqualified in judging this division. Anyway, Roy Hilligenn was proclaimed as having the most muscular body and George Paine was given second place. Marvin Eder, who had bady sprained his leg the day before by lifting to heavy a weight at Muscle Beach, and which undoubtedly proved a handicap because of constant pain, got third spot in this division. By now you may have a fair appreciation of the physiques of those who ran one-two-three in being the most muscular when they beat such sensationally muscular fellows like Brenner, Nicoletti, Mascaro, Gomez, Venus, Wolford, Lee and Rodriques, and to which might be added many other names.
There were upwards of four thousand enthusiastic spectators, who were most generous with their appreciative applause despite the chill of the night air, as all sat under a roof of sky. And, as for each of the contestants, he labored under a personal handicap of having to stand hour after hour with bare feet upon stone flooring and with goose-pimples covering his cold muscles. A few of those who posed actually had chattering teeth. However, the honor and privilege of owning a physique good enough to display at a major event such as a Mr. America contest, should greatly compensate all who did not become the Mr. America, and it undoubtedly spurs them on to further efforts and greater determination to build-up muscle during the next fiscal year to again try for the coveted title. Roy Hilligenn is happy, and the world congratulates him upon his victory. I, personally, think that he well deserves his laurels, for he had worked mighty hard to reach the ladder's top rung where he stands today.
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1952 Mr America - AAU
1 Jim Park
2 Malcolm Brenner
3 George Paine
4 Don Van Fleteren
5 Irvin Koszewski (Zabo)
6 Walt Cuzzimano
7 Vic Seipke
8 Harry Smith
9 Mickey Hargitay
10 Bill Cerdas
11 Tim Sweeney (1)
12 Ralph Brunhart
13 Art Zeller
14 George Jones (1)
15 Dominick Juliano
16 Harry Johnson (1)
17 Leroy Colbert
18 Phil Zimmerman
19 Al Berman
20 Seymour Peters
21 Seymour Koenig
22 Sam Griffiths
23 Keith Lewin
24 Roger Servin
25 Ray Jiminez
26 Frank Manson
27 Lou Degni
28 Arthur Salac
29 Raul Pacheco
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IronMan, Vol 12, No 2, Page 12, August 1952
Mr. America for 1952!
by Jerry Ross
IT IS INDEED a privilege to write a report of the 1952 Mr. America contest for the readers of Iron Man who were not privileged to attend this big affair of the year.
I believe that the contestants at this show staged by John Terlazzo were the finest of any Mr. America contests I've ever attended. We heard it remarked that if one were to cover the faces of the contestants it would be difficult to identify them as they were all developed to the maximum and so many of them seemed to look alike in physique. They all had beautiful golden tans and most of them were experts at displaying their physiques to the best advantage.
Al Urban had done a great job of arranging the lighting while Jack Libertore was an excellent Master of Ceremonies with his vast store of information about the various contestants. It was a contest well worth the expense and effort of traveling across the country, if necessary, to see it.
All the men entered seemed greatly improved and the top men were no exception. From the first it became evident that both Malcolm Brenner from sunny California along with James Parks from Johnson's gym in Chicago were men to be reckoned with. Brenner had made very great improvement since we had last seen him-in fact he hardly looked like the same man, while Parks had made unbelievable progress on the program of diet and exercise he had been following for the past 6 weeks (his training period for this contest) at the Johnson gym. A year ago Parks had been failing to win even local contests but here he was looking like (from my point of view) one of the finest built men of our time. His definition, shape and size had greatly improved from the last time I saw him. Brenner too, looked much larger. His proportions were much better and he had terrific definition.
George Paine was much improved with more bulk and shape and about the most definition you could expect to find. We used to think Melvin Wells the most terrific colored man we had seen but Paine has features to place him at the top. He is simply unbelievable. Wells was on hand also and still looked terrific but somehow he didn't look in quite as good a shape as we had seen him at other times.
We were sitting at the side the first night so we could be mistaken about his condition. The second night we were out front and obtained a true picture of the physiques of the contestants. Never sit on the side if you want to see a physique show that is any good at all. From the side the poses usually look very poor. Contestants pose to the front and the lights are set up for front posing.
We are getting ahead of our story, however. The first night the Sub Divisions were run off and gave the people a chance to see what was in store for them the second night when the Mr. America was contested. As the men came on the platform for best arms, some of the arms there were simply huge and with terrific shape and definition. There was Melvin Wells who has won best arms in the past. His arms look as large as ever with a very unusual shape and great definition. Malcolm Brenner with his great arms of around 19 inches. They and well shaped and with good definition. Arthur Zeller with very good arms. George Paine whose arms are bigger than ever. And last, James Parks, whose arms are so big it's hard to see how he could pack on any more muscle. When the judges were through, the selection for best arms went to James Parks.
The best abdominals found many men with excellent abdominals. On the other hand some contestants were rather poor in this department, indicating a neglect of these muscles. Parks, Paine, Brenner and several others had very good abdominals but Irvin Koszewski with one of the finest abdominal formations we have ever seen, again took the title. Many fellows do not pose their abdomen properly and seemingly cannot forget their big arms and constantly show off their arms when they should be posing their abdominals.
The best chest title again went to James Parks. There were a lot of good chests there, including Malcolm Brenner, and it must have been a close one to judge. Parks also won the Most Muscular, which gave him three cups the first night.
Malcolm Brenner won the Best Back title with his terrific spread, good definition and masterly posing. He gave the most dramatic back posing display of anyone.
In the Best Legs, we thought the judges again had a problem on their hands, but they finally chose the legs of George Paine as the best because of his massive thigh development and definition altho like most of his race, his calves are not good.
This concluded the events of the first night at about 2 A.M. in the morning. There had been a lot of lifting competitors and also quite a large entry of Physique contestants with 36 men to run through the events. This made it quite late even tho there was no lag or drag in the program.
The following night, Saturday, June 28th there was nothing on the program but the "Mr. America" contest and some special acts. Even so, it took some time to run off all the contestants. Each man gave a fine demonstration of posing and development.
Mickey Hargitay of Indianapolis had No.1 so was first on the platform. He showed great improvement over a year ago when he appeared in the "Mr. Mid-America" in Kansas City. He has a great future. Seymour Koenig is very massive and muscular. Walter Cuzzimano has a good back with a beautiful tan and very Good pecs and thighs. Ken Pendleton, the old timer, whose photos were featured 15 years ago in Iron Man, was a competitor and looked terrific. Most people are not acquainted with the fact that Ken was once a cripple and could not walk. Roger Servin was a good example of the fine display the slender man can make when fully developed. He is 5'10" and weighs but 158 lbs., but with his wide shoulders he compared very favorably with others on the platform. He has a very fine back development.
George Jones has a fine all round physique and has good posing ability. Phillip Zimmerman has unusual definition and very good development. Bill Cerdas, a master poser, not quite as heavily developed as some of the others, but still right at the top of fine physiques. Irvin Koszewski had a beautiful tan, excellent posing ability and a good all round development to go with his abdominals. He is built on more slender lines than most of the others, with light bones and narrow framework. He is proof that a man doesn't have to have broad shoulders to develop a physique that rates with the best.
We have already discussed Melvin Wells physique. Al Berman has a most unusual chest development and general fine physique but lacks some in definition of the others. Louis Degni is also massive but rather smooth. Leonard Peters is very well developed and has good definition. If unacquainted with" them, you're apt to confuse him with LeRoy Colbert, who also possesses a superb physique which we believe is a little better proportioned than Peters with full round development but lacking some of the definition of Peters.
Harry Johnson still looks good, but needs more definition. Ray Jiminez is very good with terrific definition of his pectorals. In fact he has excellent definition all over. Zeller has very good arms and pectorals. Juliano has pectorals which will rival those of Geo. Eifferman for size. He is very massively developed but lacks the fine definition of some of the others. Sweeney presented a fine over all appearance. Brunhart of Johnson Studios had good size, nice shape and very good definition. Brenner, as we have said, looked terrific. He seemed much more muscular than ever before with a very nice tan. Harry Smith still has a fine physique but has lost much of his former fine definition and didn't look as if he had been training too hard. Raul Pacheco is very well developed with good proportions and definition, presenting a very good over all appearance. Sam Griffiths has lost too much of his definition but looks good yet. We have already commented on the terrific physique of Paine. Parks looked terrific and we couldn't see a single weak link in his physique. Keith Lewin, the recent "Mr. Colorado" is finely developed but needs still more bulk.
Now we come to Dan Van Fleteran the present Mr. Michigan, who some spectators thought should have won the Mr. America title. This man is big and very, very good. He has terrific arms and back with a good chest and legs. We predict that this man has an excellent chance of winning the. Mr. America title if he continues to train regularly. He is about 6'1" and weighs 215. I could not keep my eyes off his superb physique as we walked around back of the stage.
What a terrific group of physiques. I did not envy. the judges their task because the top men were so close. The opinion of most people was that Jim Parks and Malcolm Brenner were top men. It took the judges some time to gather and count their votes. When they were through and the winners were announced it was found that Parks won the coveted title with Brenner winning second, Paine third, Van Fleteran fourth and Koszewski fifth place.
It was at this point that an event occurred that marred the entire show for us. A certain uncouth element in the audience immediately set up a bedlam of booing and catcalling and insulting remarks because they did not agree with the judges' decision in awarding the title to Parks over Brenner. They mobbed the stage and created the most disgusting scene I've ever witnessed at a sporting event. They certainly showed very poor sportsmanship and should be very much ashamed of themselves. They lower the level of the sport immeasurably in the eyes of respectable people by such actions. If such things were to continue, I personally would not care to attend any more such shows.
I feel the judges did a fair job. It must have been very close between the two top men and I personally thought the judges might award it to Brenner because of his height but the flawless physique of James Parks emerged the victor and I'm willing to abide by the judges' decision as I know they are strictly honest and as capable as any group of judges in the country.
I am happy to say that I feel I saw as fine a group of physiques as were ever assembled in one group in the world.
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1953 Mr America - AAU
1 Bill Pearl
2 Dick DuBois
3 Irvin Koszewski (Zabo)
4 Steve Klisanin
4 George Paine
6 Tony Silipini
7 Timmy Leong
8 Tim Sweeney (1)
9 Dominick Juliano
10 Malcolm Brenner
11 Vic Seipke
12 Mickey Hargitay
13 Gene Bohaty
14 Harry Johnson (1)
15 Dick Garza
16 Robert Ballard
17 Ed Koeppe
18 George Jones (1)
19 John Henderson
20 John Lyons
20 Paul Smith (1)
22 Jack Reardon
23 Earl Clark
23 Felix Zabensky
25 Jim Patrick
26 Don Miller (1)
Most Muscular
1 George Paine
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IronMan, Vol 13, No 2, Page 10, September 1953
1953 Mr America Contest
by Peary Rader
Excerpts from "National Lifiting Championships and "Mr. America" Contest"
WE WOULD LIKE to tell you all about the big events this year in this one article so that we can give you a complete word picture of everything as we saw it. I hope that I will be able to describe this great show so that you will feel you have been there in person.
We left Alliance by auto June 1st and finally reached Chicago the 2nd where we spent two busy days investigating engraving plants for we plan to install our own plant soon and already have a man in training to operate it. While there we visited with Irvin Johnson and talked over the fine work he is doing at his gym. We also visited with Norbert Grueber at his great sporting goods store in Chicago. He has one of the most complete sporting goods stores we have ever seen though his place is too small for the thousands of articles he stocks, from barbells to table tennis. Just now the lady champion lifter, Edith Roehder is working at the store and they plan to open up a special advisory service to ladies soon. Edith looks great and she could probably break all her old records with a short period of specialized training.
We left Chicago and finally after a few other business stops we arrived in Indianapolis early the day of the 5th. We soon found the Hotel Severin where we had reservations. There were three of us, my wife and I and our 16 year old son Jack. Incidently, we drove very carefully this year as Jack had just obtained his drivers license and so was fresh on all the latest traffic laws and regulations and with his eagle eye open for all traffic signs, it is a wonder we arrived in Indianapolis in time for the show. It is surprising how slowly we had to travel at times. Jack was much inspired by the meet and vowed that he would really get into hard training. High School athletics (he engages in every phase of them) have thus far kept him so busy that he has had but little time to devote to the weights.
Name Points
Bill Pearl 97
Richard DuBois 91
Irvin Koszewski 89¼
Steve Klisanin 88¼
George Paine 88¼
Anthony Silipini 88
Tim Leong 87½
Tim Sweeny 82¼
Dom Juliano 82
Malcom Brenner 81¾
Vic Seipke 79½
Mickey Hargitay 79
Gene Bohaty 77¼
Harry Johnson 76
Dick Garza 71¼
Bob Ballard 63¼
Ed Koeppe 62½
George Jones 59¼
John Henderson 58¾
John Lyons 58¼
Paul Smith 58¼
Jack Reardon 57¼
Felix Zabensky 54
Earl Clark 54
Jim Patrick 46¼
Don Miller 44¾
After refreshing ourselves we went down into the lobby. Since the Severin Hotel was the Official Hotel it wasn't long until in walked Henry Atkin from England. Henry is now on the west coast and will locate there with a gym. Harry "Bosco" Paschall also came in. He had come up from Florida for the show and came down from Columbus with Jack Libertore who MC'd the Mr. America contest. It wasn't long until we were in some hot discussions with Harry about what was right and wrong with the Iron Game. Harry is the biggest heckler in the game and loves to ride someone for something. We certainly have a lot of fun with him whenever we get together, much more so probably than if we agreed on everything. For the rest of the day of the 5th we sat in the lobby and greeted and talked to old friends and made new ones as contestants, officials and fans came in. We also visited the fine gym of Bobby Higgins, who did such a fine job of promoting this show.
It wasn't long until Bob Hoffman came in (he looks as young as ever and I know that makes Bob happy). Our National Chairman came in. He is doing a fine job for our game and is to be congratulated on doing a difficult job well. Charles Smith, looking bigger than ever, made his appearance on the scene. Charlie certainly puts in some long, hard hours for the game. He writes as many as 30 or 40 articles a month. John Grimek came in wearing a short jacket which made him look slender but when we kidded him about it he removed the jacket and showed us his huge arms which looked larger than ever. His young son was his constant companion and showed enthusiasm for everything that happened. John has a large family which is his greatest joy in life.
Well, those were only a few who appeared. We wish we could name them all, but space forbids this, nevertheless we enjoyed nothing more at the meet than seeing again these old friends and talking over the past, present and future. Leo Stem, George Redpath, Bob Hise, Bill Pearl (who subsequently won the Mr. America contest) all from California, as well as big Malcolm Brenner weighing about 235, Jules Bacon (who is entering the Mr. Universe Contest), John Terpak, Alyce Yarick and their fine team of lifters who later did so well, Karo Whitfield, Bob Hasse (Iron Man Photographer and author) and many others we hope we can name later. Our visiting lasted until about 2 o'clock that night.
After a good night's rest we were back in circulation again about noon when still more men arrived. The show was scheduled to start that afternoon at 2:15 P.M. but did not get under way until 3 P.M.
We arrived at the Murat Theater early but already the crowd was starting to come in. This theater was one of the nicest that any of the Nationals has ever been held in, very beautiful and ideally arranged for such a meet. Bob Higgins had done a wonderful job on the whole meet. Everything ran off smoothly and with as little delay as possible. There was plenty of room backstage for contestants and ample room on the stage for the lifting and posing. The lighting for the physique show was good but more of this later.
[skipping description of weightlifting]
...After the afternoon's lifting was over the members of the National Weightlifting Committee who were at the meet were called into the meeting for a discussion of several important points.
Bob Hoffman made a talk explaining the need for full cooperation of everyone for the good of the game. Your editor expressed the need for uniform officiating in the nationals in every class. He also suggested that the rule book be re-written and more detail be given in interpretation of the rules for the different lifts, conduct of contestants etc.
The Chairman, Mr. Clarence Johnson stated that a new rule book was being prepared and would soon be ready for the printers. We failed to ask who was doing the revision. We hope that it is very complete.
Another member suggested that the point system for judging the Mr. America event be changed to allow more points and more flexibility in judging. This is something we have been working for a long time. However it was pointed out that the international body had adopted our point system and that we should give thoughtful consideration to any change. However just because they have adopted it is no reason why we should stagnate and cease progress. If it is believed that a new system will permit better judging then we should adopt it.
Your editor brought up the question of a pre-judging system in which the judges and contestants meet in the afternoon before a contest for a more leisurely judging where they can have an opportunity to view the men under both normal lights and spot lights and in any other manner they wish. We had suggested this before and Bobby Higgins had agreed to follow this arrangement but the A.A.U. officials would not permit it until the rule book is re-written to allow it. The committee agreed that it would be better and thought it should be brought up at the Annual Convention for some action this year. A good example for the need for it was indicated this year when the men were called back for more posing repeatedly. Then after the judges were finished there was a long period when there was nothing for the audience to do but sit and wait while the judges' points were tabulated before the winners could be announced.
It was also suggested that character should be a very important consideration when making a choice for Mr. America. This was unanimously agreed on by all present in view of some past experiences. Of course, at the present time there are no points allowed for character but judges can adjust other points to compensate for this.
After a further discussion of lifting rules and regulations the meeting was adjourned and everyone went out for dinner so they could be back for another interesting session of lifting and the Mr. America sub-divisions in the evening.
(more weightlifting)
After the last lift in the 181 pound class the Sub-division of the Mr. America contest was run off. There was very little time lag here anywhere and the men were run through smoothly and quickly. Judges for this year's contest were: Peary Rader, Chairman; Charles Smith, Bob Hoffman, Harry Paschall, Bob Hise, Larry Barnholth and Alvin Roy. I had lined all the men up according to their numbers and given them their instructions and as soon as the judges were in their places they began taking their places on the posing platform as the MC, Jack Libertore called their names. They had been told that ONLY three poses would be allowed, a front, back and optional. They were all very careful in observing this rule and as a consequence everything ran off smoothly. The lighting was very good. After they were all brought out and instructed then run through individually, the judges asked for certain men to appear again for judging the different body parts. 26 men participated in this event the first night.
Malcolm Brenner won the best arms with 4 votes with Paine a close second with 3 votes. Brenner was lucky to win this as he had allowed himself to get very heavy and hadn't cut down quite enough to get the definition that he had shown before. As a result of this rather smooth appearance and a waist larger than usual he did not place very high in any event except arms. His arms of course are exceptionally large, being around 19 inches. They had good shape and just fair definition. They were without a doubt the strongest arms in the contest so all in all his winning the arms title was justified.
Best chest was won by Tony Silipini of Art Gay's gym in Rochester. This boy has one of the most outstanding physiques we have seen. He had trained down from 252 to about 215. We asked him if he was fat at 252 and he said not, that he was in hard condition. Anyhow he is a swell fellow and has a great future if he continues to train. He received 6 votes for best chest while Juliano was second with 1 vote. Silipini also won the best legs title with three votes while Bill Pearl, George Paine and Richard DuBois each received one vote. Many of the fellows had outstanding legs but those of Silipini had great size, excellent balance and symmetry along with very good definition. Bill. Pearl has perhaps the most shapely legs we have seen though they lack some in bulk compared to those of Silipini. George Paine of course, has very outstanding thighs both in size and definition. In fact, we know of no one who has more definition than this fellow. However his calves are not good. This unfortunately is a characteristic of his race. The calves have the large muscular bulk up too high to make a nice pleasing shape. This is probably the main reason he and his competitor Melvin Wells have never won a "Mr. America" title.
The best abdominal title was again won by Koszewski. This again was very close with Koszewski getting four votes and Paine getting three. These two men are so close in abdominal development that it is almost impossible to choose between them. We fail to see how Paine can miss winning this title some time in the future for he seems to improve each year. Tim Leong won the best back title by a narrow margin of 3 votes. This was a very close one with little to choose between Leong, Klisanin and Paine. Tim has a marvelous physique and photos do not do him justice.
This finished the show for the evening. It was apparent that nearly everyone was satisfied with the selections the judges had made. After going out for something to eat again we retired at a late hour (due to the considerable amount of visiting we did) to dream of a big show the following day.
(more weightlifting)
After the lifting was over at about 6 P.M. the "Mr America" contest began. I must apologize if I have failed to mention any good lifts or events that transpired in the lifting. Due to the fact that I was in charge of the Mr. America contestants and judging, I had to spend much time back stage toward the end of each lifting session in lining up the contestants, etc. However I think I got a peek at about everything that happened.
Two more judges were added to the list for the "Mr. America" contest due to the fact that the high and low scores are crossed out in the tabulating. This leaves 7 scores counted. The judges added were George Greenfield and Herb Lucy.
As soon as the judges were seated the contestants began appearing on the stage for their turn at posing. Each gave a nice demonstration of his posing ability and physique. The lighting was good and every physique showed to advantage. We wish that there were more space in which to comment on every contestant, for with but two or three exceptions, every man was tops. As we have stated before, Malcolm Brenner, who was such a favorite last year, did not possess the definition to place him in the top men this year. Mickey Hargitay who had been built up as a favorite did not place in the top men. I don't quite know why as he has a terrific physique but does not have the definition of symmetry necessary. George Paine is without a doubt one of the muscular sensations of our time but as we stated before, his calves are his weak point. Of course, there is nothing much he can do about this for they cannot be changed. All he can do is develop them to maximum size, which is hard to do for a colored man. In most instances their calves fail to respond to exercise.
Steve Klisanin who won the Jr. Mr. America title has a marvelous physique but still lacks a little of the bulk necessary for a winning physique this year. He has marvelous definition and good symmetry with a nice posing routine. Both his legs and arms could stand a little more bulk.
Vic Seipke has one of the top physiques in the country and although he may never win the top title he is always going to be near the top and who can say that he will not make great improvement and some day be a Mr. America? He has possibilities. As we have said, Tim Leong has one of the finest physiques we have seen. I was surprised that he didn't place among the first five.
Borstein is a very nicely built fellow from Higgins' gym who has a very good physique but still needs some work to place him among the top men. Irvin Koszewski is better than ever. In my opinion he is about the most perfectly developed male in the world today. He is not massive but every part of his body is developed in perfect proportion. You can't pick a weak spot anywhere. With a little wider shoulder girdle and heavier bone formation I don't see how he could help winning the title. He is not as bulky as some of the others but he has marvelous definition and his abdominal formation is perfect. He has a nice back, his arms are very good and his legs are ideal. He is one of the best at posing, and has a beautiful tan.
George Jones has a very fine body, well developed and proportioned all over. Harry Johnson is well built but needs more definition. Silipini is a superman. If he can bring down a naturally wide waist he will stand a much better chance at the title. However he has a huge chest box and this naturally tends to give him a wider waist. For a herculean physique he certainly would win the title. Juliano has a fine physique but his pectorals are out of proportion to the rest of his physique. Bohaty is very good but could stand some work on his legs. Dick Garza needs more definition.
DuBois needs more definition but all in all has a very nice physique. He will show great improvement in the future.
George Paine won the "Most Muscular" title almost unanimously. He well deserves this title for it would be hard to imagine anyone more. muscular.
We have left the new "Mr. America", Bill Pearl, until the last. We had never seen Bill but from what we had heard and from photos we had guessed that he might have a good chalice to win the title. Each year we made such a guess for our cover just before the Nats. For the past two years we have guessed right. Just now I haven't the slightest idea who we will guess on next year. We will probably be wrong tho. Anyhow we feel that the choice of Bill Pearl for the new Mr. America was one of the most popular decisions ever given. We heard no complaints whatever about first choice this year. You read Bill's story in last issue but let us tell you a little more about him. First, Bill is very retiring and modest like we are told all Mr. Americas are. However, there is no kidding about Bill. He is one of the finest fellows ever to win such a title and will surely bring it nothing but honor and respect. He is now in the Navy and is a very sincere Christian and a member of the Baptist church. He feels his responsibility as the new Mr. America and his greatest concern is that he won't be able to live up to all that he feels such a title demands in character and clean living. We have every confidence in Bill tho, for we have never known a young fellow with more determination and sincere intention of doing his best to live up to what he believes is his obligation.
As for Bill's physique, we believe he won because of his perfect symmetry and proportion rather than for any other reason. Bill has large measurements but no single part of his body stands out above the others. He does not appear large and bulky. There is a harmony of proportion that Bill possesses that you must see to appreciate. You can't find a single weak spot in his physique. I believe that the fact that he didn't win a single sub-division is a compliment to his perfect proportions. You didn't feel that he had best arms or best chest or best anything else. You just knew that he was the best man. He was a picture of perfection. There must be contrast to win in the subdivisions. Some body part must stand out above all others. There is no such contrast in Bill's physique. He has good definition, plenty of bulk and is well developed everywhere. He has a good posing routine and pleasant personality.
Leo Stern should be given much credit for bringing Bill to the top for he has spent a lot of time, thought and money to help Bill with his training, traveling to contests and giving him the best of advice.
The next four or five men who placed under Bill, who won by a margin of 6 points, were all close. It was difficult to pick the best men for the different places. It was only here that there was any variation of opinion and this was not great since all the men were so close.
I want to thank all the judges for their fine cooperation. I have every confidence in them and know that they did their sincere best to render a just decision as they saw it. Being a judge at a physique contest such as this is not an enviable task and most men accept it reluctantly as a duty they are called on to perform to the best of their ability.
We cannot fail to mention the special acts used to fill in during the slow periods of the meet. One old time strong man named L. Carson gave a very interesting display of strength, agility and balance. George Greenfield and his daughter presented a nice balancing act. Gloria Short, a beautiful contortionist showed what real flexibility is. James Park, last year's Mr. America gave a demonstration of posing that indicated he is as good as ever even though he doesn't have much time to train now. Gloria Martin a young lass of 15 demonstrated that the gals can be strong by doing an easy dead lift with 300. She expects to make a new world record shortly on this lift.
She has done 335 without much trouble. She is from Marion, Indiana. We cannot fail to mention Miss Jean Chappell who was on hand to pose with Bill Pearl for the News Reel Cameras. She is the present "Miss Marion County" and is now training for the "Miss Universe" contest. The unusual thing about it is that she is using weights to prepare herself for this title attempt. Those of you who feel that weights are not for women should see this beautiful young miss. You would feel like voting that every woman immediately start weight training.
The evening after the show Dr. Myles S. Barton, Secretary of the A.A.U. and a very hard worker for all sports, invited quite a number of officials and A.A.U. members, as well as Mr. America, to a wonderful dinner at the Athletic Club. A very enjoyable time was had by everyone. Bill Pearl and Leo Stern had to rush through it though to appear on Television, Radio etc. and then had to make a special rush plane trip to Chicago for the same purpose.
Thus ended a wonderful meet. Bobby Higgins told me afterward that he lost $180 on the meet, which, though regrettable, is not too bad. One should expect to lose on such shows and at best break even. Too many people feel that surely a man must make a fortune on a lifting and physique show but such is not the case. You'd be surprised what it costs for such a show. There are many, many hidden expenses that you would never dream of. Anyhow we must congratulate Bob on doing a wonderful job. Incidently he looks terrific-a regular little giant. I've never seen anyone with so large a neck and shoulders at his height.
We went back to our hotel and made our farewells to so many good friends who were leaving that night such as Irvin Johnson, Clarence Johnson and many of the lifters. We regret that we didn't get a complete list of all the officials of the lifting or all the men who helped in other ways. Martin Frederick did a good job keeping scorekeepers, Alyce Yarick and Mabel Rader aware of the lifts because they could not hear the announcements back on the stage.
Next year's meet will tentatively be in California unless circumstances make it necessary to change. See you all there!
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1954 Mr America - AAU
1 Dick DuBois
2 Gene Bohaty
3 Irvin Koszewski (Zabo)
4 George Paine
5 Harry Johnson (1)
5 Ludwig Schusterich
7 Malcolm Brenner
8 Mickey Hargitay
9 Dennis Nelson
10 Monte Wolford
- Joseph Baratta
- Earl Clark
- Bud Counts
- Bert Elliott
- Ed Holovchik
- Dominick Juliano
- Ron Lacy
- Ralph Mansfield
- Victor Nicoletti
- Jerry Ross
- Roger Servin
- Eddie Silvestre
- Millard Williamson
- Wilbour Wright
- Felix Zabensky
- Jeri Zuljivech
Most Muscular
1 George Paine
2 Irvin Koszewski (Zabo)
3 Ludwig Schusterich
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IronMan, Vol 14, No 2, Page 7, September 1954
The 1954 Mr. America Contest
by George Bruce
THE Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, was a riotous place at about 12 o'clock midnight on June 26, 1954, as Richard Dubois, a handsome, smiling young sun-tanned giant of a man stood on the stage to receive his trophy as Mr. America 1954, which was emblematic of his being the best proportioned and best developed man in America.
The scene climaxed five long years of work and training such as the average individual could not conceive.
The Mr. America contest was held in conjunction with the Senior National Weightlifting Championships June 25th and 26th at Los Angeles, California, sanctioned by the Southern Pacific Association of the AAU and sponsored by the Southern California Weightlifting Association, Inc. It was fitting and proper that the Greek Theatre, a structure of Greek Doric architecture called America's most beautiful outdoor theatre, should be the scene of a contest to pick the best from among contestants whose strength and overall muscularity and beauty of body rival and surpass those of ancient Greece.
The theatre has a capacity of 4,419 persons. It is surrounded by trees and foliage, has a stage 110 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The amphitheatre extends up the side of a canyon 241 feet from the stage.
In the contest were 27 of the top physique men in the country including Gene Bohaty, Mr. Illinois and 1954 Mr. Jr. America; Malcolm Brenner, also a former Jr. Mr. America; Irwin Koszewski, Mr. California; George Paine, Mr. Eastern America; Bert Elliott, Mr. Ironman; Monte Wolford, Mr. Southwest America; Victor Nicoletti, Mr. Western America, etc.
Ten finalists were selected and after each had posed again amidst the bedlam of a partisan capacity crowd, the winning of the first four places was announced: 1st, Richard DuBois; 2nd Gene Bohaty; 3rd, Irvin Koszewski; 4th, George Paine.
The Mr. America subdivisions were held the night before in conjunction with the 181, 198 and heavyweight division lifting. Awards were: Best Arms, Bud Counts; Best Back, Malcolm Brenner; Best Chest, Dom Juliano; Best Legs, Ludwig Shusterich; Best Abdominals, Irvin Koszewski; Most Muscular, George Paine.
George Paine, who won the Most Muscular subdivision, has probably the greatest definition of any man alive today.
The trophies for the subdivisions were donated by various gyms in the Southern California area. They were presented to the winners by Mrs. David A. Matlin and Barbara Thomason, a George Bruce Beauty who presided as Queen of the Meet.
A large beautiful trophy called the Tony Terlazzo Perpetual Trophy was on display. This trophy will be placed in the Helms Hall of Fame and each year the name of the outstanding lifter and the Mr. America will be placed on this trophy.
The highlight of the Meet was a reception held in honor of all officials and contestants at Helms Hall in Los Angeles on Thursday night, June 24th. On Sunday morning, June 27th at the Carolina Pines Restaurant in Los Angeles a farewell breakfast was held for officials and contestants of the Meet. After a fine breakfast and a few short speeches the Meet was declared officially closed.
The untiring efforts of David A. Matlin and his Organization and Contest Committee resulted in an efficiently organized and smoothly run Meet. The Meet received the greatest publicity of any national event, and was presented before a sell-out crowd each night.
Your author greatly enjoyed being backstage mingling with the contestants, talking with them and hearing them express their hopes and fears as to how they would place in the contest and whether or not they would win. Anyone of the finalists could have been named Mr. America without too much dissention from the audience.
Mr. America Finals
Place Name Points
1 DuBois, Richard 68 1/2
2 Bohaty, Gene 64
3 Koszewski, Irvin 63
4 Paine, George 60 1/2
5 Shusterich, Ludwig 60
6 Johnson, Harry 58
7 Brenner, Malcolm 57 1/2
8 Hargitay, Mickey 55 1/2
9 Nelson, Dennis 55
10 Wolford, Monte 54
Other entrants were: Jeri Zuljivech, Millard Williamson, Felix Zabensky, Ed Holovchik, Ronald Lacy, William Wright, Ralph Mansfield, Joseph Baratta, Earl Clark, Bert Elliott, Bud Counts, Jerry Ross, Victor Nicholette, Dom Juliano, Eddie Sylvester, Roger Servin.
Subdivision Finals
Best Arms 1st Bud Counts
2nd George Paine
3rd Malcolm Brenner.
Best Legs 1st Ludwig Shusterich
2nd Mickey Hargitay
3rd George Paine
Best Back 1st Malcolm Brenner
2nd Ludwig Shusterich
3rd Dom Juliano
Best Abdominals 1st Irvin Koszewski
2nd George Paine
3rd Harry Johnson
Best Chest 1st Dom Juliano
2nd Richard DuBois
3rd Harry Johnson
Most Muscular 1st George Paine
2nd Irvin Koszewski
3rd Ludwig Shusterich
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1955 Mr America - AAU
1 Steve Klisanin
2 Ray Schaefer
3 Vic Seipke
3 Don Van Fleteren
5 Harry Johnson (1)
6 Mickey Hargitay
7 Jerry Ross
8 Art Harris
9 Gene Bohaty
10 Ron Lacy
11 Tony Silipini
12 Dennis Nelson
13 Ed Garza
Most Muscular
1 Ray Schaefer
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IronMan, Vol 15, No 2, Page 8, September 1955
Meet Mr. America 1955 - Steve Klisanin
by M Kirchner
ON the night of June 5th, 1955 at the Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, a young man by the name of Steve Klisanin experienced the biggest thrill, the biggest night of his life, when after two days' ordeal of posing, questioning and just standing around in suspense, he was acclaimed "Mr. America" for 1955. Probably no one was more surprised at this turn of events than Steve himself, for he had been trying for years to win the Mr. America title, or even win a subdivision, without success. He had won many other titles, as will be revealed later on, but this time Steve had been stationed overseas in Korea, and had but little opportunity to train hard for the event, and the trip to America, as you will see later, was quite an ordeal in itself. Steve was in fine shape but he did look a little tired and drawn. We believe that the scales were tipped in Steve's favor this year by the fact that a different method of officiating was used and different standards for a winner were used.
No longer does the title "Mr. America" designate the one quality, "Superior Physique". It also includes character, insofar as it can be determined, education, personality, and past and present athletic ability. While this method of judging and selecting a winner is quite new and still rather crude in use, with many rough corners to be smoothed off, the leaders in our game feel it is a move in the right direction. We think that quite a few changes and modifications will have to be made before it is wholly satisfactory in practice. Those responsible for these changes feel that a man bearing the title of "Mr. America" should be fully representative of the finest in American manhood in every way. Either that, or the title must be changed to "America's Most Perfectly Developed Man" or some other such thing.
So, as will be shown, while others might have had just as good a physique, Steve has a fine character (and so did others of the top men), he is well educated and has had to obtain his education over many obstacles, for it has been interrupted three times by the Marine Corps. He has a pleasing and likable personality and is an exceptional athlete in many fields of endeavor.
Steve Klisanin was born in McKeesport, Pa. 26 years ago and we doubt very much if his proud parents ever visualized their son some day winning the title of "Mr. America." In the first place there were no "Mr. America" titles to win in those days, and in the second place Steve was nothing outstanding as a boy, though he was never sickly or weak either, just a normal, healthy boy who liked to participate in all sports boys are fond of. He excelled at many of these and at the same time made high grades in his school work.
Nothing very eventful transpired during his early youth to indicate that some day he would receive great honors for athletics and his physique. He was an outstanding athlete in high school, participating in football, basketball and track. It was while he was 17 years of age and in his last year in high school that he started to train with weights. At that time he weighed 135 pounds. He certainly didn't look like any physique champion at this time. However, with weight training he rapidly gained in size, weight and physical efficiency. He weighed 155 after four months training.
As soon as he finished high school he went into the Marine Corps. He was able to continue to train, and in more months was up to 165 pounds and was already shaping into condition for great things to come, and people were beginning to notice his still slender, but very well proportioned physique.
He was discharged from the Marine Corps in late '47 and attended Kiski Prep, where he was a schoolmate of Bob Mathias and was captain of the football team. While here he was also voted "Outstanding Athlete of the Year." He then accepted a football scholarship at Duke University where he was captain and quarterback of an undefeated football team. He attended Duke one year and then because he was offered a very fine job with a mining company in New Mexico, he transferred to New Mexico, where he worked for the mining company and attended the University of New Mexico. Unfortunately he was ineligible to play football in New Mexico that year due to the change, but could have played the following year. While out there he continued to enter physique and lifting contests, winning many new titles to add to those already won and listed later in this story.
It was about this time that he underwent a serious abdominal operation and because he had waited so long he was in pretty bad condition. The doctors told him he would probably never be able to do much again, physically, but with characteristic determination and courage he started working out again with light weights. He completely rehabilitated his abdominal muscles in about 6 weeks with leg raises, and worked on upper body work thereafter until his bodyweight had come up from a low 150 to 205. Only a short time later he was again lifting and made an 800 total.
He was again recalled to the Marines and again his education was interrupted. He was discharged again in '52 and reentered the University of New Mexico only to be called back in the Marines again in 1954. He was sent overseas the first part of July, where he remained until the Marine Corps finally decided to send him back to enter the Mr. America contest. He was able to train in a limited manner over there, but from the time he prepared to come back, until the contest, he had very little opportunity to get in any heavy training. He left Okinawa May 21 after numerous delays, and went to Japan until the 26th, then to Midway the 27th and to Hawaii the 28th. In each stop it seemed that he was not going to be able to come on through in time for the contest, due to much red tape connected with the armed services (any of you who have been in the service will understand this). He finally got out of Hawaii after he had opportunity for one workout, and reached San Francisco the 31st. Upon arrival here he encountered more difficulties in getting a plane East, and found that the money he was supposed to receive for the trip had not come through, and since he had very little of his own money he was barely able to purchase a ticket east. He left for Pittsburgh the 1st of June, just two days before the contest would start in Cleveland. Arriving home in McKeesport (just outside Pittsburgh) he immediately set out for York, where Grimek gave him some posing advice (several of the Mr. America contestants had been training in York), then back home again, and at once taking a plane again for Cleveland, where he arrived in time for the contest. You can see that he had very little opportunity either for training, rest or proper food. By the time the contest was over he was elated but very tired. He promised to come to the hotel Monday morning for an interview, but knowing how busy he was we doubted if he'd be able to make it. However, early Monday morning we received a phone call from the lobby of the hotel that he was there ready for an interview. When we remarked that we hadn't really expected he would be able to make it, he said that it was one of the rules of his life to always be on time for any appointment and to keep any promises he makes. This is just one indication of the very fine character of this ideal of young American Manhood we have selected to wear the crown of King of the muscle men for 1955. We know that he will bring honor and respect to the title and will be a true representative of ideal American Manhood which we can all be proud of. The bearer of such a title has a responsibility thrust upon him that can tax the ability of the best, a responsibility that many are either not aware of or are not willing to accept. We have no qualms about Steve in any respect.
Steve is still single, though he has had some close calls with matrimony. When he is again discharged from the Marines he hopes to go back to college and get his master's degree, then perhaps playa little professional football until he has enough money to open a health studio in Pittsburgh. He is much more interested in conditioning and rehabilitation than he is in a strict muscle building studio.
Steve tells us that after football. lifting is his favorite sport. He has trained chiefly for lifting and has done but little specialized bodybuilding in preparation for physique contests, in fact, he has never been much interested in physique contest work and only entered at the urging of friends. It has never been a very great ambition to win a Mr. America title, he would much rather be a World Champion lifter, but since he had a fine physique he could see no reason for not entering and winning, if possible. He is not a man of extremely massive build but still has plenty of muscle, as his photos will show. He has unusually fine shape and proportion and outstanding definition. His arms range from 17 to 17 1/2, usually depending on his bodyweight, which usually remains around 185. He is 5'10" tall, which makes him one of the most slender men to win the title, still he does not look slender. He is very strong and has won many weightlifting titles. He feels that the squat is the greatest single exercise in existence and uses it a great deal when training for lifting. Favorite exercises are the press and a special exercise called the rotary flying exercise on bench.
Steve's best lifts are 260 press (270 in training), 262 snatch and 342 1/2 clean and jerk. Had he made all these lifts at one time they would give him a total of 864 1/2, which is very good for a lightheavyweight. Here are a few of the many lifting and physique titles Steve has won: Mr. Pittsburgh in 1949; Allegheny Mt. 181 class championship in 1947 (lifting); Mr. Allegheny in 1949; Mr. Pennsylvania in 1949 (also winning 5 subdivisions in this contest, which was the first time he had ever competed against Jim Park; Allegheny Mt. 181 lifting tItle in 1949: same in 1950; Best Back in 1950 Mr. America contest; Tied with Jim Park for 7th place in the 1950 Mr. America; 1951 Mr. Albuquerque as well as Mr. New Mexico and Mr. Southwest. He was the Rocky Mt. 181 champion in 1951; second to Chet Spittle in 1952 National Collegiate contest with 800 total. This was right after his recovery from his operation. He won best arms and best chest in the 1953 Jr. Mr. America contest. He also won the Jr. Mr. America title in 1953 and took 4th place in the Sr. Mr. America contest that year besides winning the Mr. Health title and 5 trophies at Norfolk, Virginia. At this latter contest he won lifting honors of which we have no record at present. In 1954 he won the Mr. Virginia title, the 198 lifting title at Norfolk, the 181 class in the Washington D. C. championships and was second to Jerome Schemansky in the 198 class at the National YMCA championships. He won the Mr. Delaware Valley and at Wilmington he won the 181 class title with an 830 total. He won the 198 lb. class at the Junior Nationals in 1954 with a total of 845. .
The above are only part of the titles he has won since about 1948, and constitute quite a record as you can see. In closing we wish to congratulate Steve Klisanin and wish him the best of everything for the future.
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Let's Go To The Mr. America Contest
by Peary Rader
THOSE of us privileged to see the Mr. America Contest of 1955 at the Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland, June 4th and 5th realized that we were seeing one of the toughest competitions ever held in America because the top ten or twelve men were men of marvelous physique. Everyone of them would have been a credit to the "Mr. America" title. Our great regret was that each one of them could not share in the title, for we, personally thought there was but little to choose between them physically.
Forty-seven men were entered in this contest and all of them participated in the Mr. America and the sub-divisions. But let us begin a bit farther back. Your Editor and his wife arrived in Cleveland the afternoon of the 3rd of June after spending a week in Chicago attending the International convention of Rotary. We checked in at the Hollenden Hotel where most of the lifters and physique men were staying, and soon found ourselves meeting old friends and making new ones. As always in the past, we usually remained up until the wee small hours of the morning talking about weightlifters, bodybuilders and kindred subjects. The next day at 12 noon the members of the National AAU Weightlifting Committee and contest officials met at the Auditorium for a discussion of the Mr America contest. It was agreed that we must either change the title of the Mr. America contest to something like "America's Best Built Man" or make the requirements for a Mr. America winner more inclusive of other qualities so that he would be truly representative of Ideal American Manhood the title indicates. It was decided that the A.A.U. would gradually adopt suggestions made by your editor at the National A.A.U. convention last year regarding many features of the Mr.America event.
Since little preparation had been made for the changeover this year the operation of the system was undoubtedly rather crude. As yet no system has been worked out by which the judges can be guided. It was decided that this year we should start giving consideration to character insofar as it is possible to judge it on such short acquaintance for a Mr. America should be a man of good character. I will have much more to say about this in a future article in which I will detail the recommendations made to the A.A.U. and further suggestions for the functioning of the system. We also decided that personality, education and athletic ability should be considered. Another factor of major importance was pre-judging, which was instituted in a rather informal way this year.
As soon as the A.A.U. session was over the Mr. America contestants were told to get into their posing trunks for the pre-judging session. This was held on the stage of the theatre. The judges sat at a table and each contestant was called before them and was asked questions about his past, birth place and date, past athletic activities, education, and his plans for the future, as well as his present occupation. Before this the judges had mixed with the contestants, getting acquainted with them and looking them over. All this was done under normal lighting. Altogether this probably took about two hours. No voting was done at this time though we will probably do this voting in future contests at this time for it gives more time for the judges to do an accurate job than is allowed during the hurry of a public presentation. Even though the judges may have decided on their men, it still has to be worked out on a point system and this takes time and shouldn't be done at the show itself.
The first evening was given over to the selection of the Sub-divisions. This was a most difficult task. In the "Best Arms" division we had some very Close selections. Van Fleteren has some terrific arms of great size, fine shape and good definition. Schafer has some wonderful arms, and the arms of Art Harris are very outstanding, with most amazing definition. It almost seems this man may have more definition than George Paine. The arms of Seipke are very good as are those of Ross, Silipini, Nelson, Bohaty, Lacy and several others. The outstanding size, shape and muscularity of the arms of Harris finally won this title for him. Art is an Army physical training instructor. He weighed 136 when he was 18, but now weighs around 190. He is a good all round athlete. Art is only 21 so will improve a lot more. I expected him to place much higher in the Mr. America contest.
We had a lot of wonderful chests in the contest and it is very hard to choose between any of them except one and this one was Tony Silipini of Rochester. He probably has the finest chest of any Best Chest winner in any Mr. America contest. It is large, has ideal shape and is ideally developed. Photos will show you what we mean. Tony is a draftsman, 23 years old, and plans to go into lifting. He weighed 205 but usually weighs 245.
Don Van Fleteren, who tied with Seipke, is a big man with huge measurements, fine definition, and one of the finest backs I've ever seen. He is very impressive. He started training at 17 and weighed 155. He now weighs about 220, with an arm of about 18½, 50 chest, 26 thigh and 33 waist. He likes lifting and totals well over 900 and probably could become a top lifter of the world if he trained seriously. He has won many physique titles and was 4th in Mr. America in New York City.
Vic Seipke won the best abdominals and looked better than we have ever seen him before. We don't see how he can fail to win a title one of these days, a Mr. America title, that is. Just fresh from his victory in winning the Jr. Mr. America title, he tied for third place with his fellow townsman Don Van Fleteren. Vic is 23 and likes competitive lifting. Football is one of his favorite sports at which he played halfback. He is in the Detroit Fire Department.
Raymond N. Schaefer Jr. won second place and Most Muscular. This fellow has a terrific physique with large measurements, good shape and fine definition. He is only 22 and has won the "Mr. Heart of America" title. His upper thighs are a little too full on the inside for his lower thigh, and he should not develop his pectorals any more. A little more shaping up and he will be hard for anyone to beat in a physique contest. He has been training for 9 years and is a boiler maker by trade. Incidentally, we have gotten ahead of ourselves a bit, for the Most Muscular man was selected the second night.
The best back winner and best legs winner, Ronald Lacy was new to most of us. Rather short, very bulky, good definition and a very well proportioned physique. He has been training five years, likes lifting and has made a 750 total. He is 5' 8½" tall and weighs 185. He reminds us a little bit of Jack Dellinger. Strange as it may seem, though he won best legs, he tells us he has never done any leg specialization. He always had naturally good legs and his general training program brought them up without any special work. He was fortunate to win the best back for there were some men there with really terrific back development. For that matter there were some very good legs there, so you can judge that he was pretty good.
This concluded the first night's physique contest and everyone left after greeting friends and gathering as usual, in little groups discussing events. Finally the stage manager and building superintendents had to almost drag everyone out by the feet so they could close up, and so the fans left in groups for something to eat and to talk things over into the wee small hours of the morning. We met a famous old timer that evening, namely Ottley Coulter, who used to be a famous strong man about 30 years ago. Also had dinner with the champion girl lifter, Edith Roeder, and her husband. The following evening did not require so much time and the lifting was run off in a short while. As stated before, however, I believe a mistake was made in not doing the voting in the afternoon, which could very well have been done, for considerable time was consumed in voting and counting the points for each man, while the audience and contestants alike had to wait with nothing to do.
The first problem was that the judges had to be located at the side of the stage so that the contestant had to pose to the audience and then to the judges. The lighting was much better than on the previous evening and this helped a lot.
All the men were brought on the stage and there were so many that this had to be done in two groups. Then they were again brought on to pose individually. They were allowed about 30 seconds for this posing. Then the judges selected the 10 best men for finalists -- at least they tried to, but there were so many good men that they finally ended up with 12 men. These men were as follows: Don Van Fleteren, Ronald Lacy, Gene Bohaty, Ray Schafer, Dennis Nelson, Harry Johnson, Steve Klisanin, Art Harris, Vic Seipke, Mickey Hargitay, Jerry Ross, Ed Garza and Tony Silipini. These men appeared to be in the best shape of their life and all looked terrific. Every one of them was good enough to be a Mr. America. In fact many of the others who were eliminated were just about as good and it was a very unpleasant task to have to select just 12 "best" men.
We have told you something about most of these fellows, but a few words about the others may be interesting. Dennis Nelson was probably the tallest man in the contest, being 6'4" and weighing 230 Ibs. He is a TV repairman, was born in New York City but is now living in California, is married and has one child. He is a very handsome man, very well proportioned, and if he had a little more bulk and a little more definition he would be hard to beat.
Most of you know all about Gene Bohaty. He has been competing for a long time, and last year placed second with his wonderful physique. I thought he would place higher this year, for he looked good. Gene is well educated, is a chemical engineer and has written some books on cosmology, strictly scientific works. He is 36 years old and is a very good lifter, having won several lifting titles, and usually makes around an 850 total. Gene has won many physique titles including the Jr. Mr. America.
Harry Johnson, who always looks very good, though not as bulky as some of the boys, has great definition and fine proportions. He is well liked by everyone. He is 26 years old and a college graduate, was a fine athlete in college and started training in 1941. He is about 5'8" tall and weighs 180. Harry is married and has three nice little girls. He won the Jr. Mr. America title last year and has won many other physique titles.
Most of you know all about Mickey Hargitay. He has been trying to win a title for many years, and immediately after this show he went to England, where he won the amateur Mr. Universe title. He is a building contractor by trade, but has recently been appearing as leading man with the Mae West Show. He came from Budapest, Hungary a few years ago. He was Middle Europe Speed Skating Champion over there. He also played soccer football, at the time weighing 170, but he now weighs 218 at a height of 6'1½". We will have a story on MicKey soon. Incidentally Mickey finished high school in the USA, and speaks four languages.
Jerry Ross, who recently won the Mr. California title among many others, is a finely built young fellow who works in the movies, and has ambitions towards a movie career. He also is a lifter and has made some fine lifts such as 230 press and snatch and near 300 clean and jerk. Many expected Jerry to win but he is young and has quite a few years ahead of him.
Ed Garza from Detroit, who ,has won several physique titles, looked better this year than ever before. Ed is a very bulky fellow with wide shoulders and a huge chest and very fine legs. He has a fine, broad back. He does not have the definition that some of the others have, but has a very shapely physique. He looks rugged and powerful. Some of these days he will start winning.
That gives you a brief lineup of the men from whom the judges had to pick one man whom they thought would best represent Ideal American manhood and wear the crown of Mr. America. One of the judges told me that he felt it was an almost impossible task to pick a winner in that group.
A winner was finally chosen, however, in the person of Steve Klisanin. Second place was won by Raymond Schafer, who also won Most Muscular, which was voted on at the same time. Third place was a tie, with Vic Seipke and Don Van Fleteren sharing the honors. There was some talk of the judges voting the tie off on these two men, but so far as I know this was not done. and I don't believe it should be. If the men tied they should share the honor. This gave fourth place to Harry Johnson and fifth to Mickey Hargitay, while 6th went to Jerry Ross and 7th to Art Harris. Gene Bohaty was 8th and Lacy 9th. Silipini was 10th, Nelson 11th and Garza 12th. Incidentally, there was just a little over 6 points difference between the 3rd place men and the 12th place man so you can see how close the contest was.
Here is how the sub-divisions went: Best Arms: Art Harris, first; Don Van Fleteren second and Ray Schaefer third. Best Legs: Ron Lacy, Ed Garza and Steve Klisanin in that order. Best Back: Lacy. Schaefer and Harris. Best Abdominals: Seipke, Johnson and Ross. Best Chest: Silipini, Schaefer and Lacy.
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Muscle Builder, Vol 5, Num 1, page 22, August 1955
Meet the New Mr. America!
Steve Klisanin Scores Upset To Win Mr. America Crown
ON SUNDAY, June 4th, at the Masonic Temple in Cleveland, Ohio, a fighting U.S. Marine defied the predictions of experts to capture the big bodybuilding title of the year, Mr. America.
The Marine, Sgt. Steve Klisanin, outflanked a field of tough competition to end up a full 5 points ahead of his closest rival, another dark horse, Raymond Shaffer.
In cornering the title, muscular Steve hit the top after 5 years as a bodybuilder, with his most important victory up to this Mr. America event being the Jr. Mr. America crown he won in 1953.
Now in his second hitch in the service, what makes his victory most outstanding, and one reason why the experts overlooked him in making their predictions, is that Steve is on active duty, couldn't devote the hours to training other contestants could. But, what he may have lacked in training time he more than made up for in exercise effort when work-outs could be taken, proving once again that it is the man behind the weights that makes the champion, with determined effort, plus a never-say-die spirit being the real secret of championship success.
In taking second place, Raymond Schaffer, made an equally surprising and unheralded showing to win by a comfortable margin over this year's Jr. Mr. America Vic Siepke who was voted a tie for third with Don Van Fleteran. Harry Johnson, who won the Eastern Division Jr. Mr. America in 1954 was 4th.
Subdivision trophies were well distributed with Raymond Shaffer taking Mst Muscular. Klisanin gathered up the Best Abdominals; Anthonly Sillipini, Chest; Arthur Harris, Arms; while the West Coast's Ron Lacy walked off with the Best Legs and then made it a double victory by capturing Best Back as well.
The weightlifting competition which was a part of this same show saw powerful Paul Anderson on a record breaking spree with a world record clean and jerk of 436 pounds and a world record total in the three Olympic Lifts of 1160 pounds.
The show was sponsored by Joe Raymond, popular Cleveland Gym owner and illustrating this article are some highlights to give you a ringside seat at this important event.
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1956 Mr America - AAU
1 Ray Schaefer
2 Ron Lacy
3 Gene Bohaty
4 Art Harris
5 Vic Seipke
6 Dean Higuchi
6 Harry Johnson (1)
8 Robert Hinds
9 Tim Sweeney (1)
10 Joe Lazzaro (1)
11 Pete Ganios
12 George Jones (1)
13 Bruce Randall
14 John Leahy
15 Lou Degni
16 Edward Chrupcala
17 Joe Mauri
18 Gene Wells
19 R Berenguer
20 Tom Sansone
21 Constantine Kosiras
22 Frederick Coe
23 Len Bosland
Most Muscular
1 Art Harris
2 Ray Schaefer
3 Robert Hinds
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Behind The Scenes
Mr. America 1956
photos and text by Abe Goldberg
A greatly improved Ray Schaefer wins top award!
Sensational Art Harris cops Most Muscular.
Ron Lacy corners second place - seems like sure winner for next year.
Newcomer Bob Hines makes brilliant showing.
Read all about it here...
THERE WERE THRILLS by the hundreds, excitement which reached the boiling point and a really tough job for the judges in the 1956 Mr. America Contest. Held on June 1 and 2nd at the University of Pennsylvania Palestra, Philadelphia, the event will go down in bodybuilding history as one of the most brilliant since the first Mr. America was crowned in 1939.
Imagine if you can such top stars as the giant Art Harris, steel-muscled Gene Bohaty, popular Lou Degni, perfectly-proportioned Harry Johnson, mighty Ron Lacy, fabulous Ray Schaefer, an improved Vic Seipke and handsome Tim Sweeney lined up on one stage interspersed with sensational newcomers like Robert Hines, and you'll easily understand why a mere 9 points separated the winner from the 7th place contestant.
When the score cards of the judges were finally tablulated, Ray Schaefer, who won most muscular award in the 1955 contest, was announced as being Mr. America 1956! Hot behind him was Ronald Lacy 2nd, Gene Bohaty 3rd, Art Harris 4th, Vic Seipke 5th and Harry Johnson 6th.
In the Most Muscular Division, the judging was even closer. Art Harris was 1st with Ray Schaefer 4/10ths of a point behind for 2nd while my pupil Robert Hines lived up to my predictio in a recent article, by capturing 3rd in his first contest.
With Harris spending the last month conditioning himself at my gym and Hines being a steady member for the past year, I had reason to be pleased with the showing of my men.
With staff photographer Bob Delmonteque handling the contest from the front stage, I spent my time snapping 'behind the scenes' incidents mainly, and feel these will interest the reader.
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Muslce Power, Vol 19 No 7, Page 10, August 1956
The 1956 Mr. America Contest
by Muscle Powers Roving Reporter
Senior National Weightlifting Championships
THE 1956 Mr. America Contest held in the University of Pennsylvania had perhaps the toughest competition of all and ended with 23 year old Ray Schaefer, Korean War Veteran as Bodybuilding King Of The Year.
Ray, a boiler maker by trade, took two months off prior to the contest for intensive training and he certainly showed great improvement over last year when he came second. His added bulk and muscularity was most impressive.
Ron Lacy, the muscular marvel from Lexington, Kentucky, placed second and will certainly be tough to beat in 1957. 38 year old mathematical genius Gene Bohaty took third place honors.
Fourth place went to Arthur Harris who should have been next to Schaefer in my opinion. Art's posing brought down the house. His definition and bulk is amazing and no one was surprised when he took Most Muscular Honors, beating the Mr. America winner, Ray Schaefer.
Despite the fact that Vic Seipke was better than ever, he could only place 5th, a tribute to the caliber of the leading contestants. Harry Johnson, who also looked terrific placed 6th while Tony Silipini came in 5th. Tony would have walked away with some Special Division awards had these been held.
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1957 Mr America - AAU
1 Ron Lacy
2 Gene Bohaty
3 Harry Johnson (1)
4 Tom Sansone
5 Bill Golumbick
6 Bruce Randall
Most Muscular
1 Ron Lacy
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ronMan, Vol 17, No 2, Page 17, September 1957
Ron Lacy, Mr. America
Bohaty Second, Johnson Third
by Alan O'Brien
FROM the first moment that Ronald "Spec" Lacy stepped upon the stage at the big new Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, Florida, it was evident to everyone that here was "Mr. America for 1957". They were looking at an athlete, gentleman and a scholar. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Ron now makes his home in Lexington, deep in the heart of the Blue Grass country. For the past year he has devoted a good deal of his training to the 3 olympic lifts and feels that this type of a program was the biggest asset in helping, to develop his fine physique. Recently he totaled around 850 pounds as a light-heavyweight and that is really fine lifting.
After the lifting the first day we all got a good chance to see the contestants as the only subdivision was held, that being the "Most Muscular" man in America for 1957. Top award went to Ron Lacy. He really had the "muscles" and fine proportions to go with it.
All of the judges which included Karo Whitfield, John Terpak, Bob Hoffman, Al Christensen, Jack Ayers, Steve Klisanin and myself, agreed that the winner was one of the most symmetrically built men in the world.
The new system of scoring was used and proved very successful. There were 7 judges and each could give from one to twenty points per man. Five points for muscular development, 5 points for symmetry and proportion, 5 points for general appearance, and 5 points for athletic ability. The latter points were scored at the interviews which were held prior to the actual judging on the posing platform. If a man was a good weightlifter and could do well on the lifts he was usually awarded the full 5 points. Many of the fellows had played college football and were good at other sports so this helped them to get as many points as possible. Also at the interviews it gave the judges a chance to talk with the contestants and find out about their education and general background. Also 5 points were judged for muscular development at the sub-division so that only left 10 points to be awarded at the final session where the fellows were scored under the posing lights.
As usual the high and low score for each man was eliminated and that left a total from 1 to 100 points that a contestant could receive.
One of the contestants entered was big Bruce Randall, who once weighed over 400 pounds. Last year he was 187 and this year he entered at 230 pounds. It was interesting talking to him at the interview as he told us how and why he had jumped up and down with his bodyweight. When he weighed around 400 he pressed 370 which is really something. He looked very good under the lights but his upper body overshadowed his legs somewhat and he must have at least a 52 inch chest. Fifth place went to Bill Golumbick of California, present holder of the "Mr. Pacific Coast" title. Bill is quite short and possessed a fine set of abdominals but will need a little more muscular size and if he gets this he is sure to place high next year.
Fourth place was awarded to Tom Sansone from New York. Here is a fellow who has improved very fast and had a very good posing routine and fine proportions plus good muscular size. He has won a good many titles up in the east and is quite an athlete on top of that. If memory serves me correct he was second or third in the sub-division.
Third place went to a real southern gentleman by the name of Harry Johnson from Atlanta, Georgia. Harry improves every year. This year he really had more size than ever before and if his legs would just grow a little more he is sure to win the title someday soon. I, for one, hope he keeps in shape and will compete again next year as he certainly has the background to be a "Mr. America".
Second place went to Gene Bohaty from Chicago. Gene has taken a big interest in lifting and at the Junior Nationals in El Paso pressed a fine 280 pounds in winning the gold medal for the heavyweight class. He had his bodyweight up around 215 in May and was now about 195 and seemed to be in the best shape of his life. He will be my choice to take the title next year. A lot of the fellows have had good luck in making gains recently by jumping up in bodyweight and doing some lifting and then training hard for about 6 weeks prior to a physique contest, cutting the weight down so as to be in good shape for the event. By the way, if you haven't read Gene's book on the "Beginning and End of the Universe", be sure to do so. His latest is, "How to Cure the Common Cold". His ideas are very good and will give you a few hours of good reading enjoyment and will leave you with something to think about. Write to him in care of the Irving Park YMCA in Chicago.
Then, as mentioned, the big prize went to Ron Lacy. Everyone agreed that he was tops and the applause could really be heard and lots of handshakes were in store for him after the presentation. I hope he is able to enter the Mr. Universe contest, as he should do very well in international competition. He plans to resume lifting again and will enter the Senior Nationals next year. Ron also talked to me about getting the Junior Nationals in Lexington for 1958 and we hope he is successful.
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Muslce Power, Vol 20 No 8, Page 25, November 1957
Ron Lacy Gains Double Victory at Daytona
"Most Muscular" and "Mr. America" Title Fall to 188 lb. Kentucky Jitterbug in Two-day Muscle Contest
by Charles Coster
FOR five years Ronald C. Lacy hoped and waited to win the MR. AMERICA crown before success came his way.
Via the underground we had been 'tipped' as to the probable winner for 1957 long before this contest took place, but not many people dreamed he would take the "Most Muscular" title as well because of his lack of real bodyweight.
The spacious Peabody Auditorium housed an ample, if non-critical audience, and their enthusiasm for well-muscled suntanned bodies could not be mistaken.
Ron Lacy is 27 years old, blond, with a golden colored skin. He works as a physical therapist at the University of Kentucky.
First three in the 'Most Muscular' event were 1st R. Lacy, 2nd T. P. Sansone, 3rd Gene Bohaty.
Sansone appeared to be substantially more muscular than Lacy because of his 6' 0" Height, 19" Arms and near 50" Chest.
Gene Bohaty has had a long association with weight-training, is 40 years of age, and looked extremely well. His good looks, lively personality, and well known lifting ability made him popular with the crowd.
The number of Most Muscular entries was somewhat lower than usual (17) and after the first eight or nine places - the fall away in quality was somewhat noticeable.
Many were interested to see Bruce Randall, the lifter who once weighted nearly 400 lbs., who has now reduced to a hard muscular 195 lbs.
Another bodybuilder showing up well for bulk, definition, and general carriage - was Pete Ganios of New York, who had taken off nearly 20 lbs. of weight for the two contests.
Lacy was delighted when the result of the 'Most Muscular' event was made known and behind the scenes cameras clicked and autograph hunters worked overtime.
He poses well, moves smoothly, is completely at home in front of an audience, and gives you the impression of being a real athlete.
These attributes of course enable him to make the most of himself . . . his well proportioned body conveying an impression of greater height and weight than actually were the case.
So ended the 'Most Muscular' event and the first leg of the National Olympic Lifting Championship - at midnight, which meant that press photographers and radio interviewers had to rush their work through pretty fast to meet commitments.
The Judges for the Most Muscular event were: Al Christiansen, John Terlazzo, Bob Hoffman, Leopoldo DeLeon, Alan O'Brien, Johnny Terpak and Enrico Jahne.
The main MR. AMERICA contest was held the following day, after the conclusion of the Heavyweight Olympic Lifting (June 23rd).
Entries were about the same as for the previous evening. Here are the placings of the first five Mr. America contestants: 1st Ron Lacy, 2nd Gene Bohaty, 3rd Harry Johnson, 4th Thomas P. Sansone, 5th Bill Golumbick.
The Mr. America judges were not announced to the audience, but they were probably similar to those for the Most Muscular event. There was a little delay in announcing the winner -- and certain sections of the crowd started to shout for Lacy.
The result was well received (with a little booing from those humorously inclined) while those in the audience not expert in such matters were content to learn from the experience.
As soon as the first three men mounted the rostrum - the crowd surged towards the footlights where the photographers were shooting pictures.
Muscles - tanned to a golden hue from sun-drenched Daytona beaches . . looked superb under arc-lights, as the three lucky winners gave the crowd everything they had in a sequence of streamlined poses that lasted for many minutes.
Muscles and tendons writhed and twisted at maximum capacity as cameras flashed and cine-films whirred - perpetuating the occasion.
These rare and brief moments are always 'great'. For the contestants it symbolized the climax of long arduous weeks of most careful and scientific preparation, and the zest of the audience helped them recapture some of the 'magic' they had maybe lost during those exacting final training sessions.
At such a time an audience can be lifted to a state of exhalted fervor -- and the well produced Daytona Beach production was no exception to the rule.
These contests are no longer limited to the 'mere Muscle' alone. All entrants at these affairs have to satisfy the judges about other things also.
They have to be tested upon -- eyesight, hearing, hair condition, general looks, teeth, skin texture, athletic ability, and general intelligence . . . as well as overall musculature. If you can pass all these test with flying colors - you are pretty good.
I feel that there will be no complaints about the 1957 Mr. America. He is perhaps not the greatest we have seen, when compared with the Grimek and Reeves era, but he is certainly a good titleholder.
Ron is not tall or heavy, is an Olympic lifter as well as a bodybuilder, and first developed an interest win weights about five years ago.
He is a good football player and sprinter -- as well as being a jitterbug enthusiast.
Past-times like these have probably influenced the grace and power of his leg development, trim waistline, and easy athletic carriage.
But for the full Ron Lacy story - you will have to wait a little longer. Next month we hope to tell you about him in Muscle Builder, including the exercises and weights he uses, together with his system of training, which is identical with the modern methods advocated by the Weider System in our magazines for so long.
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1958 Mr America - AAU
1 Tom Sansone
2 Lynn Lyman
3 Gene Bohaty
4 Robert Walker (1)
5 Fred Schutz
6 Earl Clark
7 Vern Weaver
8 Ray Routledge
9 Bill Golumbick
9 Sam Martin
9 Chuck Sipes
12 Joseph Baratta
13 Roy Smith Jr
14 Ed Bailey (1)
14 Everett Evans
16 Alfred Souza
17 Gene Reid
18 Charles Collras
19 John Homola
Most Muscular
1 Tom Sansone
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IronMan, Vol 18, No 2, Page 9, September 1958
Tom Sansone
"Mr. America 1958"
by Franklin Page
PHYSIQUE Contests have been subject to a good deal of criticism lately. Though this is admittedly an area in which judgements are difficult, personal feelings very high and rivalries intense, the results of the 1958 Mr. America contest should set many troubled minds at ease. In the whole history of the contest few athletes have so conspicuously deserved the title or worked for it with greater care and dedication than this year's winner, Tom Sansone.
Tom Sansone is the bearer of a famous name in the iron game. Any old-timer will vividly remember Tony Sansone the great exponent of the classical physique and, in the late 20's and 30's, the ideal athlete from the point of view of artistic proportion and refinement of muscularity. Tom is not related to the older Tony, and his development is of an entirely different type, but they share the same high standard of excellence in physique, striking personality and intellectual competence.
Placings in the Mr. America Contest
1 Tom Sansone Berkeley HC 95
2 Lynn Lyman Globe 92½
3 Gene Bohaty Irvin Johnson's Gym 89
4 Robert Walker Unattached 87½
5 Fred Shutz York 86½
6 Earl Clark Chula Vista 85½
7 Vern Weaver York 84
8 Ray Routledge Pacific Coast 82½
9 Charles Sipes Pearl's 79
9 Sam Martin Unattached 79
9 Bill Golumbick Unattached 79
Joseph Baratta Unattached 77
Roy Smith, Jr Delinger's 76½
Everett Evans Ebony Gym 76
Alfred Souza Pearl's 74
Gene Reid Tanny's 71
Chas. Z Collras unattached 67
John Homola Unattached 65½
In judging the quality of a physique, proportion must be one of the first standards to apply. In the case of Tom Sansone this is perhaps best done when he is fully clothed and his spectacular muscularity temporarily obscured. His weight and bulk is so well distributed and the massive volumes of his body (shoulders, chest and hips) are so well adjusted to his skeletal structure and height that there is no sense of over-development or abnormality. One readily recognizes that he is a well-set-up young man and he looks as though he would have more than ordinary strength, but I doubt that I should immediately spot him as being extraordinary in muscle size.
As soon as Tom strips the picture changes radically. I saw him go through a complete workout fully clothed in sweat pants and two shirts. At the end of the evening when he stripped off, I was thunderstruck by the incredible size and muscularity of his body which far exceeded anything that I thought possible on a man of his size and age. His muscles stand out in crisp definition in a relaxed state and their enormous bulk is evident without any flexing whatever. His skin is smooth and finely textured; the rivers of sweat that cleanse his body in every workout carry off all impurities and waste. This impression of cleanliness is one of which I was very conscious and it was borne out not only in every line and movement but in the whole character of the man.
A native New Yorker, Tom is now 22 years old. He began training at the age of 16, but his actual training time adds up to only 4 full years, discounting a couple of layoffs, one at the time his mother passed away. Tom was coached along the line by his older brother who is now a physical education instructor in the New York public schools, a career for which Tom is also preparing himself. He has trained in many gyms in the New York area and at home. The results he has achieved are proof of the systematic methods he has followed and of the fact that he has neglected no device or training hint to develop every detail of his physique.
On the evening I observed his training Tom followed a full schedule for legs, back. chest and shoulders; he did a minimum amount of concentrated work on arms and abdominals. This is the general pattern of his training with occasional heavy work on arms and midsection. He employs no unusual exercises but performs all his movements with intense concentration and moderately heavy poundages. For example, he performs presses behind neck on a stationary pressing machine which permits no deviation from a direct upward press. As experienced bodybuilders know, this intensifies the movement since the weight may not be pressed forward or back to ease the strain on the shoulder girdle and arms. In the downward movement of this exercise Tom allows the weight to press half way down his back, swelling out his chest and applying terrific pull on his pectorals in bringing the weight up again to shoulder level. In all pulling and pressing movements Tom concentrates on the chest and shoulder muscles and this has resulted in one of the most massively developed chest and shoulder complexes in the world today.
Tom was certainly never a weakling and he began to show remarkable form very soon in his career. I can recall a photograph of him at the age of 18 when he already had outstanding pectorals, triceps and deltoids. In 1954 he won the Mr. National Collegiate title; in 1955 came the Senior Metropolitan New York, the Mr. Long Island, Mr. New York State and Mr. Gotham titles; in 1956, Mr. New York City; in 1957 he placed 4th in the Mr. America contest and was awarded 2nd place in the Most Muscular division. He attracted wide attention in this last contest and it was obvious to most critics that he was a man who deserved to place much higher. There is no doubt that Tom himself was aware of his superiority and this spurred him on to the big push in 1958. He swept the Junior Mr. America and Most Muscular Man titles cleanly in May at York; from that time there was no doubt in any of our minds that this was his year to go to the top. The big thing was to do it far outside his own geographical area and against the best in a muscle-conscious town.
Tom is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs just under 200 pounds for a contest. He has a 17¾ inch neck and a 50 inch chest but it is not the sheer size that is so impressive. His pectorals are very large and heavy but they do not spread weightily over his chest in relaxation; they maintain a crisp rounded shape at all times. Under flexion his pectorals swell to a hard striated bulk that matches his deltoids in height and density. His upper arms measure 19 inches cold; I measured them at 19½ inches after his workout, in which his arms were worked lightly. A week or so earlier his arms had been measured at 19¾ inches and I have no doubt that he could pump them up past the 20 inch mark if he felt the urge to do so. Again, it is not only the size that is so impressive, but the general shape and definition. When showing his arms, Tom usually flexes his left arm which is a bit more defined and higher-peaked than his right arm but no larger. His biceps bunch up into a full baseball that is clearly defined throughout its circumference and with the attachments under the deltoid and between the supinator and flexor muscles of the forearm clearly shown. This biceps is hard as rock and it is possible to feel the minute tissue of the muscle like an agglomeration of small wire strands. This intense development gives all of Tom's muscles a remarkably vibrant quality and a fine texture and flexibility. His triceps have long been, in my opinion, developed to peak condition and their bulk adds greatly to the contour and size of his flexed arm. Tom's 14½ inch forearm is cut into planes when flexed, rounded and full when relaxed. All of this is capped by unusually large deltoids that separate clearly into their anterior and posterior bodies. Tom's torso defies description, with every muscle - serratus, abdominals, obliques, intercostaIs-in razor sharp clarity. His abdominals look like large biscuits and I have not seen erectus muscles bulge so roundly since the great little Hercules, Gregory Paradise, used to hold pennies between the layers of his erectus?
The lower sections of Tom's body are as massively proportioned as his upper body, with full 27 inch thighs tying into a solidly-muscled hip girdle. Tom's hips are compact but wide; this gives him added strength, I am sure, and it is a tribute to the bulk of his upper body that his hips look narrow by comparison? His calves are a bit on the slender side but well-shaped and muscular.
Tom has never lifted in competition but is capable of a 280 pound press at any time.
Behind all this phenomenal physical development is one of the kindest, gentlest and most thoroughly likeable guys I have ever met. Though Tom has now reached the top, it is by no means at the cost of a well rounded personality and purposeful character. He attends New York City College two evenings a week, from 6 to 10 o'clock, and works in a clerical job in mid-Manhattan 8 hours every day. This leaves 3 nights a week to train and weekends to study. This has been Tom's schedule all year and it is clearly a tough one. It takes the little added purpose, that most men don't have, to lick such a regimen. Tom has an alert and accomplished mind to match his superb physique, and a personal warmth that makes anyone happy to be around him.
It would be a boon to American bodybuilding morale if Tom could represent this country in international contests; no one would make us prouder or acquit himself better. The right man got it this time.
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Muscle Builder, Vol 1 Num 6, Page 9, October 1958
Tom Sansone Wins Mr. America and "Most Muscular" Titles!
by Leroy Colbert
Joe Weider knows how to pick a winner every time! You'll recall that in our July issue Joe predicted the outcome of the 1958 Mr. America contest. His choice - big Tom Sansone.
Well, no sooner had the printing ink dried on those pages than his prediction came true, for on the night of June 22 in Los Angeles, handsome Tom Sansone did become our eighteenth Mr. America, and never was a title more honestly and deservedly won!
Not that his victory was an easy one, however. Tom faced some really rugged competition from that popular California favorite, Lynn Lyman, who placed second; and from those two veteran contestants from San Diego - Earl Clark and Bill Golumbick.
Personally, I am very proud of Tom's victory for I have come to know him well. I've watched him train - I've been his workout partner - and I can vouch for the truth of the statement that his sensational physique is very largely the product of the same Weider training principles which, by now, every modern bodybuilder, including myself, faithfully follows.
It is because Tom patterned his workouts so closely after Weider methods because he had the determination and drive to train harder than other contestants that we knew he'd take the title.
Sansone continually utilizes the famous Weider copyrighted principles of Flushing, Cheating and Peak Contraction in his training. In preparing for the Mr. America contest he combined all three in a unique three-workouts-per-day plan, which, as you can see, really paid off for this phenomenally muscular young man.
Normally his workout is a three-hour affair, and when preparing for local contests, about four hours. But for the "big one" Tom pulled out all the stops. With the titanic reservoirs of power and energy he had built up through training wisely according to modern training principles - through a careful check of his diet to see that it was kept ultr-high in protein - and through conserving that energy by getting plenty of sleep and relaxation - he was able to power-pack his muscles and build them to giant size with blade-sharp definition in three rugged daily workouts!
Having observed him carefully during his workouts, I can testify that he has thoroughly learned the art of complete concentration. Because of this he can force out extra reps - never giving a second thought to the weight he is using - and bring intense mental contraction and thought force to focus on every repetition of every set of every exercise he performs.
The transformation of Tom Sansone from just another bodybuilder to a world-recognized champion is one of the great stories in modern bodybuilding history. But it is just that - it is just one story in the continuing cycle of stories of magnificently-developed men. It is the story that we can write about you, if you follow Tom's good example and pattern your own workouts after the unparalleled principles on the Weider system. If you have his burning desire for physique greatness - his determination to faithfully serve his ideal - and faithfully follow along the Weider way, then success is as assuredly yours as it is this great champion's whom we honor here.
Tom Sansone is a sterling example of all that is fine and noble in our American youth and we known that he will go further along to greater glory in our beloved sport.
All of us wish him the greatest success and happiness in whatever he does. Weightlifting and bodybuilding can use champions like Tom, and we know that he'll wear his newly-won crown with the dignity of the true champion he is!
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1959 Mr America - AAU
1 Harry Johnson (1)
2 Ray Routledge
3 Pete Ganios
4 George Orlando
5 Vern Weaver
6 Elmo Santiago
7 Lloyd Lerille
8 Art Harris
9 Kenny Hall
10 Fred Schutz
11 Hossein Shokouh
12 Buddy Basil
13 Walt Cuzzimano
14 Tommy Johnson
15 Leo Downes
16 Joseph Simon
17 Bill March
18 Mike Ferraro
19 Hank Wayne
20 George Wojnowski
21 Harry Lanehart
22 Gene Wells
23 Sam Martin
24 Ed Jacobs
25 William Crozier
26 Pat Hensley
27 Lowell Scott
28 Joe Marino (1)
Most Muscular
1 Art Harris
2 George Orlando
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IronMan, Vol 19, No 2, Page 11, October 1959
Mr. America Contest
Has Exciting Tie Finish
by the Editor
EACH year we think that surely we will run out of perfectly built men and that the standards will drop, but each year it seems there are new men who are just as well built as those of the past. We often hear a heated discussion as to whether present day bodybuilders are as well built as those of the past when Grimek, Reeves, Ross and others reigned supreme. You will find some who feel the men of the past will never be surpassed while others feel present day men are better. It is perhaps a matter of opinion and mental conditioning. Surely it would be hard to find men any better than appeared at the Mr. America Contest this year. All the older fellows seemed greatly improved and there were so many new ones who had never been in a Mr. America Contest before who were just as good as the best, that the judges certainly had a difficult task. There were at least 12 men in this year's meet who could not be criticized as a Mr. America had they been selected.
One thing we must mention is that the public too often misunderstands the selection of a Mr. America due to the fact that Athletic ability and other aspects of the contestant's character count a full 5 points and this sometimes places a man higher than another who you may think has a superior physique. The reason they have these points is because the leaders of the game feel that the Title of "Mr. America" denotes something more than just physique -- it should include all characteristics such as education, personality, athletic ability, moral character, etc. which would be included in "Ideal American Manhood".
Placing Name Points Number
1 Harry L Johnson, Jr 84 11
2 Ray W Routledge 84 21
3 Peter Ganios 81 5
4 George J Orlando 80 18
5 Vern C Weaver 79 28
6 Elmo M Santiago 78 22
7 Lloyd J Lerille, Jr 77 14
8 Arthur J Harris 76½ 7
9 Kenneth Hall 75 6
10 Fred Shutz 72½ 23
11 Hossein Shokouh 71½ 25
12 James "Buddy" Basil 71 1
13 Walter J Cuzzimano 71 3
14 Charles T "Tomy" Johnson 70½ 10
15 Leo Downs 70½ 20
16 Joseph Simon 70 26
17 William F March 69½ 15
18 Mike Ferraro 66½ 4
19 Hank Wayne 65½ 27
20 George S Wojnoswki 64 30
21 Harry E Lanehart 62½ 12
22 Gene W Wells 62 29
23 Samuel C Martin 61 17
24 Edward M Jacobs 56 9
25 William W Crozier 51 2
26 Patrick Hensley 50½ 8
27 Joseph L Marino 47 16
28 T Lowell Scott 47 24
If the contest was run as a "Most Perfectly Developed" man in America contest such designations would not be necessary and only, the physique need be considered. A Mr. America as now selected might or might not be the most perfectly developed. I believe that since this system has been in operation we have had very little dissatisfaction among some of the District or Area contests where they feel that sometimes men with inferior physiques win the "Mr." titles. Always remember in these instances however, that when a contest is designated as a "Mr." that other things must be considered than the physique. Quite often a man may have everything you could ask for in a physique and it is quite conceivable that the world's most perfectly developed man might fail to win a "Mr." contest because he was low in the so-called Athletic points altho Athletic ability is not all that is or should be considered under this heading.
The men who failed to place at the top this year should, therefore, not feel too bad, nor should they feel that their physique is lacking in any respect other than possibly in athletic ability. Your athletic accomplishments have to be considerable to justify a full 5 points and those unable to qualify in this respect should develop some athletic specialty which will qualify them for the full points. Probably the simplest method of accomplishing this is to develop ability in the Olympic Lifts sufficient to give you the required total. Your A. A. U. rule book will give you the requirements.
Thirty-two men were entered, but four of them failed to show up for the contest. This still left an ideal number to run through.
The first night or July 31st, the men competed for the Most Muscular title. No winner was announced in this category until the next night. Most of the men appeared in this contest and some of them certainly looked great. The lights were ideal to show them to best advantage -- although we suspect they looked real tiny from the seats of the audience which were about half a block from the posing platform at the big York Fair Grounds where the contest was held.
On the second night, this great array of athletes paraded onto the stage in two groups as there was not room for all of them at one time. They looked wonderful out there under the lights with all of them having the nice tans, most of them not real dark, but just a good golden tan. You could hear gasps of amazement from the audience as the men first stood relaxed in front pose, then turned the left side, then the back, then the right side to the judges and the audience, holding each position for about a minute to give the judges a chance to study them. Then they marched off and another group came on. After this they came on one at a time and posed on the pedestal, each presenting three poses. It became increasingly difficult to select a winner and the seven judges were busy marking their score sheets, then rubbing out, as still better men appeared. What a job.
Finally each man had his chance to pose and all retired while the judges totaled their score sheets. During this period which usually takes about half an hour, several athletes gave demonstrations of their ability. Ron Lacy, a former Mr. America came on to give a posing demonstration of his massive and muscular physique. Ron is a blocky, chunky fellow, yet he combines it with a lot of grace and excellent posing ability to give a very impressive demonstration and he seems to be in just as good a shape as ever.
One of the Physique contestants gave an excellent tumbling demonstration. It was quite a sight to see one of these tall and heavily built men doing back flips and combination tumbling stunts with ease and grace. Little Dave Moyer then demonstrated seven ways of doing pushups, and in addition to the regular dips on one and two hands as well as hand stand dips, he performed straight arm planches from all directions. In other words, he did the bridge with arms straight in front and also to the side, then a planche or straight arm lever from the floor, popping up and down in reps as if it were nothing to him. It looked as if he might have done a one arm planche. This is remarkable when you consider his heavy body and legs.
After Dave put on his show and also did some tumbling, Ed Jubinville gave the most outstanding muscle control act we have ever seen. He demonstrated many controls we have not seen before or even heard of. If you ever have the chance to see Ed's act don't miss it. It is a highlight of any show. Ed is not heavily built, but he does have a masterly control of all his muscles.
Now it was time for the judges to announce their decision, but here comes the announcer who says that there has been a tie for first place and all judges have been called in to vote off the tie. This takes only a short time and they are ready to announce the winners first the "Most Muscular" winners. This is a very close thing with Art Harris winning over George Orlando by the very narrow margin of only one half point. Both men are very outstanding. This is the second time Art has won this title and there was some talk among the officials that a rule would be created at the next annual convention to bar anyone from winning the title more than once just as was done when Grimek won the Mr. America title twice.
Now they were ready to announce the Mr. America winners and as usual started with the 5th place man, Vern Weaver. Then they called George Orlando as fourth place winner with muscular Pete Ganios third. Now everyone was on the edge of their seats wondering who would come next. Two men had tied but no one could guess who it was. Second place man was announced as popular Ray Routledge. He deserves a high place and still has plenty of time to win this coveted title. FIRST PLACE MAN? Yon could hear a pin drop, as the saying goes, as the audience awaited the final announcement. FIRST PLACE AND THE NEW "MR. AMERICA" HARRY E. JOHNSON. There was wild cheering as this very popular athlete, a man who has tried for the title untiringly for many years, took his place on the victory pedestal to receive his trophy. Harry was so excited he could hardly stand up. I have never seen a man to whom winning the title seemed to mean so much. His wife, who has been one of his most enthusiastic booster's, ran up on the pedestal and gave him a big hug and kisses as the photographers snapped their cameras.
It was a real surprise to Harry as he had no idea he would win and before the show, while sun bathing, he had asked me how he looked. We had, in previous years, advised Harry to add more bulk and still keep his definition as we felt that was what he needed. Harry had worked hard at this and had added 15 pounds over his previous contest bodyweight and looked much better for it. Harry talked about his plans for next year when he was again going to try harder than ever to win the title -- not having the least idea that this was to be his big year, so you can imagine his amazement when he was selected.
Harry, who at 35 is the oldest man to ever win the Mr. America title, will be a real credit to this important post for the coming year. A father of four children of whom he is very proud, he is a clean young man of high ideals and principles. We hope that he will not be victimized by some of the fast operators who always hang around trying to make a 'fast buck' on new physique stars. We think Harry is level headed enough to avoid these dangers.
Here are a few facts about the various competitors which will interest you.
Art Harris looked far better than I had ever seen him. This man has to be seen to be believed. His development is fabulous whether in repose or tensed up. His definition is without peer and his measurements are huge.especially of the arms and shoulders and his back is unbelievable. His photos certainly never do him justice.
This was the first time we had seen George Orlando who has been winning contests in the east this year and we were much impressed with his muscularly, definition and general over all good appearance. Tho rather short and weighing about 160 when trained down for a contest he is undoubtedly one of the best in the world for his size. He should go far.
Buddy Basil who won the third place in the Jr. Mr. America is very good too. I might mention here that some of these boys need more athletic points to place higher. Both Orlando and Basil come in this classification. If you wish to know where you placed in this respect you can write to Clarence Johnson and he will tell you how you placed and where you need improvement.
Mike Ferraro who won the Mr. Teenage two years ago has a nice physique and will do well in the future with more improvement.
Pete Ganios has a really outstanding physique of the rugged type with very large measurements and lots of definition. He placed high as you will see by the point scores. Pete trains hard and uses heavy weights. The squat is his favorite and he does 6 to 8 sets of 10 with up to 500 Ibs. and has made 550 squat and 425 bench press. He has also made an 825 total on the Olympic lifts while weighing 225. His weight is usually around 240 but he trains down to about 220 for a physique contest. He would have undoubtedly won the best chest title had there been such a title available.
Kenneth Hall who is originally from the British West Indies has a much better physique than his photos would indicate. With a little more bulk he will be real outstanding. He has good shape and very good definition. He had made a 750 Olympic total at a 175 bodyweight. Art Harris incidently has made an 800 total on the Olympics too. Walter Cuzzimano has been competing a long time and has a really fine physique which gave him a lot of points. He has won a lot of contests. Charles "Tommy" Johnson is a young man with an outstanding physique and a lot of athletic ability who deserves a lot of credit for Tommy is a deaf-mute. He is doing a wonderful job in spite of a handicap that would cause most people to want to lie down and die.
Harry Johnson who has been trying for so many years and who is probably one of the most popular bodybuilders we ever had was looking better than ever this year and told me that he had added considerable bulk to his physique and still retained all his fine definition and shape. About three years ago Harry asked us what he needed to bring him to the top and we recommended that he add more bulk and still try to retain his shape-this is a difficult task but Harry did it even tho his training time is limited since he is a family man and works at two jobs. It paid off as you will see later in this report.
Lloyd J. Lerille, Jr. is a husky red head who reminds.us a little of Ron Lacy and Lloyd has won the Mr. Armed Services title in Hawaii a year or so ago and he looks very good. We feel that he will improve a lot and get right up there at the top. Bill March has a fine physique as does Sam Martin. Both will improve a lot and should climb higher on the Mr. America ladder.
Ray Routledge of Bill Pearls gym is as nice and fine a young man as you will meet anywhere, with a superb physique and an attractive personality. We want to commend him on his preparation for the judging. He had documented proof of his athletic ability which he placed before the judges without loss of time so they could make their decision on this phase without delay. So often the contestant has no proof whatever of his past accomplishments and the judges have sometimes been mislead by certain over-ambitious contestants. If you can show authentic proof of what you have done then you're safe. We hope to have a story and photos on Ray as well as many of the other contestants in this contest. Incidently Ray has made a 905 Olympic total at 198 bwt. and is very good at the hammer throw with 144 ft. to his credit. Kenneth Downs has a fine physique. He had a little trouble because someone had entered him under the name of Rosa. This was straightened out tho and no difficulty was encountered.
Elmo Santiago, the present Jr. Mr. America has a fine physique and it would be hard to find a flaw in it. He has been competing several years and has won most of the eastern titles. We thought he would place higher, he has a 750 Olympic total as a middleweight. Fred Schutz, the only man to compete in both the lifting and physique contest of course has outstanding athletic ability and a very nice physique but needs specialized bodybuilding to improve his physique to top quality. He should with proper training reach the top in the physique field.
Hossein Shokouh a young student from Iran who attends college in Calif. has an outstanding physique and many felt that he might win the title but needs more athletic points. He has a nice personality and will remain in the USA for some time yet, furthering his education. Joseph Simon is another man with a nice physique but he needs more time to bring his physique up with the best. Vern Weaver who always places high in the Mr. America contest is an outstanding athlete and has a very fine physique with good proportions and nice definition but we believe he needs more bulk to put him up there as a winner. Gene Wells and Geo. Wojnowski both have physiques that are very outstanding as their photos have shown.
Here are a few more interesting facts about some of the boys we were able to obtain. Tommy Johnson is the 177 lb. Mason-Dixon wrestling champ and this covers a lot of the south. Harry Lanehart, with broad shoulders and small waist, has only recently recovered from a very severe bout of pneumonia and had not been expected to live to say nothing of taking part in the world's toughest physique competition. Lerille had also been a state wrestling champ. Marino with a nice physique, but appearing a little slender with the other heavy built boys has his own print shop in New York City and has been working as a correction officer too. George Orlando is really outstanding for more than his physique. All that terrific body was built in his little home gym and with home-made cement barbells. This ought to be answer enough to you who feel you must train in a deluxe gym with lots of chrome and highly paid instructors. George is one of the finest built short men in the world today. Leo Downs, an outstanding colored boy is a very strong man, tho he hasn't competed as a lifter. He has pressed 280 and made an 835 total on the Olympic lifts the first time he tried the lifts. He has bench pressed 425 and squatted with 500. He has a lot of natural ability and would be one of our greatest prospects as an Olympic Champion if he could be encouraged to train on the lifts. Hank Wayne has a lift truck business. He has made an 850 Olympic Lifts total. Joe Simon is an outstanding baseball player and Vern Weaver, in addition to making 845 total, made a track coach eat his words as he remarked that Vern would be slow and stiff from lifting weights. Vern thereupon demonstrated that he could move fairly fast by running the 100 yards in 10.3 the first time he tried it. With all the evidence now before the public we sometimes wonder at the stubbornness of some coaches and some doctors to accept the fact that barbell exercise trained athletes are superior. So many college and high school coaches are training their men with weights that in the near future all others must fall in line or find their teams completely outclassed. Russia recently tried an experiment with some of her athletes and removed them from barbell training only to find that their performances were then outclassed by barbell trained men. They were quick to return all men to barbell training again.
Judges for the Mr. America contest were: Herb Lucy, Morris Weisbrott, Jim Messer, Jack Ayers, Ron Lacy, John Terlazzo and Peary Rader.
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IronMan, Vol 19, No 2, Page 9, October 1959
Persistence Pays Off
for Harry Johnson
"Mr. America 1959"
by Peary Rader
A MOST amazing thing happened on the night of August 1, at the Fair Grounds in York, Pa. For the Mr. America contest was held there and with 30 of the best built men in the USA competing for the big title, Harry Johnson, who has been entering these events for many years, found himself under the spot lights receiving the trophy and title, almost without knowing what was happening. There has never been a more surprised man at a Mr. America contest than Harry that night. To say that he was almost shocked numb by his good fortune would be putting it mildly and Harry tells me that he was in a daze for several days after. I've never seen a man happier at winning the big title. We are sure that Harry, a man of high ideals and principles, will be a real credit to the game. He mentioned the crowd of young fellows who crowded around for his autograph after the contest and his great desire to set a high ideal for these teenagers, as he wears the crown in the limelight for this coming year, a year that can be the greatest of Harry Johnson's life.
Harry Johnson is the oldest man ever to win the title, being 35, married and the father of 4 children, 1 boy and 3 girls. His wife is much interested in his training and has been a big help to him over the years, encouraging him when he became discouraged at not winning a higher place or title after the great amount of work he put in at training.
Harry did not start out as a 97 lb. weakling, but was an average, healthy boy who participated in athletics. He was on the All State football team where he played guard. He won a scholarship to Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. He ran the 100 yard dash in 10.5 seconds without practice. Harry was able to attend Georgia State University for only 1½ years, as other obligations interfered.
Harry says that one of his greatest inspirations was his father, who neither smoked nor drank, and taught Harry to refrain from these bad habits. He credits his father with the high ideals he lives by today.
Harry started barbell training in 1944 and says that John Grimek is his ideal and inspiration ill the bodybuilding field. He was already a rather husky young fellow from his various athletic pursuits but he made rapid progress with the barbells and soon found himself good enough to enter and win contests, the first being the Mr. Physical Fitness contest in high school then the Mr. Atlanta contest in 1947, Mr. Chattanooga and Mr. South in 1948. In 1954 he won the Best Built Weightlifter of the South and also the Most Muscular and the Mr. Southern States title the same year. 1954 was a big year for Harry, he won the Jr. Mr. America title and was 5th in the Mr. America contest. In 1955 he was 4th in the Mr. America contest then the next year's Mr. America contest he was 6th. He tied for 3rd. place in the Mr. Universe contest in Virginia Beach. He was third in the Mr. America contest held at Datona Beach. In 1958 he did not enter because of the sickness of his daughter. That brought him up to the present contest of 1959 in York, Pa.
Always at the many contests when we would meet Harry, he would ask us what he needed yet to put him in the winner's class and we always stressed that he needed more bulk while still retaining his present definition and shape. The afternoon before the contest in York, Harry was out at the Fair Grounds getting some sun and we snapped a few photos and talked with Harry and he told us that he had added about 15 lbs. bodyweight for more bulk and it was easy to see that he had retained or improved his shape. He was completely unaware that he was going to win the title and we talked of what he ought to do to improve still more for the coming year. Of course we now know that there will be no coming year for Harry in the Mr. America competition for he has reached the top.
After he won the title, we asked Harry what his plans for the future were and he mentioned that he would like to go to England and compete for the Mr. Universe title.
Harry has no particular desire to open a gym and try to make a quick and easy fortune as some other winners have. He works at the Lockheed Aircraft factory as a tool maker and is quite happy with his work. He has also been working 6 nights per week in addition but tells us he is stopping this as it is too rough and doesn't allow much time for training or family life. Harry lives in Decatur, Georgia and has been training at the gym of Karo Whitfield.
HARRY'S FAVORITE EXERCISES AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
Harry says that his favorite exercise is the situp and he never feels he has had a complete workout without doing a lot of situps and leg raises.
In training for this contest, Harry worked out 5 nights per week and used 16 exercises. He took just 2 hours for each workout but never rested between exercises, going through the program as fast as possible. He and training partners tried to outdo each other in poundages, reps, and speed of going through their programs. This makes an amazingly rugged program and you wonder how he made the progress he did while working at the factory and then at night also. This method of working out develops great endurance as well as a fine physique. He weighed about 200 at the start and trimmed down to 185 for the contest.
Harry used 16 exercises in this program as follows:
Bench press, 3 sets, 15 reps with 250 lbs.
Incline press, 3 sets, 12 reps, 85 lb. dumbells.
Decline bench press, 3 sets, 12 reps, 85 lb. dumbells.
Press from behind neck, 3 sets, 12 reps, 125 lbs.
2 arm dumb ell press, 3 sets with 85 lbs.
Chin behind neck, 3 sets of 15 reps.
Bent over rowing with dumbell, 3 sets of 12
Bent over rowing with dumbell, 3 sets of 12 reps, with 75 lbs.
Barbell curl, 3 sets of 12 reps, with 135.
Concentration curl with dumbell, 3 sets with 50 and 40 lb. dumbells.
Handstand pushups on bench, 3 sets, 15 reps.
Triceps curl, 3 sets with 80 for 12 reps.
Triceps pushdown on pulley weights, 3 sets of 12 reps. with 120 lbs.
Hack lift on Hack machine, 3 sets of 15 reps with 370.
4 sets of toe raises on calf machine.
1,000 situps per workout in sets of 500.
4 sets of leg raises with iron boots
Some program, huh? Especially when you consider that he performed this program 5 nights per week for the past month, and went through it without any rest between exercises.
His usual schedule is 3 nights per week and he varies his workout programs somewhat by using different exercises. At the time of winning the contest, his measurements were as follows: height, 5'9"; weight, 186 lbs.; arm, 17; neck, 17; chest, 48; waist, 30; thigh, 25; calf, 16¾. You will note that Harry is not in the habit of exaggerating his measurements. At about 200 lbs. bodyweight when he was rather bulky he had the following measurements: arm, 18¼; chest, 50½; waist, 34; and thigh 26¼.
In 1953 Harry won the 198 lb. class in the Southern Championships with a record press of 235 (the record held for several years), snatch of 230 and clean and jerk of 295. He was in training for heavy squats doing 10 full squats with 400, and 35 reps with 335. He did 1 squat with 530 and was trying for a world record until Paul Anderson came on the scene around Harry's locality and lifting against this human derrick was rather discouraging. Harry has bench pressed 360, done dips on parallel bar 6 to 8 reps with 140 (this is a really outstanding power lift and few men could equal it).
Harry and his beautiful wife, Joyce, make a fine couple and they have an unusually happy family life. They are the kind of people who will go out of their .way to help someone else. They have no ambitions to be the biggest or the best or the richest or the most famous in the world. They just want to be good people, good neighbors, and enjoy the quiet pleasure of bringing happiness to the world by the good deeds they can do others.
We, of Iron Man, salute Joyce and Harry Johnson and their family. We wish that there were more clean, Christian families like theirs in the USA and we hope that their example will generate enthusiasm in others for their kind of life. Thank you, Harry Johnson, for being the man you are. We are proud of you.
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1960 Mr America - AAU
1 Lloyd Lerille
2 Ray Routledge
3 Joe Lazzaro (1)
4 William Stathes
5 Joe Abbenda
6 Bill Golumbick
7 Frank Quinn
8 Elmo Santiago
9 Mike Ferraro
10 John Gourgott
11 Leroy Saba
12 Don Van Fleteren
13 Kenny Hall
14 Pete Ganios
15 Steve Sakoulos
16 Bill March
17 Buddy Basil
18 Harold Poole
19 Paul Mintal
20 James Piesrante
21 Raymond Huecke
22 Bill Galewood
23 Michael Majoris
24 Henry Efland
25 Nick Spano
Most Muscular
1 Lloyd Lerille
2 Leroy Saba
3 Kenny Hall
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Strength & Health, Page 14, October 1960
THE MR. AMERICA CONTEST
LLOYD LERILLE WINS BIG TITLE,
ALSO NAMED MOST MUSCULAR
By Bob Hasse
LIKE his Miss America counterparts, for the second year in a row a star bodybuilder from the Deep South was the surprise winner of the 1960 Mr. America contest. Lloyd Lerille, a read-headed college student whose home town is Harvey, Louisiana, shaded Ray Routledge of Sacramento, California, 94 point to 93, in the annual balloting to choose the nation's most outstanding male physical specimen. The new champion is a 5-foot 6-inch, 180-pound senior at Southwestern Louisiana Institute.
In terms of high calibre physiques and geographic origin of contestants, this was perhaps the most representative Mr. America contest for more than a decade. In the lineup, no contestant stood out above the others as has been the case at times in the past.
One year ago, "Red" Lerille finished in seventh place in the scoring for the 1959 Mr. America award. he had won a number of local contests prior to that time but was not well known nationally. Shorter than average in height and extremely muscualr, Lerille also collected the Most Muscular award this eyar. His closest competitors in that category were Leroy Saba of the U.S. Navy, second, and Kenneth Hall of New York City, third. The announcement of the 24-year-old soft-spoken bachelor's victory in the Most Muscular voting, which preceded the Mr. America results, brought down the packed house. Judging from the audience response during the Mr. America presentations, however, Routledge was the first choice of the masses for the Mr. title. It was the second year in a row that the California-based airman finished as runner-up. He was in top shape, but apparently the judges were not as impressed by his symmetry and general excellence as they were by Lerille's mass and muscularity. This point was also confirmed by seventh place ranking in this contest of Frank Quinn, the Memphis, Tennessee, athlete who had defeated Lerille in the Southern Section of the Junior Mr. America contest at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, three weeks earlier. The winner's choice of poses was carefully considered and served to make the most of his strong points. Routledge's posing, on the other hand, seemed devitalized, perhaps because of the mediocre illumination provided.
Finishing in third spot was Joe Lazzaro of the York A.C., Buffalo, New York. By virtue of his placement in the Senior contest, Lazzaro is the 1960 Junior Mr. America. He had won the Eastern Section of the Junior Meet at Schenectady on May 21st. Quinn was the only other Junior Sectional winner entered at Cleveland.
A veteran of 12 years on the San Francisco police force, William Stathes, finished fourth in the final tabulation. The muscularity of this California lawman in semi-relaxed state was unbelievable. Following Stathes was husky Joe Abbenda, a 20-year-old college student from Astoria, Long Island, who last year was selected as the possessor of the nation's outstanding teen-age physique.
Bill Golumbick of San Diego, California, was sixth this year, up three notches from his 1958 finishing position. Rounding out the top ten in addition to the previously mentioned Frank Quinn were Elmo Santiago of New York City, Mike Ferraro of Buffalo, New York, and Charles Gourgott of New Orleans, Louisiana. Pete Ganios, third last year, slipped all the way down to 14th place in this year's voting.
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EVERY WINNER OF THE MR. AMERICA COMPETITION SINCE 1939
mr america list competitor bodybuilding
17. October 2020 by MrBerg
Before Mr Olympia and Mr Universe there was Mr America. Every novice dreamed to become Mr. America! Dennis Tinerino, Chris Dickerson, Bill Pearl and all other oldtimers are just proud calling themselves Mr. America! Even Germany started its own version entitled ‘Mr. Germany’!
Ed Giuliani (Arnold’s training buddy) said:
“Wherever you were born, you’ve got to win that state.
You can’t ever run away from where you were born and raised and then win the state where you’re now residing. You’ve got to go back and do it. For some reason, it just burns in the head: it just works. I’ve never known a great bodybuilder who hasn’t won at home first.
Franco Columbu, Mr. Italy, born and raised there; Arnold, Mr. Germany, Mr. Austria; Frank Zane, Mr. Pennsylvania, where he was born; Larry Scott won Mr. Salt Lake City where he was born. Dave Draper won Mr. New Jersey, then came out here. Robby Robinson, Mr. Florida. “
Mr. A 1939 Bert Goodrich (First Mr. America, but not AAU sanctioned)
Living near a river in the State of Arizona, where he was born and raised, he was first attracted to swimming. At the age of 13, he started winning contests in high and fancy diving, as well as in swimming race.
He was a consistent winner in these events throughout the years he competed in them at high school and college. Tumbling and hand balancing stunts also commenced to appeal to Goodrich when he was a boy.
By the time he graduated from high school he was nearly six feet in height and weighed 170 pounds.
His leisure time during school years was absorbed almost constantly through his participating in wide variety of sports, consisting of football, basketball, baseball, track athletics, swimming, tumbling, gymnastics and weightlifting.
Over a period of years he has developed a physique to such a super-excellent state that the physical culture experts, who acted as judges at the “Mr. America” contest, selected him as being the finest physical specimen among all the outstanding physical cultures athletes. At the age of 32 he weighed 195lb. [source: H&S 9.7.1940]
1939 Mr. A Roland Essmaker
Roland Essmaker. Photo Courtesy George Coates
He was born on 24th March 1916 in Richmond, Indiana USA, son of Harry and Anna. He had two brothers and one sister. His mother died when he was very young, so life was tough for his father, a chiropractor.
Unable at first to afford ‘proper’ weights, Roland commenced training with an assortment of scrap metal odds- and -ends obtained from a local junk yard. Later with a friend he worked out at the YMCA gym. Most trainees in those days included gymnastic ring work, and Roland developed the ability and power to make three repetitions of the single arm ‘chin or pull up.
After his historic Mr America win in 1939 he worked for a while as an artists model, including posing for the famous Walt Disney Company.
Roland’s philosophy was: “Train for health and a symmetical physique”.
He also said, “Don’t struggle with too much weight. Many oldtimer are paying the price with joint problems.”
Roland died of cancer at the age of 86 yrs. [source: Roland Essmaker 1939 Mr America Dies A TRIBUTE by David Gentle]
1940 – 1941 John Grimek
Champion weightlifter John Grimek did not become a quote-on-quote competitive bodybuilder until AFTER winning the 1940 and 1941 AAU Mr. America contests. (He was never defeated in a physique contest.)
According to strength historian Jim Murray, former managing editor of Strength & Health magazine, Grimek only practiced standard barbell and dumbbell exercises but, concentrated on competitive weightlifting. From 1932 until 1940, his main training consisted of snatches, clean-and-jerks, heavy squats and tons of clean-and-presses.
One of Grimek’s memorable philosophies for life was,”Keep your focus on good health as a primary motivation for your toil. Build muscles the old-fashioned way. Earn them by hard work and dedication.” [source: Bill Pearl Fan Page]
1942 Mr A Frank Leight
Frank Leight won the 1942 Mr America title. He also won the Best Chest category several times. A tall, powerful, athletic figure, he was one of the Siegmund Klein’s moist famous pupils.
He did not particularly indulge in heavy weight lifting as far as Olympic lifts. He did, however, use very heavy weights. He did an abdominal raise with 155 lbs!
He did 100 sit-up repetitions with a sixty pound barbell. He has also lifted a 150lb barbell 35 times in succession in the two arm press and has done 15 repetitions with two one hundred pound dumbbells.
When he won this title, the newspapers flashed this all over the country and the New York Journal American gave him a full page spread with pictures and story.
Many offers came to Frank Leight but he would just smile in his good natured way and would not consider them. He did not want interviews or have photos taken.
Frank Leight uses his mother’s maiden name, which is German, and “Leight” means “easy” or “light” in the sense of being “easy to do… feels light”. His real name is Frank Stepanek.
Back in the day he was an instructor at the New York Police Academy teaching recruits boxing, wrestling and Judo as well as
physical conditioning. [source: S&H October 1957]
1943 Mr. America Jules Bacon
Jules S. Bacon (July 8, 1917 – January 13, 2007) was an American professional bodybuilder. Bacon was born in Philadelphia. He began weight training at age 20 and came second in the 1941 Mr. America bodybuilding contest. He won Mr. America in 1943. Bacon died in York, Pennsylvania, aged 89. [Source: wikipedia]
Mr. America 1944: Steve Stanko
steve stanko bodybuilder
Steve Stanko (September 5, 1917 – December 31, 1978) was an American heavyweight weightlifter and bodybuilder. In weightlifting he won a silver medal at the 1938 World Championships and set three unofficial world records in 1941: in the snatch, clean and jerk and in the total. In bodybuilding he was crowned Mr. America in 1944, Most Muscular Man in America in 1946, and Mr. Universe in 1947. [source: wikipedia]
1945 Mr America: Clarence Ross
Clarence Ross (October 26, 1923 – April 30, 2008), also known as Clancy Ross[1] was a bodybuilder from the United States.Ross was born in Oakland, California on October 26, 1923, the second of the four children of Hershel Ross, a teamster, and his wife Jeannette Levi.[2] His mother died when he was young, so he grew up in a series of foster homes. He started weight training at age 17, weighing 135 pounds at a height of 5’10”. He was motivated by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to enlist in the Air Force, which he did on October 31, 1942 at San Francisco, and was then stationed in Las Vegas.[3] Around this time he married his wife.In 1945, Ross won the AAU Mr. America contest in Los Angeles. After this success, he started to appear on the covers of popular physique magazines such as Your Physique, Iron Man, Muscle Power, and Health and Strength. [source: wikipedia]
1946 Mr America Alan Stephan
To George Hanus, Chicago strongman and gymnastic star, goes much of the credit for Al’s desire for physical perfection. Hanus since given his life in the Merchant Marine during the war, but he has left a record of encouragement and assistance to many young lads in the physical culture game. (..)
Al owes his start in bodybuilding to the day he saw George Hanus performing on the flying rings in Chicago’s Douglas Park. (..)
Al did develop a fine start in gymnastics, weight lifting, and general athletic skill. He worked out two nights a week and Saturdays, at the same time spending long hours in the gym at J. Sterling Morton High School with the gymnastics team. (…)
His body took on the rugged contours of his father’s; his chest deepened and broadened; his arms grew; he grew taller. With only an eighty-pound dumbbell set, plus a stiff routine of training at Douglas Park and with the gymnasts at high school, the gangling kid took on his Mr. America form. (..)
Soon after his graduation from Morton High School, Al enlisted in the Navy, in July, 1943. (…)
At Camp Perry, Virginia, his rugged physique served him well. He was assigned as a judo and wrestling and physical training instructor, under Roy Moore, 140 pound amateur world wrestling champion and the only white man to hold the coveted “5th Degree Black Belt,” symbol of over 100 matches without defeat in judo.
Moore considered Al his prize instructor, but within six months the Navy transferred Al to Davisville, Rhode Island, then to Pearl Harbor for eight months, and finally to Guam for another eight months following the end of the war. He was finally discharged on April 2nd of this year – two months to the date that he was to win his title as Mr. America. [source: Your Physique 1946 October]
1947 Mr America Steve Reeves
Stephen Lester Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and philanthropist. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword and sandal films, playing the protagonist as muscular characters such as Hercules, Goliath, and Sandokan. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe. Though best known for his portrayal of Hercules, he played the character only twice: in Hercules (1958), and in its 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained. By 1960, Reeves was ranked as the number-one box-office draw in 25 countries around the world. [source wikipedia]
1948 Mr America George Eiferman
George Eiferman (November 3, 1925 – February 12, 2002) was a notable figure in the sport of bodybuilding. Born in Philadelphia in 1925, he served in the Navy during World War II and entered into the sport of bodybuilding afterwards. He won the AAU Mr. America competition in 1948 and the Mr. Universe in 1962. [source: wikipedia]
1949 Mr America Jack Dellinger
Jack Delinger (born June 22, 1926 – December 28, 1992 in Oakland, California) was an American professional bodybuilder from Oakland, California.[1] He won the 1949 AAU Mr. America and the 1956 Mr. Universe.[2] (wiki)
1950 Mr America John Farbotnik
Before and After Picture of John Farbotnik
John Farbotnik was the popuilar winner of the 1950 AAU Mr. America contest, held in the Academy of Music in Phliadelphia.
The contest, with 32 contestants, was one of the more successful AAU Mr. America events. Farbotnik scored a total of 71 points out of a possible 75, with Melvin Wells at 68, and Roy Hilligenn at 65.
At the time Farbotnik won the Mr. America contest, he was an instructor at the Physical Services Institute of Bruce Conner and Harold Zinkin, located in Los Angeles.
Later he partnered with Les and Pudgy Stockton to open a gym in Pasadena, California. In the early 1960s, he immigrated to Eastern Canada and became heavily involved in commercial real estate.
John Farbotnik died in 1998, at age 72. [source Bill Pearl fanpage]
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1951 Mr America Roy Hilligenn
Roy Hilligenn broke the national junior lightheavyweight clean and jerk record at this time with lifts of 335 on his third and 350 (double bw) on a fourth attempt. The record was held by no less a personage than John Davis. Photo shows a snatch with 245.
Roy Stanley Hilligen (November 15, 1922 – August 3, 2008) was Mr. South Africa four years and the 1951 AAU Mr. America. Famous for his incredible strength, vegetarianism, and dazzling smile, Hilligen mixed body building and weight training in his fitness program. [wikipedia]
Roy Hilligen is not a big man, but is compact and possesses unusual power for his size and weight, plus all-round athletic ability.
Before the 1951 Mr. America contest he left his job and went to stay and train with Ed Yarick where between them, they devised a fantastic training program: to train six days a week and EIGHT HOURS A DAY! Such training would kill the ordinary man..but who said Hilligenn was ordinary? (…)
His entire day consisted of sleeping, eating and training. (…) He trained five hours in the first session, rested and then trained three more hours. This went on six days a week for about two months.
Roy’s measurement: neck 17 1/2, arms 18, forearms 14 1/2, wrists 7 1/2, chest 48, waist 31, thighs 24, calves 16. Bodyweight ranges between 176 – 189. [S&H March 1953]
1952 Mr America Jim Park
Jim Park. 1952 AAU Mr. America, was raised in Brave, Pennsylvania, population 500. At age 13, his family moved to Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, where he attended the local high school. He wrestled on the school team and showed promise of future athletic greatness.
At age 17, Park left school to join the United States Navy. Discharged in 1947, he moved to Chicago to attend the American Television Institute. (…)
He then began training exclusively at Johnson’s Gym and won the 1950 AAU Mr. Midwest, while placing ninth in the AAU Mr. America event.
The following year, Park placed fifth at the 1951 AAU Junior Mr. America and decided to have his last try at the 1952 AAU Mr. America contest. Approximately three months before the competition, he allowed Johnson to plan his diet and training protocol for the upcoming event. The system, included large amounts of a milk-and-egg based protein supplement, while Park engaged in a combination of heavy and light weight-training workouts.
(…)
Following his Mr. America victory, Jim worked for the York Barbell Company as a designer and fabricator for much of York’s home-style weight equipment. (…)
Jim Park died of natural causes on August, 28, 2007, at age 79. [source: Bill Pearl Facebook]
1953 Mr America Bill Pearl
Bill Pearl
Bill Pearl (Year 1952!)
The 1953 AAU Mr. America event, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, was quoted as, “one of the best ever.” Bill Pearl, a sailor in the United States Navy, stationed in San Diego, California, took the bodybuilding world by storm. Training at Leo Stern’s Gym, he had won the 1953 Mr. Southern California and the AAU Mr. California titles earlier that year, prior to Stern suggesting he compete in the AAU Mr. America contest for “the experience.”
(…)
Pearl was born on October 31, 1930 in Prineville Oregon, weighing 12 3/4 pounds at birth.
With $2,800 saved from his four-year military enlistment, he opened his first health club in 1954 in Sacramento, California. (…)
During the 1960’s, Pearl was in constant demand for guest appearances. On one occasion, he performed before a crowd of 25,000 in Bombay, India, posing, bursting hot water bottles, bending tent spikes, breaking chains, and tearing matching pairs of licence plates in half. [source: Bill Pearl Facebook]
1954 Mr America Dick DuBois
DuBois is at the left. Dom Juliano is in the center, and Harry Johnson (Eastern Jr. Mr America) is at the right. (Cecile Charles Photo)
Born March 4, 1933, in New York City in the Bronx, Richard DuBois, 21, was the youngest man to be crowned Mr. America.
He has always been athletic, having won the Long Island championship in the 100 meter swim, and he used to amuse himself by diving 125 feet off bridges. He also did quite a bit of boxing and was in the New York City Golden Gloves Tournament twice in the 147-lb class.
He began weight training at the age of 16. At first he did mostly lifting, then gradually changed to bodybuilding as he wanted to win contests in order to make his mother proud of him.
Shortly after beginning bodybuilding, Dick met Geroge Eiferman, one of the most popular of Mr. Americas, who immediately saw Dick’s latent possibilities and encouraged him in his bodybuilding. Prior to the contest he trained faithfully, following Coach Eiferman’s instruction were just what was needed is self-evident.
Dick does not have any particular favorite exercise, but does all exercises, sometimes heavy, sometimes light; high repetitions, low repetitions, but adhering to progression in weight always, gradually bringing the body to its peak in muscular development, definition, strength, coordination and endurance.
Dick’s measurement: 6′ 1 1/2″ tall and weighs 215lb. He has a 50″ chest, 32″ waist, 18″ biceps and 17 1/2″ neck. [source: S&H September 1954]
1955 Mr America Steve Klisanin
Steve Klisanin, born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on May 17, 1929, was named1955 AAU Mr. America at the Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, beating out 46 contestants.
Klisanin had previously won the 1949 AAU Mr. Pittsburg, and the AAU 1953 Junior Mr. America titles and competed as a lifter at the 1954 Junior Nationals and won the middle heavyweight division with an 850-pound total.
Klisanin started weight-training at age 17, at the local YMCA, at a bodyweight of 135 poinds. His efforts rewarded him with muscles that were put to good use on the gridiron.
(…)
In 1950, he entered the AAU Junior Mr.America, and placed third to John Farbotnic and Roy Hilligenn. He entered the AAU Mr. America weeks later and tied with Jim Park for tenth place.
(…)
In 1954, Klisanin, on active duty with the United States Marine Corps, was sent overseas with little opportunity to weight-train due to lack of equipment and time. He resumed his heavy training when given the opportunity, and still stationed in the Far East, he traveled over 8,000 miles to Cleveland, Ohio , to win the Mr. America contest.
(…)
Steve Klisanin died May 9, 2005, at age 75. [source Bill Pearl’s fanpage]
Mr America 1956 Ray Schaefer
In the center you see Ray Schaeffer. He won the award of Jr. Mr. America. At right he is posed with the trophy in London, England for winning Mr Universe in amateur class
He won the Mr. A 56 and IFBB historian Joe Roark had a telephon conversation with him (2-8-1987)..further he made some short notes!
In 1963, his third day on the job, a pile of steel fell on him
crushing a leg. was off work for 5 years.
In 1970, a drunk, driving 115 mph in the wrong lame crashed into Ray and injured his other leg. was off work for four years.
He has no memoribilia from the old days..no trophies, no mags, nothing. Doesn’t care for the modern female bodybuilders. Wrestled for a while as the Mighty Samson; one year he wrestled in England.
Signed one year contract with Weider around 1957. Ray contacted Weider recently and was told that Weider would send some old mags etc. which featured Ray. None was sent.
1957 Mr America Ron Lacy
“As a little boy I played all the games that interest children in their early years. At the age of 11 I began to play golf while working as a caddy at the Winchester Country Club. I developed and have maintained a keen interest in this sport, and although I don’t play as often as I would like to, I still regard golf as my second favorite sport.
Competitive weightlifting is my favorite, of course. In junior high school I became interested in football and basketball and played both of them through all four years of high school.
In addition I made the track team fo two years. In each of these sports I was fortunate enough to win district, regional, and state honors. [..]
I accepted the offer of a four year grant-in-aid scholarship at the University of Kentucky. It was only at this time that I was introduced to barbell training. [….]
I became more and more familiar with bodybuilding and weightlifting and knew the names of the top lifting and physique stars. [source: S&H 1958 May]
The winner, 28-year old Ron Lacy, scored 97.5 points, which was far ahead of the runner-up Gene Behaty and third place winner Harry Johnson.
Known for his leg strength, Lacy was able to do 50 consecutive 300-pound squats. In 1980, at age 51, he completed 15 half-squats with 535 pounds. In 1997, he was still capable of squatting 405 pounds for 12 reps. [source Bill Pearl’s fan page]
1958 Mr America Tom Sansone
We see Tom as he won the Mr. Universe, and is posed with Oscar Heidenstamm, the promoter of the Mr. Universe event.
Tom Sansone, born October 20, 1935, in New York City, was an outstanding baseball player in high school, with major league potential. He captured the 1958 AAU Mr. America contest in Los Angeles, California, after weight training for only four years. In spite of local sentiment favoring Lynn Lyman, Sanson was the popular winner, finishing with 95 points
As a physical education major at the City College of New York, Sansone had won the 1958 AAU Junior Mr. America event and during an interview commented, “I’m no brain. All I want is a degree and the know-how to someday operate my own gym.”
Tom Sansone died of cancer on October 16, 1974, at age 38. [source: Bill Pearl’s fanpage]
1959 Mr America Harry Johnson
Harry Johnson, the 1959 AAU Mr. America winner, won the event over 27 contestants held at the Interstate Fairgrounds in York, Pennsylvania. He was 35-years-old and had entered the contest each year since 1952. [source: Bill Pearl’s Fb page]
“Well – I’m married, the father of five healthy, happy children. I hold down two jobs, and yet I still find time to train five times a week, three hours each workout. What I’ve gained from barbell exercise can be counted not only in physical, but in spiritual values” – Harry Johnson [Source: Muscle Builde Jan 1957]
1960 Mr America Lloyd Lerille
loyd “Red” Lerille, Jr, born June 9, 1936, in Harvey, Louisiana, became the winner of the 1960 AAU Mr. America contest held in Cleveland, Ohio.
A high school wrestling champion and a graduate from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lerille took the Mr. Armed Services title in 1960, and was discharged from the United States Navy just months before capturing the Mr. America title with mass, muscularity, and broad shoulders.
Red entered the 1960 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe contest and won his height class. At a height of five-feet, six-inches and weighing 185 pounds, his arms measured 17 1/4 inches; chest, 49 inches; waist, 31 inches; thighs, 24 inches; and calves, 16 1/4 inches. [source Bill Pearl Fb]
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1961 Mr America Raymond Routledge
Mr. Routlege won both the Mr. Universe title and Mr. America title in the same year 1961. For my younger followers: those two titles were the most prestigious titles in American Bodybuilding history!
Mr. Routledge was very famous, every bodybuilding magazine wanted to print his physique on their covers. Millions of young people saw and admired Routledge’s physqiue in those magazines!
Even young Arnold Schwarzenegger was aware of him! In his autobiography he wrote of seeing Routledge in many muscle magazines!
Ray Routledge: “When I came out on the stage to accept my Mr. America trophy, I knew that all the sweat and strain and pain had been rewarded.
I have mentioned the great help afforded me by Bill Peal and Vince Gironda. There were others, too, who helped me in more ways than one to reach my goal, not the least of which are my long-suffering wife and children, who saw so little of me during this intensive training period that they were beginning to wonder if I still belonged to them. I owe many thanks to all of them. Without their help and understanding I never would have made my fondest dream come true.”
[source: neckberg.com]
1962 Mr America Joe Abbenda
joe abbenda
“Joe Abbenda, born July 4, 1939, in New York City, was a popular choice as the 1962 AAU Mr. America winner. His all-around musculature and ability to display his physique won the aproval of the judges and spectators. His closest rivals were Harold Poole and Hugo Labra.
Abbenda’s early physique development was a product of home training. He, along with Tom Sanson and Dennis Tinerino, (AAU Mr. America and NABBA Mr.Universe winners,) did their training in a cramped one-car home-gym garage adjacent to the Abbenda’s family home in Queens, New York.
Following his Mr. America victory, Abbenda flew to London, to capture the 1962 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe crown. He returned to London in 1963, and won the NABBA Professional Mr. Universe title, becoming the first bodybuilder to win back-to-back NABBA Universe awards.
In 1964, Joe appeared with Reg Park in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a guest ententainer at the Mr. Republic of South Africa contest. He then retired from competitive bodybuilding, taught school for a time, and became an attorney.
In 2017, at age 81, Joe continues to weight train and lecture on the benifits of a healhy life-style as he carries on his law practice.” [source Bill Pearl fan page]
1963 Mr America Vern Weaver
Photo Courtesy Doug White
Vern Weaver the 1963 AAU Mr. America
Forty contestants entered the 1963 AAU Mr. America contest held at the Zembo Mosque in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Vern Weaver captured the title with 92.5 points out of a possible 100. This was Weaver’s fourth attempt to win the elusive crown.
In second place was the legendary African American Harold Poole, who walked off stage when his placing was announced. However, Poole had the consolation of winning the Most Muscular award.
Craig Whitehead, a medical student, at Tulane Medical School, placed third.
At a bodyweight of 205-pounds, Weaver represented the York Barbell Club and was a highly qualified Olympic weightlifter in the 198-pound division. At one meet he power-cleaned 370 pounds before jerking the weight overhead.
Weaver won the tall man’s division at the 1964 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe. His final physique competition was at the 1966 NABBA Professional Mr. Universe contest where he placed second in the tall man class.
Little is recorded regarding Vern Weaver from 1966 onward. It is known he took his life in 1993, at age 56. [source Bill Pearl]
1964 Mr America Val Vasilieff
Val Vasilieff mr america
Mr America Val Vasilieff (Photo by Milton Sacks)
“When I was 17 years old I weighed 170 pounds and practiced acrobatics everyday with my brother Bob. I started weightlifting in order to gain extra strength and endurance for the routines we rehearsed. A short time after I started I found I had greater strength and could easily do an iron cross in the rings, a three finger handstand, a straight arm hand stand lever, a straight arm flag and reverse flag. (…)
Through acrobatics and odd lifting I developed my upper body, but my legs were lacking in both size and strength. Determined to improve my lower body, I started to train on the Olympic lifts.”
(…)
The men who entered the contest were 39 of the most well developed contestants ever to enter the Mr. America Contest. Not only were these men developed physically, but also mentally. For example, the second place man was John Gourgott, a senior year medical student; third place was Randy Watson, a minister from Tennessee; fourth place was Bill Seno, a school teacher; fifth place was Dr. Graig Whitehead, an eye surgeon and Captain in the Air Force. (…) I would like to take this opportunity to thank my many friends for the hundreds of letters and telegrams I received after winning the Mr. A title.” [source: S&H 1964 October]
1965 Mr America Jerry Daniels
Jerry Daniels Mr America 1965
Jerry Daniels was born in 1944 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had an on-again, off-again relationshp with bodybuilding, but not before he ruffled feathers by winning the 1965 AAU Mr. America title, at the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
Daniels was a star football player in high school, with a father who was reluctant to let him work out with weights, believing it would hamper his ability in other sports. A conversation with Dave Collier, manager of the Colonial Health Studio in Chattanooga, put his father’s fears to rest, and Jerry was permitted to continue weight training.
The year 1965, proved to be Daniels banner year in bodybuilding. He won the AAU Jr. Mr. America and captured the Senior version. At age 21, at the height of six-feet and weighing 215 pounds, he shared the honor with Dick DuBois as the youngest to win either competition. [source: Bill Pearl’s Fan Page]
1966 Mr America Bob Gajda
mr america bob gajda
This shot was taken on the afternoon that Bob won the Mr. A title.
Bob Gajda, born September 13, 1940, was announced winner of the 1966 AAU Mr. America contest. It was the first year the competition was conducted on a seperate evening from the Senior National Weightlifting Championships.
The contest, held at the High School Auditorium in York, Pennsylvania, was a success with anyone of the top six competitors a worthy choice. Gajda, the winner, worked at the Duncan YMCA in Chicago, and trained with that year’s Mr.America runner-up and Most Muscular winner, Sergio Oliva.
Preparing for this competition, Gajda had devised a system of weight-training he called Peripheral Heart Action (PHA), which he clamed developed muscles quickly and was beneficial aerobically.
Bob had entered the Mr. America contest for the first time in 1964, but placed out of the top ten. In 1965, he had an outstanding year, winning the AAU Mr. USA and the Most Muscular award after taking second place at the Mr. America event.
At a height of five-feet, nine-inches and weighing 195 pounds, his arms measured 19 inches; chest, 49 inches; waist, 29 inches; thighs, 25 1/2 inches; and calves, 18 inches. [source: Bill Pearl’s Fan Page]
1967 Mr America Dennis Tinerino
Dennis Tinerino
Caption says: 1966 Mr Usa (photo by Doug White)
Dennis Tinerino, born December 25, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York, grew up surrounded by poverty and crime and still won the 1967 AAU Mr. America contest. As a youngster, Dennis shared his father’s interest in boxing and baseball, however, at East New York Technical Highschool, he took up fencing, prompted by a fellow student who commented, “he’s probably too muscle-bound to participate.”
In 1964, at age 19, Tinerino burst on to the bodybuilding scene by winning the AAU Teen Mr. America, the AAU Junior Mr. USA, and placed in the top ten at the AAU Mr. America competition. The following year, Dennis was crowned AAU Mr. USA, and finished sixth at the Mr. America event.
The year 1967, saw Dennis sweep the board as he won the Junior Mr. America and Most Muscular awards, followed by capturing the Mr. America contest held at the Veterans Memmorial Auditorium in Columbus Ohio. At a height of six-feet and weighing 217 pounds, his arms measured 19 1/2 inches; chest, 52 inches; waist, 32 inches; thighs, 27 inches; and calves, 18 inches. [source: Bill Pearl’s Facebook]
1968 Mr America Jim Haislop
Jim Haislop (Date Unknown)
” One evening he was persuaded to accompany a former schoolmate to the Tampa Health Club where for the first time, he took some interest in barbells and dumbbells. He met Dick Fudge, the gym operator, who was quick to realize that Haislop had the posibilities of becoming a physique star. Fudge spent considerable time explaining the benefits that are obtained from training with weights, such as health improvement, acquiring a better physical appearance, increasing the strength and developing an outstanding body.” [source: neckberg ]
1969 Mr America Boyer Coe
Boyer Coe Mr America
Boyer Coe holds the record for winning the most amateur and professional national and international bodybuilding contests. His competitive career spanned from 1964 to 1995. It consisted of 91 physique contest with 31 first place wins. He also appeared on 33 magazine covers.
Boyer had an exceptional year in 1981. At the height of five-feet, nine-inches and weighing 215 pounds, he won four out of nine professional physique contests. In 1994, he competed at his all-time heaviest bodyweight of 224 pounds at the IFBB Masters Mr. Olympia contest.
Asked what his greatest moment as a bodybuilder Boyer replied, “It wasn’t winninng a contest. I set a goal to bench press 400 pounds before I graduated high school. I managed to accomplish that. The weight may not be a lot by current standards, but I only weighed 180 pounds.”
Coe, the “Ragin Cajun,” presently lives in Huntington Beach, California. He continues to take his workouts seriously, training at 5:00 a.m., six days per week. “I have the gym nearly to myself,” he said. “And… I like it that way. [source: Bill Pearl’s Facebook]
1970 Mr America Chris Dickerson
Chris Dickerson around 1967. Photo by Clif Swan
Chris Dickerson, the winner of the 1982 IFBB Mr. Olympia award, was born August 25, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. Following graduation from a New York City college, he moved to Los Angeles in 1963, to train under the direction of Bill Pearl.
In 1970, Dickerson became the first African-American to win the AAU Mr. America crown and captured other major physique titles, including the 1973 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe and the 1974 NABBA Professional Mr. Universe. In 1982, he won the IFBB Mr. Olympia contest, following two consecutive years as runner-up.
Standing 5′ 6″ tall, and weighing 190 pounds, Chris became the oldest, at age 43, to win the crown and the $25,000 first-place prize money.
On the heels of his 1982 “Olympia” victory, Chris began shuffling between Los Angeles and Manhattan to oversee his personal-training clientele. His last physique competition came at the 1994 IFBB Masters Mr. Olympia where, he won the Over 50 category,
Now living in Wilton Manors,Florida, Dickerson continues to weight-train and preach the benfits of a healthy lifestyle. [source: Bill Pearl’s Facebook]
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1971 Mr America Casey Viator
https://www.facebook.com/1845114002475075/photos/a.1845115449141597/1859261087727033/
1972 Mr America Steve Michalik
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/a.758901990862544/2910687212350667/?type=3
1973 Mr America Jim Morris
Jim Morris around 1969. Photo by Konig
Jim Morris (August 31, 1935 – January 28, 2016) was an American bodybuilder known for winning competitions over a thirty-year career. Among the titles Morris won are: Mr. USA (1972), AAU Mr. America (1973), Mr. International (1974), and Mr. Olympia Masters Over 60 (1996).
At age 50, he became a vegetarian and over 15 years transitioned to vegan, a diet to which he credited much of his excellent health. He posed nude for a PETA ad in support of the vegan lifestyle.[source: wikipedia]
1974 Mr. America Ron Thompson
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/ron-thompsonthe-nearly-forgotten-1974-aau-mr-america-winnerlittle-has-been-recor/2915104031908985/
1975 Mr. America Dale Adrian
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/1975-aau-mr-americadale-adrianthe-1975-aau-mr-america-contest-was-held-at-the-ve/2744236085662448/
1976 Mr America Kalman Szkalak
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/pcb.2810451692374220/2809826175770105/?type=3&theater
1977 Mr America Dave Johns
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/a.758901990862544/1997977540288310/?type=3&theater
1978 Mr America Tony Pearson
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/tony-pearson-born-on-january-11-1957-in-memphis-tennessee-was-raised-by-his-aunt/1792786434140756/
1979 Mr America Ray Mentzer
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/mike-1951-2001-and-ray-mentzer-1953-2001-born-in-ephrata-pennsylvania-in-1976-mi/1278287905590614/
1980 Mr. America Gary Leonard
https://www.facebook.com/116733248412758/photos/a.758901990862544/2476571039095622/
1981 Tim Belknap
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2372482399504487&id=116733248412758
1982 Rufus Howard
https://www.facebook.com/1163592170335108/photos/a.1163923936968598/1350023725025284/
1983 Jeff King
https://www.facebook.com/NABBAUniverse/posts/502895157184431
1984 Joe Meeko
Joe Meeko w. girlfriend Renee Knappenberger (Author of picture: unknown
Joe Meeko was born on October 25, 1961. It seems there are some sources indicate that he was born in the year 1960.
Joseph John Meeko comes originally from North Catasauqua, Pa. Furthermore he graduated at Catasauqua Highschool in 1978 and Lehigh County Community College 1980. He was religiously and loved to attend churches like the Herrickville Wesleyan and Hope Baptist Church in Herrickville. [1]
He made a name himself in the world of bodybuilding and was able win titles such as 1984 Mr. America AAU in Pasadena, CA (1st Place Medium Class + Overall Winner) and 1988 Mr. Universe AAU in Tuscon, Arizona (1st Place Heavyweight Class + Overall Winner, where Joe was at his best at 5 ft. 7-3/4, 235 lbs.).
At the age of 27 he retired from bodybuilding competition, but he never lost
the passion working out. For the past years Joe offered free bodybuilding
advices through internetforums and some of his wisdoms are well-documented
in muscle-magazines. (source neckberg.com)
1985 Michael Antorino
https://www.facebook.com/casey.kucharyk/posts/2958499594238636
1986 Glenn Knerr
https://www.facebook.com/john.hansen1/posts/10220631003859880
1987 Richard Barretta
https://www.facebook.com/GMVProductions/photos/pcb.3219340278100704/3219338914767507/
1988 William Norberg
1989 Matt Dufresne
1990 Peter Miller
1991 Joe DeAngelis
https://www.facebook.com/mrofansite/posts/830980813636987
1992 Mike Scarcella
https://www.facebook.com/MrAmericaCompetition/photos/a.1541236909516254/1541237646182847/
1993 Billy Nothaft
?
1994 Andrew Sivert
?
1995 Terence Hairston
1996 Doug Rieser
1997 Bill Davey
1998 Harvey H Campbell
1999 Tracey Dorsey
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https://neckberg.com/every-winner-of-the-mr-america-competition-since-1939/
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Mr. America (contest)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mr. America
Sport Bodybuilding
Awarded for Physical fitness, trained muscular structure
History
First award 1939
First winner Bert Goodrich
Most wins
John Grimek
Alan Stephan (AAU and IFBB)
2 times
Most recent Jay Brew (2020)
The Mr. America contest is a bodybuilding competition started by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). It was first held on July 4, 1939, and the winner was named "America's Best Built Man". In 1940 this was changed to what is now known as the Mr. America contest. In the mid-1940s, Joe and Ben Weider started the IFBB as an alternative to the AAU. They held their opposing contest, the IFBB Mr. America, in 1949 and then from 1959 through 1977.[1] Rights to the Mr. America name have been sold several times after AAU discontinued holding the contests in 1999.
Contents
1 History
2 Historic winners
3 1988 AAU Mr. America winners
4 Recent winners
5 See also
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links
History
The AAU voted to discontinue holding bodybuilding competitions in 1999.[citation needed] In March 2017, AAU Strength Sports Chairman Martin Drake brought bodybuilding and fitness back to the AAU.[2][3]
In 2004, the World Bodybuilding & Fitness Association (WBFA) announced they had acquired the rights to the Mr. America name and would resume running contests under that banner.
Bob Bonham acquired the rights and from 2011 through 2013 held the Mr America contest under the sanction of the INBF (International Natural Bodybuilding Federation), which is the amateur division of the WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation). The contests were drug tested under strict WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) guidelines using U.S. Olympic laboratory testing.
In 2015, rights to Mr. America were acquired by Bruce Ebel, and the contest's annual event cycle resumed via MRA Promotions. Qualifying events in spring were sponsored by the National Gym Association (NGA), Nspire Sports League (NSL), and Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE).[4] The Mr. America Expo and contest was to have been held in Baltimore in October 2017.[5]
In 2020, the contest resumed in the face of the pandemic as a non-sanctioned event (with no specific organization affiliation) promoted by Marc Tauriello of East Coast Fitness Concepts. The Mr. America Sports Festival & Expo was held October 9–11, 2020, in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Atlantic City Sheraton Ballroom.[6][better source needed]
Historic winners
Year Overall Winner (AAU)[1] Overall Winner (IFBB)[1] Overall Winner (INBF)[7] Overall Winner (Unsanctioned)
1939 Bert Goodrich (First Mr. America, but not AAU sanctioned)[8]
Roland Essmaker
1940 John Grimek
1941 John Grimek
1942 Frank Leight
1943 Jules Bacon
1944 Steve Stanko
1945 Clarence Ross
1946 Alan Stephan
1947 Steve Reeves
1948 George Eiferman
1949 Jack Delinger Alan Stephan
1950 John Farbotnik
1951 Roy Hilligenn
1952 Jim Park
1953 Bill Pearl
1954 Dick DuBois
1955 Steve Klisanin
1956 Ray Schaefer
1957 Ron Lacy
1958 Tom Sansone
1959 Harry Johnson Chuck Sipes
1960 Lloyd Lerille Gene Shuey
1961 Raymond Routledge Gaétan D'Amours
1962 Joe Abbenda Larry Scott
1963 Vern Weaver Reg Lewis
1964 Val Vasilieff (also spelled Vasilef or Vasilief) Harold Poole
1965 Jerry Daniels Dave Draper
1966 Bob Gajda Chester Yorton
1967 Dennis Tinerino Don Howorth
1968 Jim Haislop Frank Zane
1969 Boyer Coe John Decola
1970 Chris Dickerson Mike Katz
1971 Casey Viator Ken Waller
1972 Steve Michalik Ed Corney
1973 Jim Morris Lou Ferrigno
1974 Ron Thompson Bob Birdsong
1975 Dale Adrian Robby Robinson
1976 Kalman Szkalak Mike Mentzer
1977 Dave Johns Danny Padilla
1978 Tony Pearson
1979 Ray Mentzer
1980 Gary Leonard
1981 Tim Belknap
1982 Rufus Howard
1983 Jeff King
1984 Joe Meeko
1985 Michael Antorino
1986 Glenn Knerr
1987 Richard Barretta
1988 William Norberg
1989 Matt DuFresne
1990 Peter Miller
1991 Joe DeAngelis
1992 Mike Scarcella
1993 Billy Nothaft
1994 Andrew Sivert
1995 Terence Hairston
1996 Doug Rieser
1997 Bill Davey
1998 Harvey H. Campbell
1999 Tracey Dorsey
2011 Rawle Greene
2012 Daniel White
2013 John Heart
2014 (No show held)
2015 Cleveland Thomas[9]
2016 Shevon Cunningham[10]
2017–
2019 (No contests)
2020 Jay Brew
1988 AAU Mr. America winners
Overall Winner
William Norberg
Tall
Place Tall
1st Rory Leidelmeyer
2nd Bob Gosch
3rd Jim Badra
4th Alex Sicignano
5th Bob Good
Medium-Tall
Place Medium-Tall
1st William Norberg
2nd Peter LaReau
3rd Peter Moen
4th Greg Ladd
5th Braulio Medina
Medium
Place Medium
1st Casey Kucharyk
2nd Abe Cuesta
3rd Doug Brown
4th Greg Long
5th Brian Silk Sr
Short
Place Short
1st Bryan McCluskey
2nd David Brown (3)
3rd Don Lemieux
4th Brian Homka
5th Rod Ketchens
Recent winners
Year Location Overall Winner[1][7] Classic Physique
(added 2020)
2011 New York City, New York Rawle Greene
2012 Secaucus, New Jersey Daniel White
2013 Secaucus, New Jersey John Heart
2014 (No show held)
2015 Rochester, New York Cleveland Thomas
2016 Washington, D.C. (Six Flags America) Shevon Cunningham
2017 (No show held)
2018 (No show held)
2019 (No show held)
2020 Atlantic City, New Jersey Jay Brew Joe LaCerra
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East Coast Fitness Concepts Announces Mr. America All American Sports Festival to Air on CBS Sports Network
PRESS RELEASE PR Newswire
Jul. 22, 2021, 08:00 AM
NUTLEY, N.J., July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Marc Tauriello of Nutley, NJ, and East Coast Fitness Concepts has reached a multi-year agreement with CBS Sports Network to televise the iconic Mr. America Contest. Mr. America is the longest-running and most prestigious bodybuilding contest in the country that dates back to 1939. CBS Sports Network will televise the 2020 Mr. America All American Sports Festival on Thursday, July 22, at 7 p.m. ET, leading right into CBS Sports Network's coverage of the 2021 SBD World's Strongest Man competition, bringing a night of strength to viewers nationwide.
In the midst of the pandemic, Mr. America saw a resurgence with the 2020 Mr. America safely held in Atlantic City, NJ. The event was well attended and adhered to all current New Jersey state Covid-19 safety protocols, with athletes including both men and women from over 20 different states competing for the nation's most prestigious bodybuilding titles.
The 2021 Mr. America All American Sports Festival will be held again this October in Atlantic City, NJ. This year's sports festival will now include a strongman event, as well as a powerlifting competition. The weekend-long festival will be live taped, produced by JOSUBU Productions, and air on CBS Sports Network at a later date. In addition, the bodybuilding event will be a drug-free and drug-tested event to ensure the most level playing field for all of the athletes.
Preliminary stages of the 2021 competition were documented in the reality series, "Mr. America's Gym. Eat. Repeat: The Road to Mr. America," which gave an insider's look at the physical and emotional impacts and challenges that each competitor experienced. Each show was filmed in the hometowns of six competitors, beginning at Gold's Gym in Crofton MD and culminated at the world-famous Gold's Gym in Venice California. Gold's Gym gym has been a primary sponsor of Mr. America since 2015 and has a long history with the event throughout its existence.
Tauriello is also working on a brand-new reality show featuring some of the country's most elite drug-free bodybuilding/physique athletes. Filming will take place in numerous locations including New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, and California.
East Coast Fitness Concepts is a sports production and promotion company based out of Nutley, NJ.
For more information contact:
Marc Tauriello 973-632-6187 | Marc.Tauriello@gmail.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/east-coast-fitness-concepts-announces-mr-america-all-american-sports-festival-to-air-on-cbs-sports-network-301339157.html
SOURCE East Coast Fitness Concepts
-
East Coast Fitness Concepts Announces Mr. America All American Sports Festival to Air on CBS Sports Network
PRESS RELEASE PR Newswire
Jul. 22, 2021, 08:00 AM
NUTLEY, N.J., July 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Marc Tauriello of Nutley, NJ, and East Coast Fitness Concepts has reached a multi-year agreement with CBS Sports Network to televise the iconic Mr. America Contest. Mr. America is the longest-running and most prestigious bodybuilding contest in the country that dates back to 1939. CBS Sports Network will televise the 2020 Mr. America All American Sports Festival on Thursday, July 22, at 7 p.m. ET, leading right into CBS Sports Network's coverage of the 2021 SBD World's Strongest Man competition, bringing a night of strength to viewers nationwide.
In the midst of the pandemic, Mr. America saw a resurgence with the 2020 Mr. America safely held in Atlantic City, NJ. The event was well attended and adhered to all current New Jersey state Covid-19 safety protocols, with athletes including both men and women from over 20 different states competing for the nation's most prestigious bodybuilding titles.
The 2021 Mr. America All American Sports Festival will be held again this October in Atlantic City, NJ. This year's sports festival will now include a strongman event, as well as a powerlifting competition. The weekend-long festival will be live taped, produced by JOSUBU Productions, and air on CBS Sports Network at a later date. In addition, the bodybuilding event will be a drug-free and drug-tested event to ensure the most level playing field for all of the athletes.
Preliminary stages of the 2021 competition were documented in the reality series, "Mr. America's Gym. Eat. Repeat: The Road to Mr. America," which gave an insider's look at the physical and emotional impacts and challenges that each competitor experienced. Each show was filmed in the hometowns of six competitors, beginning at Gold's Gym in Crofton MD and culminated at the world-famous Gold's Gym in Venice California. Gold's Gym gym has been a primary sponsor of Mr. America since 2015 and has a long history with the event throughout its existence.
Tauriello is also working on a brand-new reality show featuring some of the country's most elite drug-free bodybuilding/physique athletes. Filming will take place in numerous locations including New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, and California.
East Coast Fitness Concepts is a sports production and promotion company based out of Nutley, NJ.
For more information contact:
Marc Tauriello 973-632-6187 | Marc.Tauriello@gmail.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/east-coast-fitness-concepts-announces-mr-america-all-american-sports-festival-to-air-on-cbs-sports-network-301339157.html
SOURCE East Coast Fitness Concepts
I might go. Anyone else going?
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1961 Mr America - AAU
1 Ray Routledge
2 Joe Abbenda
3 Franklin Jones (1)
4 Harold Poole
5 Bill Golumbick
6 William Stathes
7 Elmo Santiago
8 Gail Crick
9 Hugo Labra
10 Mike Ferraro
11 John Gourgott
12 Joe Lazzaro (1)
13 Alfred Souza
14 John Homola
15 William Rubinski
16 Lewis Wolter
17 Seymour Koenig
18 Andy Hernandez
19 Leroy Saba
20 Walter Hunt
21 Chester Yorton
22 Arthur Fickling (1)
23 Reed Phippen
24 Stanley Nobel
25 Alfred Saladino
26 Charles Pranke
Most Muscular
1 Hugo Labra
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IronMan, Vol 21, No 1, Page 8, September 1961
Routledge -- Mr. America, Labra Is Most Muscular
By the Editor
WHEN a man persists year after year, always either tying or taking second place it is gratifying to see him finally win the coveted title of Mr. America, as Ray Routledge did this year. Certainly it would be hard to find a man more representative of ideal American manhood. It would be hard to find a man more representative of what we feel the Mr. America title should represent. Ray is serving our country in the Air Force in Germany. He is married and has five children, a good education, and is very active in church and civic affairs. He is a leader and an example to all the youth of our nation, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually also. This is not the story of Ray, however, but the story of the Mr. America contest. We carried Rayon our cover and in our center spread last issue. This month we have a cover shot of the Most Muscular winner, Hugo Labra.
The location of the Mr. America contest was the new Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, certainly one of the finer new auditoriums, ideally arranged for the lifting and the Mr. America, with a huge stage that was more than ample for all back stage activities. It is located near the downtown section with lots of parking area.
The judging this year was done in a prejudging session Saturday morning before the lifting started. It would have been better to have done this Friday morning so that the Most Muscular could have been pre-judged also. As it was, the Most Muscular had to be judged at the first night's physique contest.
Name Affiliation Points
Ray Routledge Jr. U.S. Air Force 97
Joseph Abbedna New York City 92¾
Franklin Jones L.A. YMCA 91¾
Harold Poole Olympia HC, Indianapolis 91½
William Golumbick Sterns, Sandiego 90¼
Bill Stathes San Francisco Y 89¾
Elmo Santiago Continental Club, NYC 88¾
Gail Crick Arizona 88¼
Hugo Labra MBWLC, Santa Monica 88
Mike Ferraro York AC, Buffalo 87¼
John Gourgott New Orleans AC 87
Joseph Lazarro York AC, Buffalo 86¾
Alfred Souza Pearle's Gym, Sacramento 82½
John Homola Stern's, San Diego 82½
William Rubinski Cal's Gym, L.A. 78½
Lewis Wolter Jr Milwaukee HS 78
Seymour Koenig MBWLC 76¼
Leroy Sava Martin's, San Francisco 75
Andy Hernandez El Paso YMCA 75
Walter Hunt Doyle's Ranch, Arizona 73
Chester Yorton So. Milwaukee HS 71
Arthur Fickling 7th Marine Reg Camp P 68½
Reed Phippen Los Angeles 66¼
Stanley Noble Vic Tanny 61½
Alfred Saladino U.S.M.C. 61
Charles Pranke Bruce Conner Gym, L.A. 60½
This was the first year of pre-judging and no advance planning or thinking had apparently been done. It was a little rough and ragged in procedure but this should be greatly improved by next year. Even so, I'm sure that competitors and judges alike agree that it is a great improvement over the previous confusion of judging at the contest itself. If someone could be appointed as head judge for a month or so ahead of time they would have time to organize the whole procedure and make a smooth running, efficient operation of it. There are several things that should be done at a pre-judging session. All judges ought to be briefed on the entire procedure and all contestants should also be briefed. Provision should be made for judging under normal light and also posing under a spot light. Provision should also be made for interviews and judges should be encouraged to mix with the contestants previous to the actual judging session and observe contestants as they are at ease, talk to them and observe them as they warm up. Actually, contestants should be encouraged NOT TO WARM UP. This does not impress the judges one iota. In fact, it might prejudice some judges. It is such an obvious attempt to show something you don't really possess.
I'm sure that although the pre-judging was not as well organized and planned as it might have been, it was still highly satisfactory and the judges did an excellent job. Much satisfaction was expressed among the judges over being able to view the men at close range and under normal lighting conditions and with no posing. This pre-judging was done at the Muscle Beach Gym and took about two hours. All the contestants, 27 of them, were stripped, and came before the judges for their interviews, in which they were asked about their education, athletic ability, and any other questions the judges wished answered in that particular case. During this period the judges observed how the man conducted himself, his speaking ability and his personality. Although there are no Points for all these items, the judges adjust their other points to obtain the total points they think the man deserves overall.
After these interviews the men were brought before the judges in two groups. (There were too many for one group.) There the judges compared them in relaxed front, side and back positions. They were then brought back individually and in small groups and eliminations began until there remained about 6 top men whom the judges inspected very carefully and discussed the merits of the various men. Some people feel that the judges should not be allowed to discuss the men during the judging but contention is that if you have judges you cannot trust, you ought to get different judges. I realize that you may have judges who will try to influence other judges during these discussions. This is only natural. If a judge likes some man in particular and thinks he ought to win then he will talk in favor of this man. This may have some influence on the other judges, but we must remember that the other judges also have the opportunity to talk for the men of their own choice. I realize that this feature of pre-judging has pros and cons and I would not be dogmatic about it. If the majority think that the judges should not be allowed to discuss the men then I will go along with the idea.
Here are a few things that the judges look for and some of the things they object to. I hope that physique contestants will observe these remarks for they are important to them. When you refuse to conduct yourself as the judges request you have just about ruined your chances of winning a title. In the. first place when the judges ask you to relax, they mean relax. Over 50 per cent absolutely refuse to relax. They think they can keep their lats spread, their abdominals tensed or other muscles tensed and the judges won't know it. Listen fellows, if you tense one little muscle these judges will know it. They are men with years of experience both as barbell men, trainers, and officials. I have never known a judge who expressed admiration for a man going around with his lats spread and his arms sticking out from his sides. This is not normal posture or normal appearance.
If this is an acquired habit that you're no longer conscious of, then you'd better break the habit. You do not help yourself or the game by going around like a bird ready to take off. Sure, big lats are admirable, but people can admire them without your spreading them all the time. I know what I'm talking about. I was a kid once and I went through the phase of lat spreading myself until I finally arrived at the conclusion that it was silly. The same goes for tensing the other muscles. Nearly all the judging is done from the relaxed athlete. In fact all the judging was done relaxed and under normal lighting this time. There was practically no posing done or requested.
In line with this we'd like to remark about the need for good posture. This is one of the most important features in a pre-judging session. Some of the fellows with the best development in the Mr. America contest had terrible posture. This dropped them much lower in points than their general physique would justify. It also brought up some men who had outstanding posture. So many fellows have been conscious of posing from the front that they have developed a habitual poor posture, a sort of round shouldered slump. This is very bad and if continued will probably defeat their chances of winning a top physique honor where prejudging is used.
Remember a judge can see your bulk and definition just as well when you're relaxed as he can when you're tensed because he is trained in this. Learn all you can about good posture and practice this. It will give you added points in a contest.
In addition to good posture let us offer a bit of advice to you on your approach to the posing platform at the show itself. Many men walk up slowly and slumped as if they were about dead. Approach the platform with pep, speed and spring in your step, and an erect posture. A smile is fine if you're right for it, but too much smiling during a posing routine can ruin your presentation. On some fellows a smile becomes a grimace because they are straining so hard. Do not strain in your poses; go through them easily and fast; do not hold a pose long enough for people to start picking out the flaws in your physique or your pose. Do not pose too long. Leave them while they still want more. Never completely satisfy your audience. Never strain until you shake in your poses as some men do. This is bad and the mark of an amateur. Never warm up so much that you're sweating and sweat is running down your body and dripping on the platform. Many top men never warm up at all for a posing routine.
We hope readers will pardon us for this digression from the main topic but we felt that this was the place to discuss some of these things for these boys do need help and are eager for it and I know the judges would like to get these things across to them somehow for they become a bit perturbed when their requests are ignored.
Most of the men competed in the Most Muscular contest the first night and it was a very difficult task to pick the best man. Many men with outstanding muscularity did not even place. Such supermen as Stathes, Saba, Lazzaro, Wolter, and Santiago, with very outstanding muscularity, were not even in the first four. Anyone could have been a worthy winner. It was a difficult task for the judges and they certainly were not unanimous in their selections. They found it difficult to select anyone for first place, and just as difficult to place the others.
Usually the announcement of the winner of the Most Muscular is held up until the second night so that both the Most Muscular winner and the Mr. America winner are announced at the same time.
This time the sponsors insisted that the Most Muscular be announced on Friday and Mr. Johnson reluctantly permitted this.
The winner was apparently a very popular selection with the crowd according to their reaction, for when Hugo Labra was presented as the winner the crowd raised the roof. He is certainly an outstanding muscular giant. Standing about 5'7" tall and weighing 182, he looks shorter because of his great breadth of shoulders and massive development. Hugo was Pan Am Games hammer throwing champ with a toss of 201 feet. He is from Mexico but became an American citizen on December 28, 1960 and is a draftsman at Douglas Aircraft. He is 31 years old and photos do not begin to do him justice. He is so full of pep, energy and sparkle, and so huge in physique that it can't show in a photo.
Second place went to Joe Abbenda, who has been competing for some years in these contests. He has an outstanding physique with a lot of definition.
There was a tie for third place between Franklin Jones, who had won one of the Jr. Mr. America titles, and Ray Routledge.
In the Mr. America contest the judges were still brought to the front and had to put on a show of voting etc. which I don't approve of. I feel the audience should have been told that the contest was prejudged and the judges should not be required to carryon a farce or pretense of judging.
The trophies were the finest I have ever seen, with the Mr. America trophy being nearly five feet tall. Ray Routledge won first place as mentioned previously, with a total of 97 points. Athletic points were still used this year but it is expected that this will be changed next convention so that points will not be given but qualifying totals will be required to assure that the winner is a good athlete.
Second place went to Joe Abbenda of New York City. Joe is 21 years of age and is presently working as a shoe salesman and has a B.A. degree in History and Government and plans to take a law course. He is 6 feet tall and weighed about 200 and has made an 850 total on the Olympics.
Franklin Jones won third place and is a finely built colored boy, 23 years of age. He works as a warehouseman and is 5' 6", weighs 180 and is an outstanding lifter.
Harold Poole who won 4th, had won the Jr. Mr. America title in Columbia. He is only 17 years of age and I believe it was agreed that he had the most outstanding physique there from the standpoint of shape, development, definition, and general overall proportion. Here is a colored boy who has good calves. He has a lot of time and will undoubtedly make great improvement. Here again is a fellow who doesn't show his best in photos. He has made great progress and become quite outstanding even tho fighting against considerable handicaps. You will hear a great deal of this boy in the future for he has the foundation for becoming the greatest physique his race has ever produced. He has a good posing routine and a nice personality.
William Golumbick came in 5th because of his outstanding posture. Of course he has an outstanding physique but his posture was the best of any of the contestants. It gave a beautiful effect to his standing and walking positions. I would go so far as to say that very few of the top men had good posture and I hope they will improve this in the coming year. Bill is an outstanding example. He has a very pleasing physique and looks best in relaxed poses -- very symmetrical and proportionate.
Bill Stathes, placing 6th, looked much better than last year for he was a little heavier and did not look overtrained. We expected him to place higher than he did for he has exceptional muscularity, excellent definition, and is a very good athlete. He is married and is on the San Francisco Police force. At 35 he has a lot of time ahead but believe he will spend more time at lifting at which he is very good, having an official 870 total at 198. He weighed a little over 200 this year as compared with 185 last year.
I do not like to point out the weak points of the fellows but if they are aware of them they might do something to correct them. I would say that the calves come in for a lot of attention when pre-judging is done. From a rear view you get a good comparison of calves. One of the weak points of Bill was his calves. Quite a number of the fellows were weak in this respect. This is seldom so noticeable from the front, especially when the men are posing on the platform. Some of them can show impressive calves when they tense and pose them but standing relaxed they do not look so good. I do know that this was one of the reasons Bill and several others did not place higher. Poor calves and poor posture were two major weaknesses of most of the contestants. Very few had really good posture, probably not over 4 or 5 of the 27. This has not been so noticeable before when the judges could only view the men when they were posing on the platform. Posture is usually noticed only in side poses and many of the fellows either don't know what good posture is or else they have deliberately used poor posture in their posing so long that they can no longer assume the correct positions.
Here are a few evidences of poor posture as we saw them that day. The shoulders are rounded and there is a pronounced hump in the upper back and the shoulder blades sometimes protrude; there is a sway in the lower back sometimes. The chest is flat rather than lifted and high, the head assumes a forward position and the hips sometimes have a forward set. You can imagine what this does to an otherwise fine physique that may look terrific under lights on a posing platform.
Elmo Santiago was 7th. Elmo has won many titles and looked better this year than he did last year. He is 30, married, has 2 children and is an excellent boxer and swimmer as well as totaling 750 as a middleweight. Elmo has nice, tho not perfect, posture.
Gail Crick, in 8th place, one of the smallest men in the contest was also one of the most perfectly developed. Here is a man who has such a fine physique that it is almost impossible to pick a flaw. Every muscle is in perfect proportion to the other with a very well balanced development. I would probably be safe in saying that he had the most perfect physique of any man there. At 5'4½" and weighing 150, he probably isn't big enough to suit most people or most judges but I do know that all the judges commented on the perfection of his flawless physique. He has excellent posture and a nice even tan, not too dark. He lives and trains in a remote mining area and has to train alone, but even so he is an outstanding lifter. He would make an ideal Mr. America. He will undoubtedly improve a lot yet and with a little more bulk he might hit the top.
Hugo Labra, in winning 9th place, was popular with the crowd. He Was quite happy with winning the Most Muscular, as some fellows consider this a more important title than the Mr. America. We've already told you about this fellow.
Mike Ferraro in 10th place is a former Teen Age winner and has also won many other titles. He is 22 and 5'8½", weighed 180 and is a bartender in his father's establishment.
Eleventh place man, John Gourgott, is another Jr. Mr. America winner and is 5'11" tall and weighs 195. He has a B.S. in Mathematics and is now a pre-med student. Here is a very well built fellow who will undoubtedly make a lot of progress.
Joseph Lazzaro in 12th place is a fellow who tries regularly and has won a lot of titles and continues to improve. He is well educated, handsome and would be a credit to the title and deserves a high placing. He is 30 years of age, married, and an Art Education teacher in Buffalo. He is also a Jr. Mr. America.
Ai Souza, in 13th place, has a nice physique of a little more slender type but perfectly muscled. He is a very good athlete, having won several lifting titles. He has made a 375 bench press and a 475 squat officially. He is 34 years of age, married, and has three children.
Bill Rubinski is another young man with a very outstanding physique. He is 22 and a good athlete. He has the broad shouldered, deep chested, slim hipped type of physique that the general public likes. A very nice personality, and he is good at broad jumping and judo.
Lew Wolter is another giant who has won a Jr. Mr. America title and ought to place higher. He looks very impressive when relaxed and has good posture. His arms and shoulders are exceptional, with huge biceps. He is 33 years of age, married, has three children and works at air conditioning. He has an excellent athletic career in his past. He has the physique to place high up with the best.
We would like to point out here that most of the men in this contest placed around 80 points and higher. This means that they are almost as good as the winners, and indicates how close this contest was.
Seymour Koenig, 27 years of age and a long time contestant is still improving and works in the movies.
Leroy Saba is, in my estimation, one of the finest built small men ever seen and deserves to place high. Very muscular, lots of definition and good shape, he is a regular little giant. He is 23 years of age and was second in Most Muscular last year. He is also exceptionally strong and a fine lifter.
May we point out that among the top men there is very little to choose between them. To illustrate this may we refer you to last year's contest when Lloyd Lerille won but Routledge was second, Lazzaro was 3rd (this year he was 12th but I thought all the men were equally as well built as last year) and Abbenda was 5th last year but second this year. Stathes was 4th last year but this year he was 6th tho I'm sure the judges would agree he looked better this year. This would seem to be a little fickle, but this year the judges voted twice on the top men; once by points and once by selection. They themselves did not know how their points came out or who they selected that way, but later the points were totaled and it was found that their votes tallied exactly with their point totals. That is, as a group they voted the same both ways. This was unusual and rather unexpected. Apparently this group of judges did the best they knew how and yet several of them were on the same panel last year. I would say that there probably isn't as much difference between these top men as their points would seem to indicate. Perhaps just one little flaw in their physique may put them down the list quite a distance. The public may never notice this flaw and they cannot understand it and probably the man himself never knows why he is placed lower than he expected.
Walter Hunt is a young married man of 29 who suffers so much from asthma that he could do no heavy leg work and yet has built a physique that placed him well in a Mr. America contest. We understand that he was the youngest Eagle Scout in the U.S.A.
Chester Yorton is a handsome, well built young fellow of 22 who works in a factory making steam shovels. He is a fine baseball and basketball player and ice skater. He was in a very serious auto accident not long ago and both his legs were shattered and he now has steel plates in his thighs. The doctors told him he couldn't walk for 3 years or more but with tenacity and barbell training he was walking in less than 6 months and soon developed a pair of outstanding legs, tho he still bears long scars on each thigh where the doctors opened them to operate.
Art Fickling is 20 and is an athletic director in the Marines. His football team won the all Marine title. He has a very fine physique, but like some of the others, should improve his posture. He is an excellent tumbler.
Reed Phippen, 23. and another shoe store clerk is a winner of the Most Muscular title in the Mr. Utah contest. Stanley Noble, with a nice V-shaped smooth type physique, was probably the best educated man there, having three degrees and having done considerable research work. Al Saladino is 26, married, and has one child. He is a fine half-mile runner. Charles Pranke has an excellent physique and is a good lifter. He got his start in gymnastics and thus has an excellent set of abdominal muscles. He is 25 years of age and is majoring in Biology.
This is a rather long report but we felt that you'd like to know something about the different contestants. You'll hear more of them in Iron Man as time goes by for they will profit by their experience and some of them will win next year. None of them should be discouraged by their placing for, as you can see, this fluctuates up and down. They should all keep the ideal of good health and efficiency uppermost in their minds rather than winning a title; for good health is the greatest prize they can win. We find in general that the Mr. America contestants are well educated men of high character. We stated their ages and family status for a purpose and you can see that most of them are married and have children and good jobs and professions. You are never too old to improve your body and just because you are married and have a number of children is no excuse for not having good health and a fine physique. Anything I have said regarding these men has not been as criticism but rather as suggestions that will help them in the future. We are proud to be associated with them. They are a fine group of men.
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Mr. America Magazine, Vol 4, No 6, Page 36, November 1961
MR. AMERICA 1961...
by EUGENE M. HANSON
Mr. America for 1961 was selected on the same stage of the beautiful new Santa Monica Civic Auditorium from which the 1961 movie Academy Awards television show originated.
But that was the only thing the two events had in common. All the fine organization of the show, the precise planning and the showmanship - especially the showmanship - in the Oscar Awards event were missing in the physique contest.
Here was a competition to select the strongest men with the finest physical development in America. Why was it not nationally televised? why was the auditorium only half filled with spectators? Why was it run off with less drama than a community dog show?
Obviously, the sponsors who have taken over the once glamorous Mr. America contest - the tired old men who are the petty tyrants of the AAU - must be blamed.
The Amateur Athletic Union was at its amateurish worst in this presentation.
Press relations were particularly badly handled.
Accredited photographers with their cameras and lights were informed at the main door that their press badges would only admit them through the stage door, whence they could find their way to the press section.
A newsreel photographer was brushed off even more bluntly. He was an accredited representative of one of the biggest newsreel organizations. But he couldn't even get into the auditorium.
He left angrily, and there went an opportunity to carry the physical training message to thousands of viewers.
It seems there had been an edict that there were to be no movies taken during the performances - except those taken specifically for the AAU.
But while an iron curtain had to be penetrated by the press and magazine photographers to take pictures during the contest, they were given no help and no protection whatever in taking the important pictures of the winners.
The instant the winner, Ray Routledge was named, the amateur photographers in the crowd were allowed to swarm into the press section and make it almost impossible for the newspaper and magazine men to do their job.
Thus, they could capture not one iota of the backstage drama which could help enormously to give flavor to their stories and help to popularize strength events.
The show itself was so badly organized that the Friday night section which consisted of the weightlifting in the 181-pound, 198-pound and heavyweight classes and the selection of the "Most Muscular" bodybuilder lasted from 7 p.m. until 1:30 a.m., or six hours and a half.
Through it all, the bored attitude of the AAU officials colored everything. The incredible accomplishments of the great weightlifting champions were passed off as routine. The athletes were given no identity, in either the weightlifting or the fine physique contest. They were presented only as names and numbers.
Then finally when awards were presented, the athletes in many cases were allowed to accept them in street clothes -- they type of clothing the boys might wear loafing around the gym before and after workouts.
Spectators who turned out to see supermen in action sometimes saw men dressed like bums receive the awards. Presentation of the awards was in an off-hand fashion, as bare tokens to men who had proved themselves the strongest in the nation.
"Shall we give the awards now?" one of the AAU brass asked, on stage.
"Might as well. We have some time to kill," was the reply, made into a live microphone by the master of ceremonies at the end of the weightlifting competition on Saturday afternoon.
The Mr. America contest which was the grand climax of the show was rushed through as if it were a painful duty. Practically no information was given about any of the contestant, except home town, height and weight, and the basis of the judging was inadequately explained.
More honor was paid to the judges than to the contestants .
Franklin Jones, of the Los Angeles Y.M.C.A., a good lifter as well as a home town favorite, barely had time to take a bow before attention was shifted.
Then Joseph Abbenda, of New York City, competing unattached, was given his trophy, but only an instant to hear applause before the winner, Ray Routledge, Jr., of the U. S. Air Force, was allowed to take the stage.
Will he become a national hero, like so many of the "Mr. America" winners of the past, or will AAU domination cheat him of any real measure of new fame?
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1962 Mr America - AAU
1 Joe Abbenda
2 Harold Poole
3 Hugo Labra
4 Vern Weaver
5 Vic Seipke
6 Mike Ferraro
7 William Stathes
8 Bill Seno
9 Joe Lazzaro (1)
10 Kenny Hall
11 Joseph Simon
12 Joseph LaPorta
13 Ralph Kleiner
14 Tuny Monday
15 Billy LeMacks
16 Carl Stelzen
17 Steve Sakoulos
18 Norman Bedell
19 Jerry Doettrel
20 Gary Steuer
21 Chester Yorton
22 Robert Girard
23 Robert Herzong
24 Jack Allen
Most Muscular
1 Harold Poole
2 Hugo Labra
3 Joe Abbenda
3 Vern Weaver
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IronMan, Vol 21, No 6, Page 12, August 1962
Abbenda Wins "Mr. America"
As Twenty-five Men Compete For Title
By The Editor
IRON MAN cover man for last issue, Joe Abbenda, won the Mr. America title this year. (See his story in March, Vol. 21, No.4 issue of Iron Man.) Joe has been trying for several years and finally reached second place last year and won the coveted title by a narrow margin this year, being only two points ahead of Harold Poole, the young teen-ager who, incidentally, came through for a first place in the Most Muscular event this year. Hugo Labra, last year's Most Muscular Man winner, was pushed to second place in this event this year, and Abbenda came in third, tho he was second last year.
In the Mr. America event, Labra came in third this year. Vern Weaver was fourth.
I have been a judge at more Mr. America contests than any other man in America and probably have officiated as a judge at more physique contests, yet I never fail to be surprised at the placings of some men in these events. Each group of judges sees things a little different than others do. What constitutes a top physique is a matter of opinion; it is relative. No two men agree in every respect, and usually their opinions vary widely. I recall one minor contest in which one judge insisted on placing one man quite high because he had good legs, tho the kid had almost nothing above the waist. Some judges, on the other hand, almost fail to notice if a man has legs at all. Judges have a wide variation of ideas of what the word "muscularity" means. To some it seems to mean "most muscle" while to others it just means "most definition."
Quite frequently competitors or their friends will come to me and ask what they need to make them winners, or why they didn't win. I have no satisfactory answer for them as a general rule, unless it would be to pick the right judges and of course they have nothing to do with this. If a man is near the top, all I can do is tell him to keep trying and some time he may hit the right combination of judges who will give him the title.
Many men, of course, have some faults that are quite obvious, and these men can be given helpful advice. The top men who come in the first 6 places or so, generally are good enough to win if they have a little luck.
We have talked much about the need for uniformity in officiating lifting, but we are equally in need of uniformity of physique officiating. Very little is likely to be done in the USA in this respect as long as physique contests are supervised and controlled by the weightlifting association, for the lifters and lifting officials in general do not like physique contests and do not consider it worthwhile to make much of an attempt to improve them. Most certainly some clinics on judging a physique would make for much more satisfactory results. Much could be done to improve this phase of the game.
MOST MUSCULAR CONTEST
This part of the contest was held on the evening of June 2nd after the lifting. Not all the physique entries entered this, but most of them did and they really looked great. Each year the men seem to look better than the year before, but this is probablY just the result of the enthusiasm at seeing so many top men lined up again. Most certainly the men entered this year were just as good as in previous years. Many of them showed great improvement over past years. Young Harold Poole was considerably improved but he did not have an easy victory in the Most Muscular contest, as last year's winner, Hugo Labra, showed a great deal more definition and, I would say, he was a lot better than last year and had been training very hard for this event. Abbenda was improved over last year and quite a number of the others were much improved. Weaver, with his added bulk, showed good definition and excellent symmetry. Siepke, after being out of competition for at least six years, made a great comeback and looked better than ever. Ferraro was bigger and more muscular than ever, as was William Stathes.
Poole had just a little too much muscular size over all and excellent definition for the other boys, and so came in first for the Most Muscular title. Labra was so close it must have been difficult for the judges to place him second. Abbenda was very happy with third, I am sure, for he was the ultimate winner of the Mr. America title.
MR. AMERICA CONTEST
This event is the one that usually draws the crowds and thus helps finance the lifting events. There is something magnetic about the perfectly developed physique with a beautiful golden tan that everyone admires, and to see these men lined up for the Mr. America contest is an unbelievable sight to someone who has never had the privilege of seeing it before. You just can't believe that such perfection, size and magnificence can be attained, and it is so different from seeing them in photos.
Most of these men had trained extremely hard for this event, some of them spending hours a day at it for several weeks. Years of very hard work are behind most of these fellows, tho, and their most difficult period is just a few weeks before the contest.
Most of the fellows who enter these physique contests are among the finest in any branch of athletics. They are men who, above all, are interested in self-improvement, not just their physiques, but their minds and morals as well. They are fine, clean living young fellows with high ideals and ambitions and most of them are college graduates. A large share of them are married and have families. America would be a much better place with more such outstanding young men. I do know that occasionally someone will come along with poor character, and because the press wants sensationalism, this man's mistakes will be given publicity out of proportion to its importance and because of these few bad characters, many millions of fine bodybuilders have to hang their heads in shame. This should not be so, for bodybuilding is one of the greatest activities for building a greater America, and more emphasis ought to be placed on it, not for the sake of a fine physique alone, but also for the good health it fosters and the general overall character building qualities it stimulates.
I would like to take you with me on a little visit with each of the entrants and find out about these men; what they do for a living, how they live, how they train and what they can do. We will start with them as they were numbered for the contest.
BILLY LEMACKS of Florida was No. 1. This young man has been lifting and bodybuilding for several years and won Teen Age Nationals Lifting and Jr. National Lifting titles. He is a lightweight of 145 lbs., but has very good shape and exceptional definition as you will see by his photo. He will improve a great deal, and with more bulk ought to have an excellent chance at the top title. If be could weigh 170 witch his present shape and definition he would be terrific.
CHESTER YORTON had entered many contests and won many titles. He is a very handsome young man with a very outstanding physique. He has lots of bulk and fair definition and good proportions. As we have mentioned before, this man suffered a very severe auto accident about 3 or 4 years ago and shattered the bones in both thighs. One thigh now has a steel plate in it and the other a steel rod, but this man has developed amazing legs and can now squat with 500 lbs. Several judges jestingly remarked that they guessed they would get some steel rods put in their legs if they could learn to squat with 500 lbs. Yorton is a fine baseball and basketball player and expert on ice skates.
KEN HALL has been entering and winning physique contests for several years. he is 5'10½" tall and weighs 187. He is 32 years of age and has been training for 9 years. He migrated from the British West Indies 11 years ago and works as a foreman in a wholesale company. He is married and has one child. He has done some weightlifting and has made a 775 total. He has terrific definition and a very unusnal shape, with exceptional abdominals.
ROBERT GIRARD is a construction worker, has a nice physique and is married and the father of one child. He is 20 years of age, He trained 2½ hours per night 3 nights per week and has made 200, 185 and 250 on the Olympic lifts, He will do well with more training and experience.
MIKE FERRARO is well known to readers, having been our cover man on the March Vol. 21 No. 4 issue of Iron Man. We will have a full story on him with a lot of fine photos soon. He has won many titles, including the Teen age Mr. America and Mr. North America; altogether 13 physique titles. He is 23 years of age, married and has a little boy. Mike has been training 7 years and has made an Olympic total of 775 and a squat of 485, weighs 180 at a height of 5'8". Mike is managing a restaurant for his father and plans to finish his college training this winter, majoring in Physical Education. He has most exceptional thighs and shows unusual definition all over his body. He takes very heavy workouts.
JOHN SCHUBERT entered the contest for fun and had not trained really seriously for it, but has a very nice physique anyhow, which could have shown more definition with heavier training. He is an outstanding weightlifter, and operates the Olympic Health Club in Cleveland.
VERN WEAVER entered a number of contests several years ago and we took some color photos of him at the Mr. America contest in Los Angeles in 1958. We used one of these shots on the cover in December 1960. We were amazed to see the tremendous improvement in this man, and we were told that he had made most of it (gained 20 lbs. of shapely, solid muscle) in just two months while training in his basement at home. He would not divulge the training methods he had used, but expressed the thought that most bodybuilders and lifters train too hard for best results. All this improvement came after a layoff of 3 years. Altogether he has had 9 years of trainlug and presently is employed selling memberships for the Bacon Health Studio in York. He is 5'9½" tall and looks taller, so well is he proportioned, and weighs 200 presently, with 52 inch shoulders, 48 chest, 31 waist, 24 thighs, 16½ calf and 17½ arm, according to his own statements, and I would say that all tnese measurements are from one to several inches smaller than they actually are. Most weight men exaggerate their measurements, but from the looks of this fellow he is understating his measurements. We feel he should enter the Mr. Universe this year. He is 25 years old and an outstanding athlete. His shape and proportions are outstanding; he has good definition and fine skin tone. We feel he has one of the finest physiques in the world. He has made a total of 845 on the Olympics and plans to go to 220 bodyweight.
HUGO LABRA, last year's Most Muscular Man, looks better than ever, if that is possible, and had been training hard for this contest. We know he was disappointed at not placing higher and he really looked good, for he is a real little giant of 5'6¾" and 180 pounds of solid muscle. He is 32, single, and has been training 16 years. Hugo works for Douglas Aircraft and has had 2 years of engineering training and is finishing his education in a West Coast University. He came from Lima, Peru 9 years ago and is now a U. S. citizen and was the Pan Am champ in 1951 and has done 240, 225, 297 in the Olympic lifts at 148 pounds bodyweight. He also squats with 475 and bench presses 400 for 2 reps and curls 190. Hugo has one of the best physiques in the country for a short fellow, and will surely continue to improve. He was our cover man in the September issue and we have had other outstanding photos of him and have many more to show.
JERRY DOETTREL decided to take up weight training because the bigger kids picked on him. They don't do that any more. He is single, 21, and at the bodyweight of 148 he made 215, 175, and 270 on the Olympic lifts and was a star on his high school track team. He works as a stock broker and plans to further his education.
JOSEPH LAPORTE is 22, single, and has made a 425 squat at 180 bodyweight. He owns his own house painting business. He was an outstanding football star in high school and has a nice physique which will improve a great deal with more training.
WM. STATHES is one of our frequent Mr. America competitors and always impresses everyone with his outstanding physique. Bill is married, is on the San Francisco Police force and is exceptionally strong, having made a 910 total on the Olympic lifts. This year he weighed 215 as compared to 200 last year and 185 the year before. I know Bill wonders why he doesn't place higher (and I often wonder myself), for he certainly has an outstanding physique.
BILL SENO is a young fellow with a herculean physique. He has exceptionally fine legs and is very muscular everywhere. He is a good lifter and I believe he has pressed 290. He has done 320 with a lot of backbend. He has made an 815 total at 188 bodyweight. He excelled at football and wrestling and played football while attending Western Illinois University for 3 years. He is 23, single, and has trained with weights for 2½ years. He has a lot of natural possibilities both as an athlete and as a physique man. He will be able to improve his physique a lot in coming years to give it that finished look that the top men have. Bill is a Laboratory Technician at General Analine Corp.
GARY STEUER is only 20 but has developed a really outstanding physique and I was impressed by his great bulk and huge arms and shoulders. He said his arms measured 18½ and I know this wasn't an exaggeration, as they looked to me to be larger. For a man of such bulk he had excellent proportions and fairly good definition. With continued training he will take his place with the top men, for he is only 20 and has a wonderful start. He trains at home and has gained 100 lbs. in bodyweight in the 4 years he has been training. He weighs about 200 and has some good lifts to his credit. I was much impressed with this young man.
TUNY MONDAY recently won the Jr. Mr. America title in Columbia, Mo., and has a very unusual physique in that he weighs but 150 at about 5'5" height and has a most amazing definition. He had a dark tan from a lot of sun while water skiing, at which he is quite expert. Tuny is 38 years of age, married and has a family. He has his own business in neon sign work in Tulsa, Oklahoma, though later he would like to go into the health studio business. He now trains very hard and was training 6 hours a day in preparation for this and other recent contests. With a little more bulk he would be hard to beat. We would say that he would be tremendously impressive at 165 lbs. and with the same definition. He has already gained 30 pounds in bodyweight but could go on up. He has exceptional endurance and tells us that no matter how long hours he works or how much training he does, he never feels tired, and is always full of pep and ready to go.
CARL STELZEN is a top weightlifter of many years and enjoys getting into physique contests. He has an outstanding physique but if he is to continue in such contests he ought to do specialized bodybuilding. Weightlifting can give you a nice physique but without specialized bodybuilding you will not reach top quality and balance of physique. Carl is a great speed skater. He has his own floor waxing business.
JOE LAZZARO has won many physique titles and is an Art teacher in Junior High school. He has his BS degree and is working on his Masters degree at present. He is 31, has been training for 14 years and has won the Jr. Mr. America title and has made an Olympic total of 745 at 165 lbs. bodyweight. Joe is a real credit to the game and keeps trying year after year. A little more bulk and better definition would help him. He did not look in quite as hard a condition as we have seen him in the past and doubtless has had to curtail his training somewhat with his teaching obligations and his family - - ife and one daughter.
NORMAN BEDELL has been training for 9 years and was a track star in high school and has had two years of college. He has made a 750 Olympic total at 181 bodyweight. He ran the 100 yards in 9.9 in high school. He is a State Policeman in New Jersey and has a very nice physique which will improve greatly with further training.
HAROLD POOLE who has won a Jr. Mr. America title and many others, comes very close to the top each year and this year was much improved, being bigger and more mature looking. Harold is 18 years of age and is graduating from high school this year and we understand that he has three college scholarships. He will go to Purdue next year. This young colored fellow has an outstanding personality and certainly has a physique that it would be hard to find a flaw in. He is an outstanding athlete in school, especially at wrestling where the other high school athletes just don't stand much chance against him. He has made a 750 total as a 198 lb lifter though he has done very little lifting. We don't believe Harold will mind our mentioning it, but we feel that the only thing that keeps him from the Mr. America title is a slight speech difficulty. He has a slight stutter when he becomes nervous, and who wouldn't be nervous in a Mr. America contest? He is rapidly overcoming this though, and who knows, he may be the next Mr. America. I'm sure he would be a credit to the title.
JOE ABBENDA, the new Mr. America, needs little introduction to readers of Iron Man, for his photo was on the cover of last issue, and his story in a previous issue. Joe is single, 23 years of age, and trains at home most of the time. He is going to St. Johns University and is studying law. He has made a lifting total of 850 as a heavyweight and is one of the most enthusiastic workers for the game, always willing to go out and put on shows, talk about training and help the game in any way he can. He has a fine physique and a very attractive personality. We are sure that Joe will do much in the coming year as an ambassador for the barbell game. Joe has a very thin skin which gives him outstanding definition, and he has a rather unusual muscle shape.
JOSEPH SIMON, long a physique contender, is a man who has about the most outstanding definition of anyone there. In addition he also has good bulk and excellent shape. Joe is 28, married and has a son. He was an all-state football man and Bi-State champion in baseball and works as a crane operator. Joe gives a lot of fine shows around his area with his little son who enjoys working with Dad. When Joe tenses up his muscles you would swear they are going to jump out of his skin.
JACK ALLEN has had one year of training and has done wrestling, boxing and track in school. He has a nice physique and should improve considerably in the come year, with hard training.
RALPH KLEINER has won several top physique titles. His physique impresses one with the fine upper body. He has good shape and definition. He came from Austria in 1952 where he was a member of the state football championship team at 14 years of age. He is a Judo 2nd degree brown belt, has had 2 years of college at Rice and will be going back this fall.
ROBERT HERZOG has won the Mr. Michigan title, among others, and has a very rugged physique. He is an outstanding specialty skater and works as an interior decorator. He made the background designs for the Mr. America contest which you see in the photos with this article.
STEVE SAKOULOS has entered a number of contests a few years ago and was the Mr. Illinois in 1955. He works as a glass blower and has done some good lifts, making a total of 800 at 181 bodyweight.
VIC SEIPKE, last but not least by any means. Vic had not entered a contest for 6 or more years but had been working out regularly twice a week to keep in fair shape. This time he looked better than he did when he was entering contests years ago. He is a Fireman in the Detroit Fire Department, 30 years of age, married, 1 son. He also works as a dental lab technician in his off hours. We would like to see Vic continue entering contests as many feel that he is Mr. America material. You can't pick a flaw in this man's physique. He isn't as tall at some may like, and has a little longer than usual neck which is of tremendous size, and says he never did anything to develop it. It just grew that way along with the rest of his body. He had a beautiful tan and we took some color photos of Vic but believe they were rather badly scratched when removing them from the camera. However, if they come out well we will show one on the cover of Iron Man. Vic appeared on Iron Man cover in Mayor 1959. Vic has made an 805 total while weighing 190, and was outstanding in football and swimming in high school.
There then is the picture of these boys as the judges saw them and as the audience viewed them two nights.
These boys were pre-judged the morning of July 3rd and the decisions were made then, but nothing was announced before the evening performance after the lifting. The judges were asked to sit on the stage and make a pretense of judging again. Such a foolish farce to go through! Why not tell the audience that these men are pre-judged in the afternoon. No one will care. A judge feels embarrassed and foolish sitting there acting as if he were doing a job.
The lighting was good for the contest and the boys all showed up at their best and gave a good show. We believe that most people agreed with the decisions. It must be remembered that a lot of things other than the physique are taken into consideration when choosing a Mr. America. This isn't just a physique contest, for a man must have high moral standards and a good reputation and must be a good athlete, have a pleasing personality, and be able to present himself well to the public for the coming year.
The selections should therefore not be based only on the physique, though this is important. Most contests throughout the world are judged on physique alone and this makes quite a difference in the selections. A Mr. America should represent the ideal of American manhood in all respects as nearly as possible. A strict physique contest does not need to meet all these restrictions or requirements.
Here are the point totals as made by the first ten men: Joe Abbenda 89; Harold Poole 87; Hugo Labra 86½; Vern Weaver 86; Victor Seipke 84; Mike Ferraro 82; William Stathes 81½; William Seno 80; Joseph Lazzaro 80; Kenneth Hall 78.
Most Muscular: 1st Harold Poole; 2nd Hugo Labra; 3rd Joe Abbenda.
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Mr. America Magazine, Vol 5, No 5, Page 36, November 1962
1962 AAU MR. AMERICA CONTEST
by Gord Venables
Twenty-eight of the best built men in the nation vied for the annual Mr. America title. The winner was a good-looking college student who we hope will inspire our youth and start others on the road to better health and perfect manhood through weight training.
I SAW THE FIRST MR. AMERICA CONTEST in Schenectady, New York on December 1st, 1938. The Mr. America contest was the brain child of John Hordines, sponsor and bodybuilding instructor. John had hoped to make Schenectady to Mr. America what Atlantic City is to Miss America. It was to be an annual event in that city but somehow the idea didn't jell.
That first Mr. America meet was held in "Pink" Gardner's Reducing Salon and Gymnasium. The place was too small to hold the crowds that jammed in to see what a perfectly developed male looked like. Bert Goodrich of Hollywood, Cal., managed to nose out Elmer Farnham of Shamokin, Pa. for the title.
While Schenectady didn't become the Mecca of muscle men, Hordines started the ball rolling and the following year the AAU got into the act and staged a Mr. America contest in conjunction with the Senior National Weightlifting Championships. A new idea was added - aspiring Mr. Americas had to compete in the weightlifting contest to prove their muscles were good for something else than just to look at.
The '39 affair was sponsored by Chicago Parks Department; was held outdoors and about 10,000 people saw Adonis-like Roland Essmaker of Richmond, Indiana crowned the winner.
The next contest was perhaps the biggest and best of all time. Under the guidance of AAU Weightlifting Chairman, Dietrich Wortmann, it was held in Madison Square Garden and John Grimek won that one.
I was sitting close to Bernarr MacFadden, one of the ten judges, and he took one look at Grimek and said, "Tat man is perfect!" He marked down 100 points on his score-card and didn't bother to look much at the other entrants. Unfortunately his enthusiasm did not benefit Grimek. Wortman had introduced a rule tha the highest and lowest scores were to be thrown out. It was a good rule for it prevented any judge from showing excess favor (or disfavor) to any one contestant. So MacFadden's 100 points didn't count on Grimek's score but he won anyway.
In 1941 Philadelphia hosted the meet and again John Grimek won, the only man ever to win twice. it can't happen again for after the meet a pow-wow was held among the powers that be and it was decided that a man could win in the title only once. They had the feeling that Grimek might go on winning forever!
Big Frank Leight of New York City took the 1942 crown in a very close contest in Cincinnati. Frank just edge out Dan Lurie, another New Yorker. Jules Bacon won in '43 and in those days he had incredible separation. That affair was held in Los Angeles. I saw Steve Stanko cop the title in Chattanooga in '43. Steve had injured himself weightlifting and turned to bodybuilding.
To refresh your memory let me give you a list of winners over the past 24 years.
1938 Bert Goodrich, Hollywood, Calif.
1939 Roland Essmaker, Richmond, Indiana
1940 John Grimek, York, Pa.
1941 John Grimek, York, Pa.
1942 Frank Leight, New York City
1943 Jules Bacon, York, Pa.
1944 Steve Stanko, York, Pa.
1945 Clarence Ross, Los Angeles, Calif.
1946 Alan Stephan, Chicago, Ill.
1947 Steve Reeves, Los Angeles, Calif.
1948 George Eiferman, Philadelphia, Pa.
1949 Jack Delinger, Oakland, Calif.
1950 John Farbotnik, Philadelphia, Pa.
1951 Roy Hilligenn, Johannesburg, South Africa
1952 Jim Park, Chicago, Ill.
1953 Bill Pearl, San Diego, Calif.
1954 Dick DuBois, Los Angeles, Calif.
1955 Steve Klisanin, McKeesport, Pa.
1956 Ray Shaefer, E. Chicago, Indiana
1957 Ron Lacy, Lexington, Kentucky
1958 Tom Sansone, New York City
1959 Harry Johnson, Atlanta, Georgia
1960 Lloyd Larille, New Orleans, La.
1961 Ray Routledge, Los Angeles, Calif.
It is interesting to note that the early Mr. A. contests were dominated by York trained men. From the time Clarence Ross won and newer training methods began to take hold, the winners have been predominately Weider trained men.
Clarence Ross is a member of the Weider writing staff and has contributed many bodybuilding articles to both Mr. America and Muscle Builder. Stephan, Reeves, Delinger, Pearl, Shaefer and Sansone have all contributed articles to both magazines. Eiferman is at present our West Coast editor and Farbotnik is a feature writer.
I recall a few sidelights of past Mr. America contests. Leight and Lurie were actually tie in '42 and both were called out on the stage for final judging. Leight won because he was a much bigger man.
Steve Reeves and Eric Pedersen were tie in '47. A closer examination by the judges gave Reeves the nod as Pedersen's skin was marred by a few pimples probably picked up in his last few days of training. Reeves and his clear skin went on to fame and fortune while I haven't heard from Pedersen for a long time.
Roy Hilligenn was the only foreign entrant to ever win the Mr. A. Ttitle. No Canadian has as yet won although there have been many fine entrants. So much for the past, now for the present.
THE 1962 EVENT was held at the Highland Park High School Auditorium. Highland Park is a separate community inside the city limits of Detroit. The Most Muscular Man contest was staged on Saturday, June 2nd. In the past there were awards for the best arms, best legs, best chest, best back, best etc., etc. and there were also height division awards. They had Mr. little America, Mr. medium sized America and Mr. big, economy sized America. It was all too confusing. To streamline the contest now only two events are held - the Most Muscular Man and Mr. America. While the contests are not dragged out as they were in the past this new method deprives the audience of seeing more of their favorites. However, the 1962 event went off well.
Immediately after Joe Puleo of Detroit won the middleweight weightlifting title with a Clean and Jerk of 340 pounds, the stage was set for the judging. The posing dais was made by one of the contestants, Bob Herzog of Iron Mountain, Michigan.
There were 28 entrants and each man gave a series of his best poses. No one man gained advantage over his competitors through superior posing ability. Actually all the posing routines were amateurish but that's the way it's supposed to be in an amateur contest.
Of the 28 posers, Harold Poole of Indianapolis, Kenneth Hall of Brooklyn, Hugo LaBra of Los Angeles, Joe Abbenda of Long Island and Joe Simon of Sewell, N.J. received the most applause from the audience. I felt sure one of these five men would win the Most Muscular title. So who won? Ah, there was the rub! Who won?
The Master of Ceremonies announced that the winner's name would be given the following night - the night of the Mr. America contest. There were some sighs of despair, some boos, some catcalls and general dissatisfaction among the audience at being kept in suspense one night later and three bucks more.
ON SUNDAY NIGHT, right after Schemansky's unsuccessful attempt to clean 440 came crashing to the platform, the contestants lined up for the judging. The judges were seated at one end of the stage making it impossible for them to see the men at the other end of the line. It was then that I learned that the men had been "pre-judged" that afternoon. The winner had already been selected!
There is nothing wrong with this method, both Ben and Joe Weider employ it in their contests. It is virtually impossible for the judges to judge a man correctly in the few minutes he is on the posing dais so "pre-judging" is the way to compute points. Furthermore, the calibre of the contestants was so high that only split points separated them. It requires a lot of time and close study to properly evaluate a man's physique. Joe Raymond of Cleveland was in charge of the judging. He is an old hand at it and always does a good job.
The panel of judges were: Dave Matlin, AAU Weightlifting Chairman; Joe Raymond, Lake Erie area Chairman; Bob Hise of Georgia; Rudy Sablo of the Metropolitan District; John Terpak of York; Owen Olsen of Minnesota and Perry Rader, editor of Iron Man magazine.
The stage was not large enough for the entire 27 entrants so they came out in two groups. (All the contestants who entered the Most Muscular entered the Mr. A. with the exception of Floyd DeSirito of Union, N.J.) I saw two line-ups of the most perfectly developed men in America. Picking a winner from such an imposing array of physical perfection was a well-nigh impossible task. I was most anxious to learn who the judges had chosen. (No one except the judges knew the winner).
The black velvet curtain was lowered and a brilliant spotlight hit the posing dais placed in front center of the stage and one by one each man came out, mounted the dais and went through his posing routine. The first man up to flex his muscles under the bright light was Billy Lemacks of Johnson's Health Studio, Chicago, a weightlifter who placed fourth in the lightweight class with a 720 pound total.
Chester Yorton of Milwaukee, the biggest man in the show. He stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 220 pounds. He had both legs broken and has steel plates in his thighs!
Kenneth Hall of Brooklyn, the most popular man with the audience. Ken was willing to pose for any amateur photographer and gave several exhibitions of muscle control off stage.
Robert Girard of Windsor, Ontario, only Canadian in the meet although there was a large contingent of Canadians in the audience. Bob can run 100 yards in 11 seconds!
Mike Ferraro of Buffalo, N.Y., a lifter who made a 775 pound total and a very muscular young man.
John Schubert of the Olympic Health Studio of Cleveland, very symmetrically proportioned with a good posing routine.
Vern Weaver, York Barbell Club, of Dover, Pa., a big man who can run 100 yards in 10.3 seconds. Extremely handsome, a fine poser and an actor by profession. (He has played "Lil Abner.")
Jerry Doetrell, Buffalo-York A.C., Buffalo, massively built with a cheer raising posing routine.
Hugo LaBra of Los Angeles, one of the most muscular men in the contest. He was born in Peru, South America. Hugo has terrific trapezius muscles. From the applause he received I knew he would be right up there at the top.
Joseph LaPorte of Connecticut YMCA, a former football player with a whole backfield of muscles.
Lewis Wolter, Milwaukee Health Studio, Milwaukee, a man with good separation and very deep pectorals.
Henry Koehler of Milwaukee, a favorite of the Wisconsin fans in the audience.
Bill Stathes of San Francisco YMCA, a policeman and the oldest man in the meet. If there were more cops like Bill there would be a lot less juvenile delinquency. Bill was terrific.
William Seno, Sayre Park W. L. Club, Chicago, a former weightlifting champ who has totalled 815 pounds as a light-heavy. He had very good definition, won Most Muscular Man title at Jr. Mr. A. contest.
Gary Stever of Cincinnati, Ohio. There were plenty of Ohioans in the audience and Gary got a good hand.
Tuny Monday, Tulsa YMCA, Tulsa, Okla., winner of a Junior Mr. America title and a water skiing champ. Tuny is 37 but looks better than most 21 year oldsters.
Carl Stelzen, Bates Barbell Club of Paterson, N.J., one of the best light-heavyweight weightlifters in the country. He has totaled 850!
Joseph Lazzaro of Buffalo, N.Y., definitely one of the most muscular men in the meet. Joe is working on his M.A. degree.
Norman Bedell, Bates Barbell Club, Paterson, N.J., a former football player and now a police officer.
Harold Poole, Hofmeister's Studio, Indianapolis, who received the loudest ovation up to this point. This all-round athlete is only 18 years old and had the most phenomenal musculature I have ever seen. I knew he was going to be darn close to winning.
Joe Abbenda of Long Island, N.Y., who was very good looking with amazing symmetry. His applause was equal to Poole's and I marked him on my score as being right up there at the top.
Joe Simon of Sewell, N.J., a baseball player with the most incredible separation in the thighs I have ever seen.
Jack Allen of National Health Studio, Washington, D.C. A bodybuilder with a routine that was well praised.
Robert Herzog, Iron Mountain, Michigan, performs at winter ice carnivals and can handbalance on ice skates. He's a speed skater and a good jumper. He made the posing stand and did the art work on it.
Ralph Kleiner, Triumph Health Studio, Chicago, winner of Mr. Illinois title and an instructor of bodybuilding. About this time there were shouts from the audience of "We want Shaefer" and "is Ray in the audience?" Ray had a lot of buddies from out Chicago way but there was no Ray.
Steve Sakoulos, Irving Park, YMCA, Chicago, 36 years old and former Central AAU weightlifting champ.
The last man to take to the posing dais was popular Victor Seipke of Detroit. Vic, as a light-heavyweight lifter made an 830 total. He is a fireman.
By having the afternoon "pre-judging" there was no time lost in the first elimination. The 27 competitors were narrowed down to 10 and presented in this order:
Kenneth Hall of Brooklyn; Mike Ferraro of Buffalo; Vern Weaver of Dover, Pa.; Hugo LaBra of Los Angeles; William Stathes of San Francisco; William Seno of Chicago; Joseph Lazzaro of Buffalo; Harold Poole of Indianapolis; Joe Abbenda of Long Island, N.Y., and Victor Seipke of Detroit.
Each man was greeted with rousing cheers and it sounded like Harold Poole and Vic Seipke getting the most with Joe Abbenda and Hugo LaBra only a few decibels behind.
The judges then made their second .elimination, reducing the field to five. The five men presented were:
Vern Weaver, Hugo LaBra, Harold Poole, Joe Abbenda and Victor Seipke.
While the judges were confering (or pretending to confer) the long awaited announcement as to who was the Most Muscular Man came. Joe Abbenda was called to the posing dais and there were loud cheers. Had Joe won? No, it was then announced that he had placed third! (The M.C. was coy, he was keeping the suspense right up to the bitter end.)
Next man called to the dais was Hugo LaBra and to him went the second place trophy for most muscles. Then came the great moment. The Most Muscular Man was - Harold Poole! Boy! he deserved it. I have never seen a man with such amazing shoulders. He was the winner beyond a shadow of doubt. Everybody was pleased with the verdict.
Now to find out who would be the 1962 AAU Mr. America. Again the suspense of introducing the third place man first. Hugo LaBra was third place! Hugo has an enormously powerful upper body but he is not very tall. I had a feeling that, in spite of his terrific musculature, his height would make it difficult for him to take the title. Hugo was well pleased and gave the crowd a short muscle control routine.
The second place trophy went to Harold Poole. Perhaps the audience thought Harold should have won but actually he has too much muscle if such a thing is possible. His arms, shoulders, pectorals and upper back are beyond compare for sheer muscularity.
A hush fell over the hall as the M.C. was about to pronounce the new King of Muscle Men.
"Will Joe Abbenda come to the stage?" Cheers, cheers and more cheers. Joe Abbenda of Long Island was the new AAU Mr. America! This young, good looking college boy took the center of the dais amid a brilliant burst of a hundred flash bulbs. Every photographer pressed forward to get his picture. Soon the stage was overrun and it was with difficulty that order was restored.
A lovely young lady, Miss Highland Park, crossed the stage with the big Mr. A. trophy and presented it to Joe. From the crowd came a dozen shouts of "Kiss her, Joe, kiss her." The young lady giggled and Joe blushed. But Joe is a man and a man that couldn't resist a beauty like the trophy donor. He kissed her. Harold Poole and Hugo LaBra looked on in envy. The cheering was terrific but I don't know whether they were cheering Joe's gallantry or his muscles.
Harold and Hugo left the stage to Joe and again there was the mad rush of photographers, friends and fellows who just wanted to shake the hand of Mr. America. Joe took it all in good stride. He shook hands with everyone who could get to him and he really appreciated their congratulations. Somehow Joe's father managed to get on the stage and through the crowd and he gave sonny a bear-hug and looked as pleased as though he had won the title himself.
JOE ABBENDA is a Law student at St. John's University and passed his first year's exams with honors.
He started out as a weightlifter when he was 15 years old; he wanted to be bigger and stronger and have a better physique. Then he was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds. After competing in a number of lifting meets around the New York City area he switched to bodybuilding because, as he put it, it offered a greater challenge.
In 1958 he entered his first physique contest, the Mr. Junior Metropolitan, and won it. Last year he was second in the Junior Mr. America and that, more than anything else, spurred him to train harder. This year Joe won both the Junior and Senior AAU Mr. America titles.
Judges at the AAU Mr. America shows allow additional points for athletic ability. Joe was awarded the maximum 5 points for his performance on the Three Olympic Lifts. He can press 280 pounds!
Joe normally trains three times a week but worked out every day for three weeks before the Mr. A affair. To achieve all-round muscular perfection he follows an all-round bodybuilding program and does not specialize or try to over-emphasize any particular part of his body. Joe has superb symmetry.
Joe Abbenda is a swell guy. He speaks effectively and has a million dollar smile. I doubt they could have picked a better man to wear the mythical Mr. America crown for the year 1962.
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1963 Mr America - AAU
1 Vern Weaver
2 Harold Poole
3 Craig Whitehead
4 John Gourgott
5 Bill Seno
6 Hugo Labra
7 Randy Watson (1)
8 Mike Ferraro
9 Val Vasilieff
10 Elmo Santiago
11 Gene Wells
12 Joe Lazzaro (1)
13 Julian Jackson
14 Fred Schutz
15 Arthur Turgeon
16 Norman Bedell
17 Don Howorth
18 Joseph LaPorta
19 William Collins
20 George Joseph
21 Steve Sakoulos
22 Robert Scholl
23 Robert Cameron
24 Joe Sgroi
25 George Sheffield
26 Carlos Rodriguez
27 Leo Maryck
28 Sal Miccio
29 Richard Radich
30 Gregory Moyer
31 Don Abramowitz
32 John Leach
33 Richard Slavik
34 Joseph Schiavo
35 Benjamin Serrano
36 Charles Fautz
37 Abraham Lucas
38 Frank Popp
39 Russell Carroll
40 Robert Nathans
Most Muscular
1 Harold Poole
2 Bill Seno
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IronMan, Vol 22, No 6, Page 29, August 1963
Vern Weaver wins Mr. America
Harold Poole Wins Most Muscular
By the Editor
EACH year it seems the physiques entered in the Mr. America get better and better but I'm reluctant to emphasize this as it is reflection on past winners and contestants but certainly those lined up for the judges' study and approval were as good as any we have ever seen on any stage before.
On Saturday morning the judges interviewed the entries to determine their athletic points and most of them had satisfactory proof of their athletic accomplishments. Unlike the Junior Mr. America this year, where all the men but two had the full five athletic points, only 19 out of the 40 men entered had the full five points for athletic ability, with many of the men getting the minimum of 2 points. This is not a very good comparison and leads one to wonder why the Jr. Mr. America entrants were all outstanding athletes while the entries in the Mr. America were so uniformly poor in this respect. This is an unfortunate situation and is the prime reason that athletic points are required in the Mr. America contest-to assure that a man will be an athlete as well as look like one.
The judges had already had a preview of the men as they posed in the Most Muscular Man contest on Friday night and the men came out for their interview stripped. The judges therefore did their prejudging at this time and retired afterwards to total up their points.
MR. AMERICA PLACINGS
1. Vern Weaver, Dover, Pa. 92½
2. Harold Poole, Indianapolis, Ind. 89½
3. Craig Whitehead, New Orleans 89
4. John Gourgott, New Orleans 88½
5. William Seno, Melrose Pk. Ill. 86
6. Hugo Labra, L.A., Calif. 85½
7. Randy Watson, Nashville, Tenn. 84½
8. Mike Ferraro, Buffalo, N.Y. 83
9. Val Vasilieff, Sickerville, N.J. 82
10. Elmo Santiago, Bronx, N.Y. 81
11. Gene Wells, Phila., Pa. 79
12. Joseph Lazzaro, Buffalo, N.Y. 78
13. Julian Jackson, New York, N.Y. 77
14. Frederick Schutz, Chicago, Ill. 76½
15. Arthur Turgeon, Harrisburg 76
16. Norman Bedell, Columbia, N.J. 74
17. Donald Howorth, Mont. Park 73
18. Joe LaPorta, Southington, Conn. 72
19. William Collins, Wash. D.C. 71½
20. George Joseph, Allentown, Pa. 70½
21. Steve Sakoulos, Chicago, Ill. 69
22. Robert Scholl, P. Park, N.J. 66
23. Robert Cameron, Kokomo, Ind. 65½
24. Joe Sgroi, Detroit, Mich 64½
25. George Sheffield, S. Monica, Calif. 64½
26. Carlos Rodriguez, Hoboken, N.J. 63½
27. Leo Maryck, Detroit, Mich. 63
28. Sal Miccio, E. Patt., N.J. 62
29. Richard Radich, Warren, Ohio 60½
30. Gregory Moyer, Allentown 59½
31. Donald Abramowitz, Trenton, N.J. 59
32. John Leach, Camden, N.J. 56
33. Richard Slavik, Lorain, Ohio 55
34. Joseph Schiavo, Cecil, N.J. 55
35. Benjamin Serrano, Phila., Pa. 54½
36. Charles Fautz, Union, N.J. 52
37. Abraham E. Lucas Jr., Trenton, N.J. 51
38. Frank Popp, Steelton, Pa. 50
39. Russell Carrol, Lombard, Ill. 49½
40. Robert Nathans, Statford, N.J. 45
There was considerable discussion about various aspects of judging and eligibility of various kinds, and the question of morality and character came up. After a considerable period of discussion the judges voted 5 to 2 that even if a man's past was not all that could be desired, if he had shown satisfactory evidence that he had corrected his habits and mended his ways, he should be given credit for this and he would be voted on equal terms with the others. This will undoubtedly come up again as it has been a bone of contention for years and there are arguments for both sides.
As usual there were many men who were tops and anyone of them would have made a very good Mr. America.
The final choice of Vern Weaver brought cheers from his supporters, but jeers from the supporters of some of the other athletes, and same of the other men themselves seemed very unhappy about the decision. The judges had a very difficult decision to make and I believe they did what they believed was right whether or not anyone agreed with them.
We hope to give you more details on the different men in future issues, as well as stories on many of them, along with more photos, but our space is limited this issue.
Vern Weaver seemed greatly improved over last year, heavier and bulkier, with excellent definition and shape. He is undoubtedly one of the best built men in the world today. He is 26, weighed 205, and has huge arms and shoulders. He has made a 900 total in the Olympics and at present works as a salesman for a Health Club in Harrisburg. He came in third in the Most Muscular contest.
Harold Poole had an amazing physique and there was no doubt in most peoples minds that he would win the "Most Muscular." He looked unbelievable, with great size, excellent shape, and terrific definition, with every fiber seeming to stick out. I felt that Harold might win the Mr. America title this year, for his physique was greatly improved and his speech defect was likewise improved when I talked to him before the contest. We hope he will enter the Mr. Universe contest, as he has a magnificent physique. We hope he does not become discouraged because he didn't win this year. We have some color photos of him we hope to use soon. Just as last year, he was second again. We understand he is entering the Teen Age Mr. America and should have no difficulty winning this title.
Dr. Craig Whitehead came into third place with a nice physique. We look for a lot of improvement from him in the coming year and he ought to be right up at the top. He has the very well balanced type of build where nothing stands out above the other, but is pleasing, symmetrical and well proportioned. He is an eye surgeon in the Air Force. He weighs 196 and has made an 815 Olympic lift total.
Our fourth place man, John Gourgott, also of New Orleans, is another fellow who has the well balanced symmetrical type build. He also won the trophy for best built weightlifter in the lifting section. He went to Tulane and has a B.S. in Math and is now attending the LSU medical school. It is strange that both Gourgott and Whitehead have very similar types of physiques. Both are medical men and both are good Olympic lifters and both are from the same general area of the U.S.A. Gourgott made a 900 total at the Nationals for 5th place in the 198 lb. class.
Fifth place went to Bill Seno, the man who won the Most Muscular in the Jr. National Mr. America event and also made a world record in the bench press of 447¼. He also shares our cover this issue with Jr. Mr. America, Randy Watson. Bill looked very good and has the heavy muscular type development with exceptional chest muscles. See Bill's story in this issue.
Hugo Labra, the very muscular, broad-shouldered fellow from California, came in 6th. Hugo looked great, as he has every year. He has a tremendous back development; in fact, Hugo is tremendous any way you look at him. He is a former champion lifter and hammer thrower in the Pan Am Games. It is hard to see how Hugo could add much to his present development.
Randy Watson probably had the most pleasing build from the point of view of the average public, at the show. He has a perfection of symmetry and balance and shape that would be difficult to exceed and photos seldom do him justice. He looks great when he is relaxed, for then his fine proportions and muscle shape show up the best. I heard people mention that they thought he was the best built man in the whole entry list. Randy is a minister of the Chnrch of Christ, and mentioned that he had married a couple just the day before, in answer to a question from one of the officials. See Randy's story in this issue. He will certainly do real credit to the Jr. Mr. America title and if he continues to compete he may win the Sr. Mr. America title in due time. He lacks the height that many people prefer, but makes it up in physique perfection.
Mike Ferraro looked better than ever at this show. He has an unusual physique and a really fine posing routine that brings cheers from the audience. We thought Mike would place higher than eighth. He had been trying for a good many years. His parents and wife were there. In fact, many of the fellows (both lifters and physique men) brought their parents and families.
Val Vasilieff did very well and came in 9th. He has a very rugged type of physique -- more bulky than some of the fellows, but with very good proportions and shape. He will improve a lot in the future and should place very high. He is a good lifter, with a 900 total to his credit, and claims a dead lift of over 600.
We would like to bring you details of more of the fellows but must leave this for later issues due to lack of space. We also have a lot of photos of the various fellows to show you.
Our general opinion is that physiques are getting better all the time. The men have learned how to add more bulk and still maintain their shape and how to get unusual definition. Many of the fellows take these new drugs for tissue building but we still recommend against it. There have been reports of serious side effects since some of the fellows have used them to excess. Special feeding of regular foods and food supplements will give the same results and safely. There was a time when it seemed that only the easy gainers had a chance at a physique title but now with advanced methods of muscle culture and feeding we find that the average man has a chance, even if he is a so-called hard gainer, to win a title. Of course, shape is something you're born with or without, but we must realize, too, that within certain limits, different types of physiques can win titles. I would say that physique men are generally more interested in overall self improvement, physical mental and spiritual, than the lifters, and with a few exceptions, they are nice, clean fellows. Most of them are college men. We can look forward to their being outstanding, worthwhile citizens, considerable above the average after their competition days are over.
Following is a listing of the men as they placed, and their points. I'm a bit surprised at some of the placings myself. I can point to certain men that ought to have placed much lower than they did and vice versa. This was not deliberate on the part of the judges but just the way it sometimes works out. I think our system as used in the U.S.A. is very faulty in many respects. The judges certainly don't have time to do a fair job of judging of 40 men as entered in this contest. They may give attention to the first three or so, but the others don't get a fair placing because there isn't time to consider them comparatively. It should take at least two days to do much of a job, instead of 2 hours. Tho I did not agree with the final decision of the placings, even tho I was a judge, still I feel the judges did the best they could under the circumstances. My own decisions are seldom the same as the others make, for we all see a physique a bit differently and, depending on our past experience, a perfect physique means something different to each of us. If a man is very outstanding above all others, then it is easy, but seldom is a man ever that outstanding. We found several men in this contest who were very clcse for first, second and third places-much closer than the points would indicate.
MC for the Mr. America was Bob Callahan. Judges were Joe Paul, Rudy Sablo, Clarence Johnson, Don Haley, Dr. You, Peary Rader and Jack Lipsky. John Terpak sat in on the final judging in place of Dr. You, who did not arrive in time. Joe Raymond was chairman of the Physique Judges.
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1964 Mr America - AAU
1 Val Vasilieff
2 John Gourgott
3 Randy Watson (1)
4 Bill Seno
5 Craig Whitehead
6 Mike Ferraro
7 Sergio Oliva
8 John DeCola
9 Joe Nista
10 Arthur Turgeon
11 Bob Gajda
12 Charles Estes
13 Paul Wachholz
14 Bill St John
15 Steve Sakoulos
16 Floyd Despirito
17 Robert Cameron
18 Jerry Doettrel
19 Gilbert Hansen
20 George Wojnowski
21 Steve Kotis
22 Gary Neu
23 Anthony Tisovec
24 Charles Kutzer
25 Henry Vega
26 Kent Kuehn
27 Edmund Cook
28 Dean Elery
29 Francis McFarland
30 Dominick Duche
Most Muscular
1 Bill Seno
2 Val Vasilieff
3 Sergio Oliva
4 Mike Ferraro
4 John Gourgott
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IronMan, Vol 23, No 6, Page 11, September 1964
"MR. AMERICA - 1964"
By Peary Rader
A Mr. America event is always very exciting and so many people are there pulling for their favorites and when they do not win there are some unhappy people, but usually the majority are happy with the decision of the judges.
This year there was no certainty as to who might win. The field was very close. There was Dr. Craig Whitehead who was third last year, John Gourgott who came in fourth and who had improved a great deal; we had John Decola, the Junior Mr. America winner, and Val Vasilieff who had come in third in that event just a half point behind the winner. Bill Seno was another, who, with his great muscularity, was a threat; Ferraro, former Teen Age Mr. America, and always up high -- these well known men and others, many not so well known. Sergio Oliva of Chicago, formerly of Cuba, of whom we had heard great things and who proved to be quite a physique, certainly amazed everyone. Randy Watson with ten pounds added weight was sure to come in high.
MR. AMERICA CONTEST
1 Val Vasilieff, Sicklerville, N.jJ. 94
2 John Gourgott, New Orleans, La. 90
3 Randy Watson, Manchester, Tenn. 89
4 Bill Seno, Melrose Park, Ill. 87½
5 Craig Whitehead, USAF, Texas 87
6 Mike Ferraro 86
7 Sergio Oliva 83½
8 Jon Decola 82½
9 Joseph Nista 80½
10 Arthur Turgeon 78
11 Bob Gajda 77½
12 Charles Estes 76½
13 Paul Wachholz 74½
14 William St. John 73
15 Steve Sakoulos 73
16 Floyd DeSpirito 73
17 Robert Cameron 72½
18 Jerry Doettrell 72
19 Gilbert Hanson 70
20 George Wojnowski 66½
21 Steve Kotis 65
22 Gary Neu 64½
23 Anthony Tisovec 64½
24 Charles Kutzer 62
25 Henry Vega 60½
26 Kent Kuehn 59½
27 Edmund Cook 59
28 Dean Elery 59
29 Francis McFarland 57½
30 Dominick Duche 57
MOST MUSCULAR MAN CONTEST
1 Bill Seno, Melrose Park, Ill.
2 Val Vasilieff, Sicklerville, N.J.
3 Sergio Oliva, Chicago, Ill.
4 Mike Ferraro, Buffallo, N.Y.
John Gourgott, New Orleans, La.
All these were top men but no one was outstandingly great as has been the case in some past Mr. America events. None of these men stood out above the others so much that people could say, "here is the winner; he has it in the bag."
As the judges looked the men over and interviewed them at the gym of the Irving Park YMCA on Saturday morning, June 13th, the lighting was rather poor and, generally speaking, the boys did not look as good as was expected. That night under good lighting, however, the picture was changed and the men all looked very good.
The selection of Val Vasilieff as the Mr. America seemed a fairly popular one with the audience, as was the selection of Chicago's Bill Seno for the Most Muscular title.
Most of the men participated in the Most Muscular contest Saturday evening and this gave both the audience and the judges a chance to see the men under the lights and together. After this preview they were better able to make the selections Saturday night. Altho the men were generally selected at the prejudging Saturday morning, the judges were permitted to make changes in their ballots if they so desired until late Sunday.
In the Most Muscular contest Saturday night there were several men who were really good. Bill Seno, of course, has great muscularity and exceptional pectoral and deltoid muscles. His abdominals are exceptionally good with not only size but good definition and shape. His legs are herculean. Bill would find it easy to win the Mr. America title if he were just a little taller and with a little better proportions. Now don't ask me what I mean by this, for it is difficult to describe. Now that he has won the Most Muscular title he could probably shape up better for the Mr. America by working for a little better back and shaping up a little all over and perhaps letting his pecs shrink just a little. Of course the bench press is one of his favorite exercises and he would like to make 500 lbs. one of these days.
We would say that Sergio Oliva is one of the most muscular men we have ever seen, yet it is not his muscularity which impresses us so much as his unusual shape. His shoulders are very, very broad and tremendously muscled, and he tapers down to an unbelievably small waist. His legs are very outstanding as are his arms. One of his back poses is just unbelievable. He has a physique which is sure to win him the top titles in the world. We would suggest that he work the backs of his deltoids more, to balance them with the sides and front. This man placed third in the Most Muscular event.
With Bill Seno first and Oliva third, Val Vasilieff squeezed into second. Val is considerably improved over last year and looked very good but we were surprised to see him come into second place in this most muscular event. Mike Ferraro and John Gourgott tied for fourth place in the Most Muscular.
Ferraro looked better than ever and in spite of disappointments he still keeps right on competing. Mike has one of the must remarkable physiques to be found anywhere and his posing routine is unduplicated by anyone else. Some of his poses are his alone-his trade mark. Mike works very hard at his training, each year seeming to improve. I know that Mike, like several of the other fellows, wonders why he doesn't place higher. It is difficult for me to tell them. All I can say is that they just didn't have what the particular judges doing the job were looking for. In another contest they might place higher or win. Different judges look for different things. I've seen men who impressed me as having among the finest physiques in the country and yet they couldn't win contests. Ferraro has a very exceptional physique with a "different" type of shape than most men. We hope he will keep working and trying.
John Gourgott is another who has improved a great deal. Much of his time is spent working with the power rack and he has bulked up some and perhaps was not quite at his best due to working hard at lifting and it is just about impossible to be your best at both lifting and physique. He did exceptionally well to place so high in both events this year. He looked better than last year. I believe the final decision was to place Ferraro fourth, Gourgott fifth in the Most Muscular. No other placings were made by the judges in the Most Muscular event.
The Mr. America contest got under way Sunday night after an exciting heavyweight class lifting. All the 30 competitors marched out on the stage together. Due to the stage being a little small this was rather difficult, but it did give the audience and the judges a chance to see all the men together and they faced the front in a relaxed position then turned their sides to the audience, and then their backs.
When you see the men in this type of lineup together it is amazing how many different types of physiques you can see. It is here that the better physiques begin to show up and 6, 8 or 10 can be chosen as the top men. This was no easy task in this contest as there were so many outstanding men.
After this initial viewing the men were brought out individually and allowed to assume three poses under the lights, tho most of them usually use more than this. The lights seemed to be good and all the men looked very good on the lighted posing platform. Later the top ten men were brought out together again for comparison and thus it is reduced down to just two or three very good and outstanding men. As mentioned before, the top men this year seemed so close that it was very difficult to pick the first place man or even place the others properly. The point spread certainly doesn't give an indication of how close these men were.
The final choice was Val Vasilieff with 94 points. Val has been working hard for this title for about 7 years and has won a lot of lesser titles-about 40 I believe he said, and was third in the recent FIHC Mr. Universe. He has a very good upper body and unusually developed thighs.
John Gourgott came in second with 90 points and possesses one of the finest physiques in the country and is one of the top 198 lib. lifters in America. He has a very symmetrical development, well balanced in every respect. He has a fine abdominal formation and he shows a well knit shoulder formation from his lifting training. We would say that his chances for a title in the future are very good. We thought he might even win this year. John is studying to be an M.D. -- don't believe he is quite through yet.
Randy Watson, last year's popular Jr. Mr. America, has put on ten pounds more, but unlike many men who put on that much added bodyweight, Randy has maintained his superb definition or "cuts" as the fellows now prefer to call it. He has a terrific posing routine and looks good in every position. He has the finest shaped deltoids I have ever seen on anyone. It is impossible to find a fault with his body. We can reach only one conclusion as to why he did not win-as one judge remarked-"he is a little too short." However this has not mattered in past contests where men as short as 5'6" have won the title, and we feel that Randy has an excellent opportunity to win in the future. He has all the attributes for a great Mr. America. He is very handsome, with a dynamic, sparkling personality, is well educated and has fine character. He is a minister in the Church of Christ in Manchester, Tenn. He has a gym in the church basement where he trains some of his parishioners. There has been a rumor that Randy has taken tissue building drugs. Randy wants it known that he has never taken such drugs and has no intention of ever doing so. More about this in Roundup. Randy was third with 89 points.
Bill Seno, who had won the Most Muscular title, was fourth with 87½ points for his terrific physique. Bill, of course, has had to work for his massive physique but we are told that he is a "natural" and gains much easier than many fellows. He has a great future ahead of him. He had just graduated from college and will practice teach at Carl Sandberg college this fall. He has been training for about four and a half years, weighed about 175 when he started and has bulked up to 210 and has made 960 total in the 198 class.
Dr. Craig Whitehead came in 5th with 87 points. We expected him to place much higher and possibly win this year since he was third last year, but he did not appear to be in as good a condition as we have seen him in the past-at least he didn't look as good. We hope he will get back at this training and do better next year. He has what it takes to win this title. He gave a very good talk at the Lifters Clinic held during the meet.
Mike Ferraro was 6th with 86 points. As mentioned earlier in this article he looked outstandingly good. He has one pose in which he displays his very flexible rib box to great advantage. Several of his poses are quite "different," perhaps "too different" for the judges who seem to prefer the straight, standard poses.
Sergio Oliva in 7th place with 83½ points as mentioned earlier was very outstanding. We really expected him to place higher --much higher. He was one of the lifters with the Cuban team who "defected" while on a tour (I believe it was in Mexico) and finally escaped to this country. He is now working as a TV repairman. !He had made an 885 total in the 19!8 lb. class. He certainly has a bodybuilder's physique rather than that of a lifter. Continued training should put him at the very top but whether or not he ever wins a title, he is still one of the greatest.
John Decola who came in 8th place seemed to be a victim of very unusual circumstances. John bad beaten Vasilieff for the Jr. Mr. America title a short time previously, yet here Vasilieff was winning the Sr. Mr. America title and Decola placing way down in 8th place. Tho he had received 5 athletic points in the Juniors he received only two here, then later it was changed to three. Some suggested that because he did not use direct back poses that his back was not good. However, his back appeared exceptional to me. I also heard it mentioned that he has a bad leg but this I could not see. He did say that he had a bad back which prevented him from doing Olympic lifts but this was an admission made by many competitors, and quite legitimate. He certainly has a marvelous physique. I could see no weak points. I do believe his posing routine could be polished up a bit but then I could say this about nearly every man in the contest. Many men use poses; they should not if they are interested in winning a contest. One great fault with nearly every man is a sort of nervous bouncing in placing the feet for each pose. Master posers do not do this, but seem to flow smoothly from one pose to another with grace, ease and precision. The posing of nearly every man in this contest was a bit rough in this respect.
Joe Nista coming in 9th showed an outstanding physique. He is a bit short in stature and not as heavily built as the other top men but what marvelous definition and excellent shape and too, he has some very impressive poses. He operates a bowling alley in California, I believe. He was one of the older ones in the contest.
Arthur Turgeon has a very fine physique and has been training 12 years and gained 80 lbs. in bodyweight. At 5'9" he weighs a rugged 186.
Bob Gadja in taking 11th place, showed a nice physique with very good pecs and shoulders. His calves were exceptional and measured 17½. He is a black belt in Judo. You know, one notices a man with such fine calves, for I noticed that so many of the fellows were very deficient in this respect.
Charles Estes in nth place has a very fine physique and is quite tall, being 6'2" and weighing 217. He has a very small waist and powerful shoulders and arms. He, too, has exceptional calves, measuring 18½ inches. He played football in the Marine Corps and has done 100 yards in 10 seconds. He has bench pressed 385 and works for the Gates Rubber Company in Nashville.
Paul Wachholz of Denver did well in coming in 13th place. Paul is a great lifter in his area and excels at power lifting as well as Olympic lifting. Paul has a very responsible position in 11 bank in Denver. He is a real inspiration to all who know him. He is married, has two children, and has been working out about six years.
St. John has a nice physique and has a good athletic background. He gained 40 lbs. bodyweight since taking up barbells. Steve Sakoulos has been entering physique contests for a long time and is a likeable, rangy type fellow. perhaps the oldest in the contest at 38, he is a salesman of beauty parlor equipment.
DeSpirito looked very good this year with great muscularity and fine definition. Floyd lifted in the 165 lb. class taking third place.
Cameron, with a nice physique, weighing 206, has done 100 yards in 10:7, which is not bad at all! He attended Purdue on a football scholarship.
Doettrel, who competed last year, is a husky fellow of about 5'5" and 148 lbs. bodyweight and has made a 690 total. He has been working out about 7 years and works as a cook. Hanson is a handsome blonde fellow of 29 who has been training for four years and is a police officer in Iowa. He looked very good. Wojnowski is another blonde of about 165 lbs. bodyweight and 33 years of age. He has been training for 13 years, has six children and another on the way. He works as a marble cutter. Kotis looked good, with fine definition but needs more bulk. This is something I could say about a lot of the fellows. Steve has very good shape but needs more posing training. His abdominals. back and shoulders are exceptionally good. Gary Neu has a nice body with very broad shoulders. He trains at home, and weighing 195, has done a 380 bench press. He, too, has very good calves and works as a printer. We could sure use a good printer here at the Iron Man plant! Tisovec has fine legs but not enough definition. He has been working five years and is a refinery operator. Kutzer has nice shoulders and is about 6' tall and works as a truck mechanic. Vega has a very outstanding body for a short man and he could have placed higher. He has a lot of definition. He is 36 years of age. Kuehn is Mr. Michigan and 28 years of age and a YMCA worker. Cook has a very fine body to my way of thinking and should have placed much higher. He has a heavily developed waistline with unusual abdominals and obliques. Perhaps a little more bulk would help him. Ed works for General Tire Co and is 33 years old. Too bad we no longer have a Best Abdominals title.
Elery is on the way up and looks good. He works as an Addressograph service man. He has a nice upper body. McFarland has a very nice upper body. His legs need more work but he has a bad knee from a motorcycle accident. He has done a 350 bench press at 195 bodyweight. He looked very good on the posing platform and recently won the Mr. Hawaii title. We thought he would place much higher than he did. Duche who was a boxer in the service has very nice arms and shoulders, is 26 and rather short in stature.
Many of the boys were disappointed in their placings and I know some times these things are a bit difficult to understand. I believe the point scores do not give a true picture of some of the follows physiques and I'm afraid that judges sometimes give too little attention to careful scoring of the men below the first eight or ten men and thus do an injustice to the men lower down, for they do not use these point scores as a guide to their competitive positions. A point spread of from 94 to 57 is just too big a spread between competitors in a Mr America contest. We hope these boys will not become discouraged. A title is not worth as much as the health, vitality and fine physique which is theirs--titles or positions in contests are just by-products.
Very nice trophies were given to the place men and the big meet was over for another year and the question comes to mind-who will win next year?
Judges were: Morris Weissbrot, Bob Blundell, Steve Stanko, Joe Joseph (Joe did not arrive and Dave Mayor substituted), Jack King, Peary Rader and Joseph Paul
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Muscular Development, Vol 1, No 10, Page 10, Ocotober 1964
1964 MR. AMERICA & Most Muscular Man CONTEST
By John C. Grimek
THE MR. AMERICA CONTEST, as usual, proved to be the main event of the National Championships this year, and this in spite of some very good lifters making some very fine lifts. yet the question that was on the tongue of everyone was - who will win the Mr. America title?
Several of the competitors this year were strongly favored, and although there was the usual exceptional entries, it was difficult for any judge to "give 'em the once over" and then make his snap decision . . . which can be done if you're prejudice and favor some particular individual. But judging the Mr. America contest requires more thought and deliberation before the final decision is made.
This was the third consecutive year that the contestants were judged behind the scenes, that is, the winners were selected backstage hours before the actual contest takes place. This is done to save time and keep the program from lagging, during the time it took to tally up the scores, so it is a very good idea.
SUMMARY OF THE MR. AMERICA AND
MOST MUSCULAR MAN CONTEST
1. VAL VASILIEFF, Sicklerville, N. J. 94
2. John Gourgott, New Orleans, La. 90
3. Randy Watson, Manchester, Tenn. 89
4. Bill Seno, Melrose Park, Ill. 87½
5. Dr. Craig Whitehead, USAF, Texas 87
6. Mike Ferraro, Buffalo, N. Y. 86
7. Sergio Oliva, Chicago, Ill. 83½
8. John Decola, Framingham, Mass. 82½
9. Joe Nista, Jr., Downey, Calif. 80½
10. Arthur Turgeon, Harrisburg, Pa. 78
11. Bob Gajda, Chicago, Ill. 77½
12. Charles Estes, Nashville, Tenn. 76½
13. Paul Wachholz, Englewood, Colo. 74½
14. William St. John, Glassboro, N. J. 73
15. Steve Sakoulos, Chicago, Ill. 73
16. Floyd Despirito, Union, N. J. 73
17. Robert Cameron, Kokomo, Ind. 72½
18. Jerry Doettrel, Buffalo, N. Y. 72
19. Gilbert Hansen, Waterloo, Iowa 70
20. George Wojnowski, Franklin, Wisc. 66½
21. Steve Kotis, Chicago, Ill. 65
22. Gary Neu, Deer Park, Ohio 64½
23. Anthony Tisovec, Wilowick, Ohio 64½
24. Charles Kutzer, Chicago, Ill 62
25. Henry Vega, Chicago, Ill. 60½
26. Kent Kuehn, Saginaw, Mich. 59½
27. Edmund Cook, Waco, Texas 59
28. Dean Elery, Indianapolis, Ind. 59
29. Francis McFarland, Honolulu, Hawaii 57½
30. Dominick Duche, Warren, Mich. 57
SUMMARY OF THE MOST
MUSCULAR MAN CONTEST
1. BILL SENO, Melrose Park, Ill.
2. Val Vasilieff, Sicklerville, N. J.
3. Sergio Oliva, Chicago, Ill.
4. Mike Ferraro, Buffalo, N. Y. (tie)
John Gourgott, New Orleans, La.
On Saturday June 13th all the Mr. America contestants were requested to appear at the Irving Park Y for the interrogation and prejudging. A panel of seven judges, including a chairman, presided. This included Clarence Johnson, Peary Rader, Steve Stanko, Dave Mayor, Morris Weissbrot, Joseph Paul, Bob Bendel and Joe Raymond. These men began their interrogation quite early in the morning and stayed at their post until well past the noon hour before completing their thankless job. Of course others were involved in keeping things moving. John Terpak, Norman Zale and some AAU and Irving Park Y members keep the contestants moving along rapidly and smoothly. Terpak called out the name of the next contestant who would then appear before the judges for some background material and physical appraisal. When this was done he was told to step back 10 or 12 feet and go through some of his poses. This posing, I might add, was done without the benefit of any arranged lights. Only the regular overhead lights were used. Nevertheless it gave the judges a chance to look each man over carefully without the benefit of special lighting effects. And even though the winner was known hours before the actual contest, the chairman of the judges, Joe Raymond, did not reveal the name of any winner (even to the men who did the judging) until only a short time before the contestants appeared on stage for the Mr. America contest. This kept each competitor in suspense and when they came out to vie for the Most Muscular Man title the first night, they gave their best.
In this contest, the Most Muscular Man award, impressive Bill Seno took the title, Val Vasilieff was given the 2nd, and Sergio Oliva placed 3rd.
Even before the events of the first night were finished the scores of the prejudging were tabulated and the place winners were known to but two men. But as the time for the Big Event drew near all the contestants were lined up, and this was followed by each man going through his posing routine. From this group 10 final contestants were selected. And from this group the 5th place winner, Dr. Craig Whitehead, was called. There were those who favored him and with him in 5th place, it was anyone's guess who would be the winner. Another favorite was Bill Seno. He was called out for 4th place. Then Randy Watson was called up for 3rd place, and when Dr. John Gourgott was called for 2nd, this narrowed the field considerably. Then a long pause followed. This kept the crowd in great suspense. There were still a couple good men left and the question that obviously raced through everyone's mind was: Who will it be? Then slowly and very deliberately, Rudy Salbo who was doing the announcing, almost shouted out the name of the winner -- Val Valilieff, Mr. America! For a few seconds pandemonium reigned! Then almost as quickly as it started, the din ended, while photographers were flashing away and snapping pictures of the five winners on stage.
There didn't seem to be any disgruntled contestants, although who could say how they felt emotionally. Many of them shook hands and congratulated each other, thus ending another year and bringing to the spotlight another Mr. America . . . Val Vasilieff, Mr. America for 1964.
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Strength & Health, Page 40, September 1964
The 1964 Mr. America Contest
The new Mr. America is the People's Choice -- Everyone was Happy in the Selection of This Year's Monarch of Muscles.
By Bob Hoffman
Member of the International Physical Culture Committee
THIS YEAR'S MR. AMERICA CONTEST WaS a worthy one from the standpoint of the number of entrants (there were 30 of them) and from the high caliber of the contestants. Although many of last year's musclemen were missing, there were a lot of new faces to take their places.
The most important part of any Mr. America contest is the quality of the officials who make the selections. Their knowledge and experience; their honesty and integrity must guarantee that the best man wins.
Summary of the 1964 Mr. America Contest
1. Val Vasilieff, Sicklerville, N. J. 94
2. John Gourgott, New Orleans, La. 90
3. Randy Watson, Manchester, Tenn 89
4. Bill Seno, Melrose Park, Ill. 87½
5. Dr. Craig Whitehead, USAF, Texas 87
6. Mike Ferraro, Buffalo, N. Y. 86
7. Sergio Oliva, Chicago, Ill 83½
8. John Decola, Framingham, Mass. 82½
9. Joe Nista, Jr., Downey, Calif. 80½
10. Arthur Turgeon, Harrisburg, Pa. 78
11. Bob Gajda, Chicago, Ill. 77½
12. Charles Estes, Nashville, Tenn. 76½
13. Paul Wachholz, Englewood, Colo. 74½
14. William St. John, Glassboro, N. J. 73
15. Steve Sakoulos, Chicago, Ill. 73
16. Floyd Despirito, Union, N. J. 73
17. Robert Cameron, Kokomo, Ind. 72½
18. Jerry Doetrrel, Buffalo, N. Y. 72
19. Gilbert Hansen, Waterloo, Iowa 70
20. George Wojnowski, Franklin, Wisc. 66½
21. Steve Kotis, Chicago, Ill. 65
22. Gary Neu, Deer Park, Ohio 64½
23. Anthony Tisovec, Willowick, Ohio 64½
24. Charles Kutzer, Chicago, Ill. 62
25. Henry Vega, Chicago, Ill. 60½
26. Kent Kuehn, Saginaw, Mich. 59½
27. Edmund Cook, Waco, Texas 59
28. Dan Elery, Indianapolis, Ind 59
29. Francis McFarland, Honolulu, Hawaii 57½
30. Dominick Duche, Warren, Mich. 57
Summary of the
Most Muscular Man Contest
Bill Seno, Melrose Park, Ill.
Val Vasilieff, Sicklerville, N. J.
Sergio Oliva, Chicago, Ill.
Mike Ferraro, Buffalo. N. Y. (tie)
John Gourgott, New Orleans, La. (tie)
AAU Chairman Rudy Sablo appointed Joe Raymond who is Weightlifting Chairman of the Lake Erie Association, as Chairman of the Judges. Joe has served in this capacity before. He has been a weightlifter and a physique man for 35 years. It was his task to appoint the judges and supervise the contest. Here are the men who served through:
THE JUDGES
Captain Joe Paul of the Central AAU District, a man with four decades of experience in weightlifting and judging physique contests.
Perry Rader of the Iron Man magazine and Weightlifting News, who has been a judge many times and is one of our most qualified officials.
Morris Weissbrot, Chairman of the Metropolitan AAU and an active weightlifter.
Clarence Johnson, International President of the Weightlifting and Physical Culture Federation and a member (as is your reporter) of the International Physical Culture Committee.
Bob Bendell of New Jersey AAU, Delegate at Large to the National Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Committee.
Dave Mayor of the Mid-Atlantic Association who was a member of the 1936 Olympic Team, former national champion, Immediate Past President of the AAU and identified with this sport for more than 30 years.
Steve Stanko of York, former Mr. America and the first Mr. Universe. He was the first to total 1,000 pounds as a weightlifter and is a former world's record holder.
In all, it was a very good panel of experts.
The competition was expected to be very keen. There were so many good physiques that it would be a job of the first magnitude to evaluate their relative merits. How well they did this was proved by the fact that there was not a single boo, whistle or other sound of disapproval when the winners were announced. (This was a marked difference from some of the past contests.)
Naturally, many felt their disappointment when the winner was selected but most recognized that they were seeing crowned one of the greatest Mr. America's. They saw a man of the Steve Reeves type who will go on to even greater fame.
I have long recognized the merits of this young man and thought well enough of him to take him to Paris a few weeks ago where, in spite of nationalism and politics, he placed third in the World Physique Championships--just one point away from second place. He was the big favorite of the audience for he has much of what people who attend the physique contests like.
The record which Clarence Johnson compiled for us will show how all the contestants placed. The choosing of the first ten was very difficult. Prejudging and interrogation took place on Saturday morning, the Most Muscular Man contest on Saturday night and the final scoring of the Mr. America on Sunday night.
THE MOST MUSCULAR MAN CONTEST
The Most Muscular Man contest went to Bill Seno of Melrose Park, Ill. He was featured on the August cover of Muscular Development magazine. Second was Val Vasilieff of Sicklerville, N.J. Third, Sergio Olivia of Chicago, a refugee from Cuba. Fourth, Mike Ferraro and John Gourgott--a tie.
THE MR. AMERICA CONTEST
The contestants were in a dither, a state of nervousness and excitement for three full days. They knew that they were under observation for all this time and it was indeed a strain.
During the prejudging and interrogations I was invited to be an observer--to see all and hear all but I had no vote and could not say a single word as to merits of the contestants.
Every contestant had to pose at the prejudging. This was where the judges could form their opinions as to the merits of the men as they walked around, pump up their muscles and stood at ease. The judges had a good opportunity to study the fine points of all the contestants.
As the result of their efforts, ten men were selected finalists. None of the judges knew the standing for each judge had made his own score and turned it over to Clarence Johnson for the totalling of the points.
THE TEN FINALISTS WERE:
Arthur Turgeon of Harrisburg, Pa. It was his first time among the top ten after many years of trying.
Joe Nista, Jr., a recent Strength & Health coverman from Downey, Calif.
John Decola of Framingham, Mass., who just won the Junior Mr. America title.
Sergio Olivia. He is a sensational muscle man and one of the weightlifters who absconded from the Cuban team at the Central America Olympics in Jamaica. He is now living in Chicago.
Mike Ferraro of Buffalo, former Teenage Mr. America and winner of the Mr. North America title.
Dr. Craig Whitehead, a captain in the US Air Force, who was third in, last year's contest. He went with me to Paris for the World Physique Championship and finished fourth.
Bill Seno. Bill really had his admirers, partly because he was a Chicagoan and partly because he is one of the best. He is a powerful weightlifter and a record holder.
Randy Watson of Manchester, Tenn., who was last year's Junior Mr. A. He is an ordained minister and a great gymnast.
John Gourgott of New Orleans. Third in last year's World Physique Championship, fourth in last year's Mr. A. and a former Teen-age Mr. A.
Val Vasilieff, who placed third in this year's World Physique Championship, has won over 40 trophies but never the real big one. Decola just beat him out in the Jr. Mr. A. In this contest however, Val had the advantage - Decola did not have the maximum in athletic points for the Mr. A.
The audience were now just as excited, impatient and in as much of a dither as the contestants. The judges had completely tabulated all scores and so we called out the winners. One of them would be Mr. America.
THE FIVE FINALISTS AND MR. A.
Fifth place - Dr. Craig Whitehead - a surgeon who can remove cataracts from your eye or transplant a cornea.
Fourth place - Bill Seno - the Most Muscular Man in the meet.
Third place - Randy Watson - small, mighty, handsome and symmetrically developed.
Second place - John Gourgott - one of America's best lifters - a student at LSU now and maybe a doctor next year.
And now who would be the '64 Mr. America? Still standing on the stage and only one of them the new Mr. America were: Mike Ferraro, John Decola, Sergio Olivia, Randy Watson, Joe Nista and Val Vasilieff. -- Six supermen and anyone of them worthy of the title. Then came that moment of breathless silence as the announcer took the microphone and said, "The 1964 Mr. America -- Val Vasilieff!"
The crowd roared its approval. Here was a man they really liked. A handsome man of the Steve Reeves type. A muscular man with a 53-inch chest and a 3O-inch waist. A strong man who one arm curled a 135pound dumbell. A hard man whose muscles feel like they are carved from oak.
He has everything.
He will certainly be one of the greatest.
The judges made a good selection. He is good now but he will get better from day to day.
He will be a great Mr. America, one of whom we can be proud. I need but one word to tell you how good he is -- WOW! What a man!
THE 1964 MR. AMERICA
Val Vasilieff is 25 years of age. He deserves special credit for he was orphaned at three years and has had to make his own way all through life. He has sold papers and shined shoes. He has had to help his brothers and sisters and educate himself too. He is not rich but he and his brother now do well in the business of selling new and used cars. Val drives a Corvette Stingray and when he starts off -- have your safety belt fastened.
He is handsome, he is symmetrical and best of all he is strong. At one of our Muscletown picnics he deadlifted 600 pounds without a warmup. Although he rarely practices the Three Lifts, he recently pressed 305, snatched 270 and clean and jerked 350.
Val takes part in Power Lift contests and a few weeks ago he won the 198-pound division with a 200-pound curl, a 400 bench press and a 575 squat. At a bodyweight of 214 he curled 220 and bench pressed 440. At the World Physique Championships he weighed 204 and one arm curled 135 - a feat of strength that was the talk of the contest!
That he was second to Bill Seno in the Most Muscular well illustrates that he has what it takes--handsome appearance, great strength and unusual muscular development.
Val Vasilieff, 1964 Mr. America, will be a great inspiration to all bodybuilders.
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1965 Mr America - AAU
1 Jerry Daniels
2 Bob Gajda
3 Randy Watson (1)
4 Sergio Oliva
5 Charles Estes
6 John Gourgott
7 Von LaMon
8 Craig Whitehead
9 Dennis Tinerino
10 Mike Ferraro
11 Ralph Kroger
12 Nick Spano
13 Will Whitaker
14 John Kanter
15 William Parker
16 Bill McArdle
17 Bob Oliver
18 Paul Wachholz
19 Leroy Saba
20 John Corvello
21 Ken McCord
22 Charles Amato
23 Eugene Dickerson
24 John Homola
25 John Balik
26 Millard Williamson
27 Andrew Burpee
28 Joseph Townsell
29 Roger Millette
Most Muscular
1 Sergio Oliva
2 Bob Gajda
3 Mike Ferraro
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IronMan, Vol 24, No 6, Page 9, September 1965
Jerry Daniels Wins Both Jr. & Sr. Mr. America Titles
By The Editor
VERY seldom does a man ever win both the Jr. and Sr. Mr. America titles in the same year, but a very fortunate young fellow by the name of Jerry Daniels from down in Chattanooga, Tennessee, accomplished this unusual feat, and not only that, but he had won the Teen Age Mr. America title in 1963.
This year there was a formidable lineup of 29 superbly built young giants assembled in Los Angeles for the Mr. America contest which was held at the Embassy Auditorium June 11th and 12th. Each year it seems things get a little tougher, and each year some of the top men stay out of the competition because they are afraid they cannot win. This is a very poor attitude, for they can never be sure where they will place, and it does some men more good to have a loss or so and learn how to take it than it would for them to win.
The Most Muscular Man contest was presented the night of June 11th, and some tremendously muscled men came on the posing platform to vie for the title and all of them were good, but one man stood out above all the others so much that the judges had no trouble at all in picking the winner. This Sergio Oliva from Chicago, is one of the most amazing physical specimens that we have ever seen and he has a posing routine that is outstanding, and displays his physique to greatest advantage. This fellow has very unusual muscle shape. His arms are tremendous, his shoulders are broad and his waist is very small. More about him later. Second in Most Muscular was Bob Gajda of Chicago. He is one of the best built men in the country and has excellent definition and fine shape. Mike Ferraro, who seems to improve a little all the time, and looks very good, was third in this event.
The men were first brought out in two groups for the judges to look at under normal lighting (there wasn't space on the stage for all of them to come out at one time as the stage was rather small). They were then brought out one at a time to pose under the spot light.
I was acting as MC land so was in a poor position to see them at their best, but had been at the pre-judging and so knew pretty well what they looked like.
George Bruce brought on some of his beauty queens and introduced them and explained their titles. Then during the intermission while the judges were tallying their ballots, Zabo Kozewski came on and gave a posing exhibition to show what good shape a man can maintain at the age of 43. He is very popular on the west coast and looked very, very good.
Presentation of the trophies and announcement of winners was then made. This was a different procedure, for it has been the custom to present the winners of both the Most Muscular and the Mr. America on the second night. This was the way the organizing committee felt it should be done to please the audience.
On the second night the audience was given another opportunity to see all the men going through their poses again and with George Bruce doing the emceeing, I had an opportunity to sit with the judges and get a good view of the men under the spot lights. The men came on in the same order as the previous night to pose under the lights.
The first man out to pose before a full house of enthusiastic fans was Bill Parker of Atlanta, Georgia. Bill is not very tall, being just 5'4" and weighing 148 pounds, but when he comes out and starts his posing routine, you forget about his height, for he certainly has perfection of development. He is not huge like some of them, but has good size and wonderful shape and fine definition. He knows how to pose for best display of his physique. He later gave a superb exhibition of muscle control and probably is one of the best in the country at this. If you need a man at your show who can entertain and please the crowd, Bill is your man. He has won many titles, such as Mr. East Coast, Mr. South, Mr. Southern States, and has also won the 148 lifting title in the Southeastern Championships. His best lifts are 210 press, 210 snatch and 260 clean and jerk, with 320 squat, 300 bench press and 375 dead lift. He was outstanding at football, track and swimming, having won first place in the city swimming championships. He is a student at the University of Marietta.
Von LaMon is another fellow who is short in stature, being 5'5" tall and weighing 152. He certainly is one of the best built men on the west coast, or anywhere for that matter. He is 29 years old and has a really magnetic personality and is liked everywhere he goes. Von has a fine posing routine which displays his fine symmetrical physique to advantage and he has very good definition. He is an outstanding lifter, having done a press of 230, snatch of 215 and jerk of 270, a squat of 410, bench press of 300 and dead lift of 500 for 2 reps, and has won many lifting and physique titles including the Mr. Pacific Coast. He works for a gym as a salesman and bookkeeper.
LeRoy Saba is 27, and has been appearing in the Mr. America contest for some years. He was the third man on the posing platform and is extremely bulky and muscular. He was second in Most Muscular in the Mr. America contest in 1960 and was trying again this year. He has excellent shape but I don't believe he had quite as much definition this year though my memory might be poor on this. He too, is only 5'4½" and weighs 165 in very hard condition, so you can see how bulky he really is. He is a professional drummer, but at present is working as manager of Martin's Health Studio. He is very strong, having made a 500 squat, 325 bench press, dead lift of 455 and a press of 240. He has won many titles--at least 7 major ones including the Mr. Western America.
John Kanter Jr. was the fourth man up. John is 24 and has been training 6 years. Many fellows ask how long they must train to get good enough to enter big physique contests. Most of these men have been training from 5 to 15 years. John is from Phoenix, but attends West Virginia University. He is very good in track, having won the Outstanding Track Athlete award for Western Penn., in 1959. John is 5'6" (seems like we had an unusually large list of short men this year) and weighs 185. He is a very strong man, having done 280 press, 240 snatch, 330 clean and jerk, 550 squat for 3 reps, bench press of 440 and dead lift of 585. He is married and has one child and works as an assistant grocery manager. He won many honors as a football player.
Randy Watson was again competing for the title and this time weighing 180 lbs. at a height of 5'7". Randy looked good but we felt that he did not show the definition that he had the year before. He just didn't look quite as good and we feel the extra bulk had not been consolidated long enough to permit him to shape up and get the definition he needed. We hoped Randy would win the big title this year. Randy is a minister and has been training for 8 years. In addition to serving his church as a minister, he also attends David Lipscomb College, working on his masters degree and we wonder how he has time to train. He also trains some of his parishioners and other ministers of the town, so he is a very busy man. He was the Jr Mr. America in 1963 and third in the Mr. America last year; the same position he finally attained this year. I really feel that with sharper definition he would have placed much higher--probably the top. He is an expert gymnast and power lifter, having done 445 squat, 365 bench press, 500 dead lift, 250 press, 230 snatch, 280 clean and jerk and he can curl 175.
John Balik Jr., had been training for 5 years and has a very nice physique at 5'7" height and 170 lbs. bodyweight. He is an engineer by occupation, and a good lifter, with 250 press, 215 snatch and 300 clean and jerk to his credit.
Roger Millette was the 7th man to pose and is 29 and from Santa Clara, California. He is 5'7½" and weighs 178. He has won several titles and has a very nice physique but will improve a lot.
Nick Spano at 23 has been training 7 years and stands 5'9" tall and weighed 180. He is going to school as a graduate student, has won several titles including Mr. East Coasts; has lifted 235 press, 215 snatch, 285 clean, and jerk, 420 squat and 360 bench press.
Mel Williamson is 29, and has returned to physique contests after an absence of several years. He has very broad shoulders and trim waist and his chest is very flexible and balloons up when he flexes it. He has accumulated about 35 trophies for various contests and was Mr. Muscle Beach in 1956, and then several years later won 3rd in the Mr. Western America in 1963. He has squatted with 470, bench pressed 355 and dead lifted 440. He works as a food technologist, is 5'8½" and weighs 187.
John Homola is another who has been competing for many years. He is 28 years old, 5'9" tall and weighs 185. His is not a broad physique, but very well developed and proportioned. He is an engineering programmer. You may recall that he has had his photo in Iron Man a number of times, illustrating his favorite exercises. He is a very good power lifter, with a 420 squat, 340 bench press and 620 dead lift. He has curled 180 and his clean and jerk is 330. He has fine skin texture and a beautiful tan, as had most of the fellows.
Mike Ferraro at 25 looks his best. Mike has been training for 10 years, is 5'9" and weighs 196, which makes him quite large, but he has superb definition. His posing routine is very outstanding and brings gasps from the audience. Mike seems to have attained the maximum of development for his type of physique. He operates two restaurants and is very interested in Thoroughbred training. He is a good lifter and has powerful legs; squats with 505, he bench presses 340 and dead lifts 550. He has also made a 320 press, 250 snatch and 305 clean and jerk.
Charles Amato, at 23, is a new star from Sam Loprinzi's Studio in Portland, At 5'9' and 190 lbs., he displays one of the finest physiques and recently won the Mr. Western USA title. He squats with 450, bench presses 340 and dead lifts 490. He is a student at Portland State. He is an excellent artist and won first in his state three years in succession in the Fisher Body Design contest promoted by General Motors. He shows great possibilities for the future.
Bob Gajda, who won second in the Most Muscular and second in the Mr. America, has a very outstanding physique and should do well in future Mr. America contests. Standing 5'9" and weighing 193, he has plenty of bulk and really outstanding definition and shape. He has won a number of titles and is quite strong, having done 255 press, 235 snatch and 295 clean and jerk. He is a student at George Williams College and probably was the happiest young man there, about taking second in both events.
John Corvello is only 21 but already has a superb physique and has been training 7½ years. He is 5'9½" tall and weighs 200. He won the Mr. California title this year, among others he holds. He has a very symmetrical physique and presents a very pleasing appearance on the stage.
Bill Whitaker is 25, 5'10", and weighs 196 pounds. He is from Hammond, Louisiana, has won two titles, was an outstanding athlete in school, and at present works in his mother's store. He ran the 100 in 9.9, and has made a 450 squat, 500 dead lift and 390 bench press.
Paul Wachholz is a vice president of a bank in Englewood, Colorado. He is 5'10" tall and weighs 196 pounds. He has won a lot of physique titles including the Mr. Central USA, Mr. Iron Man, Mr. Midwest, Mr. Rocky Mt. and others, and has held the dead lift record in the 198 class at 630, squatted with 470, bench pressed 340, pressed 285, snatched 255 and clean and jerked 335. These are all official records, not training poundages as are so often given. He has won many lifting titles and is probably the most versatile and outstanding in athletic ability of all the contestants.
Sergio Oliva of Chicago was the outstanding physique of the meet, according to the opinion of many, and easily won the Most Muscular. Had he been a citizen, and able to speak English fluently, he probably could have won the Mr. America title. He is also an outstanding lifter, having formerly been the Cuban champion in the 198 class, and made a press of 300, snatch of 305 and clean and jerk of 400. He has a squat of 550, bench press of 500, dead lift of 600 and curl of 230, which makes him by far the strongest man in the contest. He won second in the Jr. Mr. America. His legs are very very powerful looking and his calves are very good--a generally weak area for most colored men, but Oliva has a different ancestry than the colored people of the USA, with a mixture of European blood, and this gives him certain physical advantages of each race and he has made the most of it. His physique reminds us much of Steve Reeves but there seems to be more of it. He should be able to win the Mr. Universe contest if he competes. We see the York group are looking for someone to send over and Sergio would be a good choice.
Dr. Andrew N. Burpee of Santa Monica has a nice physique and is 5'10" tall and weighs 188. He has won many lifting and physique contests, presses 245, snatches 225, clean and jerks 285, has a squat of 420, bench press of 375 and dead lift of 505. He has curled 195; 175 with his back against a post.
Dr. Craig Whitehead was the oldest man in the contest at 30, though several were 29, He is 5'10" and weighs 200, with a very attractive physique, very symmetrical and well balanced. He has been training 9 years and has competed in the Mr. America contest several times. His best poses are the relaxed ones; he has such a pleasing physique in these poses. He is also a champion lifter, with a press of 295, snatch of 265, clean and jerk of 350, squat of 425, bench press of 365 and dead lift of 575. He placed 5th in last year's event, but I believe he looked just as good this year.
Ralph Kroger of Solana Beach, California, looked very good. He is a salesman-bookkeeper for a health studio and certainly is one of the outstanding physiques of the country. He is also a great lifter and with limited lifting training has done 315 press, 285 snatch and 365 clean and jerk. He has also made a 540 squat, 400 bench press and 525 dead lift. He was 5'10½" and weighed 198, though he sometimes goes way up in bodyweight.
Bill McArdle who trains at Vince's Gym, is 23 and has been training 14 years, since 9 years of age-that is starting young, and he shows the results of it, for he has a very outstanding physique. He recently won the Mr. Los Angeles and Mr. Southern California titles. He is 5'11" tall and weighs 205. He has good shape and excellent definition. He has pressed 275, snatched 230 and clean and jerked 305, with a 410 squat, bench press of 275 and dead lift of 465. He works as an illustrator and draftsman.
Dr. John Gourgott usually lifts in the meets, but this year decided to concentrate on the physique contest alone. He looked very rugged at 5'11" and 204 pounds. He placed third in the Sr. National lifting championships last year and second in the Mr. America. He has been training 9 years and has lifts of 340 press, 300 snatch and 350 clean and jerk to his credit along with a 500 squat, 390 bench press and 525 dead lift. He did not look as if he had quite as much definition this year as last, tho this is hard to determine. He did look in very hard condition. He is a practicing physician.
Dennis Tinerino from Brooklyn is only 19 but has an outstanding physique and you will read elsewhere that he won the Mr. Teen Age America title this year. Apparently the organizers planned it this way, the short men appearing first in the lineup and then the tall ones. Tinerino was the first six footer, and he weighs a husky 210 lbs. He has won many titles, including Mr. Eastern America, Mr. Region 1 and Mr. Atlantic Coast. He does a 430 squat, a 380 bench press and a 450 dead lift. He has a very fine physique with exceptional definition.
Bob Oliver is 6'1" and weighs 194 and was once a very fat boy, weighing 260 lbs. He has a very nice build now and has tossed the shot 50 feet and made a 425 bench press, a 400 squat and 500 dead lift. He has trained at the Pasadena Gym for 3½ years and has won the Mr. Pacific Southwest title.
Another six foot, 215 lb. man, Ken McCord, is quite strong, having done a 425 bench press, 550 squat and 475 dead lift. He has a very fine physique and looks as strong as he is. Though a college man, he now works as a hair stylist and barber. He is active in church and youth organizations. He has won the Mr. Western America title.
Jerry Daniels is an even 6 ft. and also weighs 215 lbs. Jerry is 21, and we have previously mentioned a few of his titles. He attended Gordon Military College and was an outstanding football player and was voted most outstanding player in city and county all star game and ran 95 yards to a touchdown. He has a bench press of 410 and dead lift of 515. Now working as a clerk, he is very big, and has good shape and good definition.
Joseph Townsell, age 27, is from San Jose YMCA. He is 6'¼" and 219 lbs. He does a squat of 450 and bench press of 400. He is a good Olympic lifter, with 260 press, 250 snatch and 300 clean and jerk. He works as an electronics technician.
Gene Dickerson, also 27, is 6'1" and weighs 215. He does a squat with 525 and a bench press of 360. He was Mr. San Diego in 1965, among several other outstanding titles. He is also the president of the San Diego Weightlifting Association.
Charles Estes, the last but by no means the least, for he was the tallest and heaviest man in the contest at 6'2" weighing 230 and is certainly very outstanding. From Nashville, Tennessee, he has been training 9 years and recently had his story and photos in Iron Man and was on the Iron Man cover. He has made a 100 yard dash in 10 seconds during high school, and does 475 squat, 423 bench press and 500 in the dead lift, which is good for a man stretched out like he is. He has tremendous development and very good definition I expected him to place much higher than he did.
After watching all these fine physiques pose under the lights, the judges had quite a task to pick one to wear the Mr. America crown. Unfortunately the prejudging was very brief and almost no opportunity to look the fellows over, and about all they had much time for was to ask some questions about athletic accomplishments. This should be corrected next year if plans for a full day for the Mr. America contest materialize. Here is a question that often puzzles judges: should a man be judged as he looks under normal light and unposed, or as he looks under the spot and posing.
Frequently a man is completely transformed when he steps under a light and poses. We have seen men you would hardly give a second look to on the beach, look terrific on the posing platform and under lights. Usually, of course, a man who looks good under spot lights will look good under normal lights too. Judges frequently feel like making changes in their ballots and, I might say, often do, after they see the men posing under lights. Is this good or is it bad? Where should the decision be made. We hope that when complete pre-judging is instituted the judges can have the men pose in both normal light and under spot lights.
We have discussed the publishing of point scores and placings for all men-as to whether it is good or bad, and have decided not to use any score below 10th place and it is possible we should not go below this. You see, the judges do most of their work on the top men and the men lower down the scale get less attention. This means that most of these men in the lower brackets are probably not properly placed, and publication of the full point score certainly doesn't give an accurate presentation of the true position of the men relative to the others.
Here then, are the first ten: Jerry Daniels 90½; Bob Gajda 88; Randy Watson 87½; Sergio Oliva 84½; Charles Estes 82½; John Gourgott 82; Von LaMon 78; Mike Ferraro 77½; Dennis Tinerino 77½; Craig Whitehead 77½. In spite of the points these men have, I believe any one of them could be Mr. America. As a matter of fact, my score sheet often ties several men, and I then have to go over it, even though I dislike to, and change the points, because only one can win. The final choice is seldom even unanimous either with the judges or the audience.
Judges this year were: Joe Raymond, chairman, John Terpak, Karo Whitfield, Frank Bates, Herb Lucy, John Scott and Peary Rader.
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Muscular Development, Vol 2, No 11, Page 32, November 1965
BEHIND THE SCENES REPORT OF THE MR. AMERICA CONTEST
By Gene Mozee
MORE than 1500 enthusiastic spectators crowded their way into the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles on June 11th and 12th to witness one of the greatest Mr. America and Most Muscular Man contests ever held.
Months before the big event it was anyone's guess who would come out on top. All of last year's top contenders (except Bill Seno) were expected to compete, so West Coast bodybuilding fans came prepared to see a great contest. They were not disappointed as twenty-nine truly outstanding competitors paraded under the lights to display their muscular developments to both the judges and spectators.
The caliber of the contestants was simply amazing! Never have I witnessed a finer group of Mr. America contenders as were present for the 1965 contest. Vern Weaver, Mr. America 1963, shared my opinion when he said, "This is definitely the best group of Mr. America competitors I have ever seen." Other physique champions present who shared similar opinions were Mr. Americas Bill Pearl ('53), George Eiferman ('48) and Ray Routledge ('61). Larry Scott, Don Howorth, John Tristram, Chet Yorton and Joe Nista -- who are all among the world's best developed men -- also commented to this writer on the high level of competition.
STANDINGS OF THE 1965
MR. AMERICA
CONTESTANTS
1. Jerry Daniels
Chattanooga, Tenn. 90½
2. Bob Gajda
Chicago, Ill. 88
3. Randy Watson
Manchester, Tenn. 86½
4. Sergio Oliva
Chicago, Ill. 86
5. Charles Estes
Nashville, Tenn. 82½
6. John Gourgott
New Orleans, La. 82
7. Von LaMon
Pasadena, Calif. 78½
8. Craig Whitehead
Lackland AFB, Texas 77½
Dennis Tinerino
Brooklyn, N. Y. 77½
Mike Ferraro
Buffalo, N. Y. 77½
11. Ralph Kroger
Solano Beach, Calif. 76½
12. Nick Spano
Atlanta, Ga. 76
13. Will Whitaker
Hammond, Ind. 75
14. John Kanter
Phoenix, Ariz. 74
15. William Parker
Atlanta, Ga. 72
16. Bill McArdle
Studio City, Calif. 70
17. Bob Oliver
Pasadena, Calif. 69
Paul Walchoholz
Englewood, Colo. 69
19. Lee Roy Saba
Oakland, Calif. 67
20. John Corvello
San Jose, Calif. 66½
21. Ken McCord
San Leandro, Calif. 63
22. Charles Amato
Portland, Oregon 61
23. Eugene Dickerson
San Diego, Calif. 60
24. John Homola
Santee, Calif. 59
25. John Balik
Monterey Park, Calif. 57
26. Millard Williamson
San Jose, Calif. 55½
27. Andrew Burpee
Santa Monica, Calif. 55
28. Joseph Townsell
San Jose, Calif. 53½
29. Roger Millette
Santa Clara, Calif. 53
After the magnificient posing displays by all of the contestants, score cards completed and totaled, the 19-inch arms of Jerry Daniels held the Mr. America trophy. Daniels captured the coveted award in a sweeping upset that saw many of last year's favorites fall by the wayside. As with all important contests, emotions ran high. It was difficult for some of the competitors to hide their disappointment.
At the age of 21, Jerry Daniels shares honors with Steve Reeves for being the youngest man ever to win the Mr. "A" title. Jerry stood out by virtue of his massive size and symmetrical proportions. At 220 pounds, he is one of the heaviest men ever to win the Mr. America contest.
Second place went to Chicago's Bob Gajda, a tremendously muscular and impressive bodybuilder who moved up almost to the top spot after finishing 11th in 1964. Gajda was perhaps the most surprising contender because he was completely overlooked in the prejudging by all the real dyed-in-the-wool muscle fans present. He has terrific calves, and his rock-hard appearance won for him a great many fans even, perhaps, the role as favorite for the '66 Mr. "A." (He also placed 2nd in Most Muscular.)
The veteran campaigner Randy Watson matched his '64 effort by again placing 3rd. Randy, who hails from Manchester, Tennessee, is extremely well-proportioned and symmetrical and he looked very good. With improved definition, he could be the man to beat in '66.
Sergio Olivia was the overwhelming choice for the Most Muscular title but finished only 4th in the Mr. America. He was really the sensation of the meet as far as the audience was concerned. The majority of spectators felt that Sergio should have won. Based upon muscle alone, it would be hard to deny him the title, for his muscular development is truly amazing. He is one of the most impressive physique stars of all time. He must be seen to be believed!
Fifth place went to big Chuck Estes, a 228 pound muscular giant from Nashville. He was quite impressive, combining good size, nice shape and sharp definition. He has made tremendous improvement during the past year and if he continues to improve he's going to be very tough to beat.
Dr. John Gourgott of New Orleans, who placed 2nd in '64 slipped to 6th this year, just a half point behind Estes. He had a great many supporters who felt he should have placed considerably higher, perhaps even taking the title himself. He looked very good and was well received by the audience. He is muscularly thick, and has a fine, well-balanced physique.
Seventh place went to Von La Mon of Pasadena, California. Von looked terrific and had the distinction of being the highest placing California bodybuilder. He is extremely muscular, has well-balanced development and is a smooth poser. Due to a dispute over his eligibility, he was not judged for the Most Muscular Man event. He would have been a strong contender in that category. He received one of the biggest ovations of all the contestants.
Eighth place saw three men sharing the honors with an identical total of 77½ points. Dr. Craig Whitehead of Lackland AFB, Texas; Dennis Tinerino of Brooklyn; and Mike Ferraro of Buffalo, N. Y.
Three notches below his 5th place finish in '64, Dr. Whitehead was a strong contender all the way. He had made a noticeable reduction in bodyweight and was actually much improved over last year. It puzzled more than a few people why he didn't place higher.
Young 19-year old Dennis Tinerino looked very good. Youth is on his side and with continued training he should someday capture the nation's most sought after physique crown. His definition was particularly impressive.
Mike Ferraro has one of the most startling physiques in the world. He has tremendous muscle size, particularly the lats, pecs and thighs. His leg biceps are about the best anywhere. His deep muscular separation and great muscle tone made him standout. He should have definitely placed much higher. He deservedly captured 3rd in Most Muscular.
Ninth place went to Ralph Kroger of San Diego. "Red" impressed everyone with his tremendous size and definition. He will positively be one of the top men in next year's Mr. America contest.
Tenth place was awarded to Nick Spano of Atlanta. He was impressive and his symmetry and proportions were among the best. Additional size and continued training will undoubtedly see him placing much higher next year.
In general, the contest was very well run. The contestants were all of outstanding caliber and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the show. As always, there was a great deal of disagreement among the spectators over the winners but this was due to the fact that they (the audience) were judging on muscle alone rather than the present Mr. America point system which also includes athletic points, general appearance and intelligence, etc. The Most Muscular Man outcome was very popular as Olivia, Gajda and Ferraro took the prizes.
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that Jerry Daniels is an excellent representative of the Mr. America title and I'm sure he will set a fine example to the world and help bodybuilding gain wider public acceptance.
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Muscular Development, Vol 2, No 10, Page 32, October 1965
JERRY DANIELS WINS THE 1965 MR. AMERICA TITLE
IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR THE SOUTH. Not only did Jerry Daniels of Chattanooga capture the crown but two other Tennesseans were in the first five. Third, fifth, sixth, eight, twelfth and fifteenth places went to Southerners! Chicago came in strong for second and fourth places.
Handsome Jerry Daniels has a 51½-inch chest; 32-inch waist and 19-inch biceps. He started training at the age of 17 at Dave Collier's Colonial Health Studio in Chattanooga. Four years later he won his first big contest - the Teen-age Mr. America.
Jerry takes a three-hour workout four times a week, doing his chest, shoulders and back on Tuesday and Saturdays; his legs and arms on Thursdays and Sundays. (His complete training routine was given in the August '65 issue of MD.)
He east four times a day favoring plenty of fruit and lean beef which he supplements with Hi-Proteen and Vitamin-Mineral tablets.
In 1962 Jerry was voted the Most Valuable Player award in the Chattanooga All-star football game. A good all-round athlete, he is well educated and well spoken.
In the big '65 America contest we expected that California would get a man in one of the first three places, perhaps two men, but the best position one of their native sons could make was seventh. We expected California men like Bill McArdle of Studio City, Von LaMon of Rosemead, John Corvello of San Jose or Ken McCord of San Leandro to make the first place battle a hectic one but it just didn't turn out that way. A Tennessean, one of the youngest men in the contest, took the coveted crown.
There were other upsets; Sergio Oliva, the muscular superman from Chicago who placed second in the Junior Mr. America, placed fourth. His winning the Most Muscular Man award however, was a foregone conclusion. There is no one who can compare with his massive musculature.
We thought that Dennis Tinerino of Brooklyn, third place man in the Juniors, who had been showing great promise, would be right up in the first five but he dropped to ninth place. Mike Ferraro of Buffalo, holder of the Mr. United States title, was another who found the going tough and was forced into tenth place.
The first ten men were: - Jerry Daniels, Chattanooga, Tenn., the winner - 2nd, Bob Gajda, Chicago, Ill. - 3rd, Randy Watson, Manchester, Tenn. - 4th, Sergio Oliva, Chicago, Ill. - 5th, Charles Estes, Nashville, Tenn. - 6th, John Gourgott, New Orleans, La. - 7th, Von LaMon, Pasadena, Cal. - 8th, Craig Whitehead, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas - 9th, Dennis Tinerino, Brooklyn, N. Y. - 10th, Mike Ferraro, Buffalo, N. Y.
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1966 Mr America - AAU
1 Bob Gajda
2 Sergio Oliva
3 Ralph Kroger
4 Randy Watson (1)
5 Jim Haislop
6 Dennis Tinerino
7 Will Whitaker
8 Charles Estes
9 Tom Helms
10 Bill St John
11 Eugene Dickerson
12 Eugene Kuczinski
13 Gene Wells
14 Nick Spano
15 William Parker
16 Steve Johnson (1)
17 Charles Fautz
18 Tom Hutson
19 Jim Dorn
20 Kent Kuehn
21 Jerry Doettrel
22 Jose Lopez (1)
23 Steve Sakoulos
24 Ken Covington
25 Dan Howard
26 Robert McNeill
27 John Kaczynski
28 James Kowalski
29 Flaubert Peltier
30 Ray Melendez
31 George Papp
Most Muscular
1 Sergio Oliva
2 Bob Gajda
3 Dennis Tinerino
4 Will Whitaker
5 Ralph Kroger
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IronMan, Vol 25, No 6, Page 38, September 1966
Bob Gajda -- Mr. America 1966
Sergio Oliva -- Most Muscular
by The Editor
AS most readers are aware, we have been pushing for changes in the Mr. America contest for many years, trying to get a fun day for it, and complete pre-judging. Finally this has come to pass, and the improvement is so great that we are sure the Mr. America contest will take on new life and mooning.
The pre-judging was done in the afternoon in a large gym in the rear of the stage, and this long period of observation by the judges permitted them to make a much more accurate decision. It also gave them time for selecting body part subdivisions for which awards were given this year.
The staging was the best we have ever seen at a Mr. America, with good background curtains and columns, statuettes and plants to lend atmosphere. The lighting was excellent, and orange lights were used, which gave the skin texture of the athletes a golden glow. John Grimek had worked hard in setting this up and I'm sure he was proud of the effect.
Another excellent service provided at both the Junior Nationals and the Senior Nationals was space for setting up background and lights for the legitimate photographers at the meet. This will enhance the quality of the photos to appear in the magazines and hence bring better publicity to the Show in general.
This was the first time in the past 15 or 20 years that your editor hasn't been on the judging panel and it was a welcome relief not to have this heavy responsibility and to be able instead to visit with the athletes and others around a show. I remarked to one judge that now I was in a position to criticize. However, frankly, I found nothing to criticize in the selections. I think they did a fine job.
I will have much more to say about the Mr. America contest in general in future issues. Just now our shortage of space will crowd us to get the report of this great show adequately covered.
Because of the almost unlimited time for presenting the show since it was given the whole day and evening, it was possible to include some special vaudeville acts, which greatly improved the whole presentation.
The show started with everyone standing for the Star Spangled Banner, then the curtains were drawn to show all the contestants standing at attention on elevated staging of different heights. This was an impressive opening. Then the curtains were drawn and the men came out one at a time and posed for the subdivisions. This gave the audience an excellent view of the men, tho not all of them were entered in the subdivisions.
Following this, two boys, Mike Stevens and Lyle Crim, came out and gave a demonstration of the clean and jerk. Mike is 11 and weighs about 80 lbs. and Lyle is 8 and weighs 68. Mike made 100 lbs., and Lyle about 80. Both boys showed wonderful style and excellent control in these lifts, both having been carefully coached by their fathers.
A girls' tumbling team called the Mannettes, came on and presented some excellent tumbling. They ranged from tiny little girls of about 50 pounds, up to older girls weighing perhaps 120 or so and all went through the difficult tumbling stunts, all dressed in flame red suits. They were very good.
The Mr. America contestants now came forth and posed individually on the posing platform for the Must Muscular title and this brought amazed gasps from the audience as they viewed some of the unbelievable physiques.
Following this, there was a Karate exhibition, or rather a stone slab breaking exhibition, by one of the Mr. America contestants, Steve Johnson. He broke 2 inch slabs of marble with blows of his hands.
The Mannettes now appeared for a fine exhibition of the parallel bar exercises and this was followed by the Mr. America competition in which all the men participated and all posed individually and were allowed 60 seconds on the posing platform. A 10 minute intermission followed.
After the intermission, Ken Sherbourne, a most remarkable juggler, gave a display of balance and juggling. He seems to be one of the best. Karen Nyce, a contortionist and balancer, then gave an unbelievable performance as she proceeded to do a one finger balance on a ball on a table. There must have been a gimmick somewhere, for she balanced almost on the tip of the index finger of one hand in a slight depression in the ball and the finger and hand were held at an odd angle. Even considering this possibility, it is the most remarkable balancing feat we have ever seen a woman perform, or for that matter, anyone else. She wore gloves and later took them off very carefully, and even though there might have been a finger support in the glove it was still an unbelievably feat of balance, Among other things, she also bent over backward and reached at least two feet below her feet to pick up a flower with her teeth and stand erect with it while standing on high pedestals under each foot.
MOST MUSCULAR WINNERS
It was now time to announce the Most Muscular contest winners and the crowd waited in great anticipation for the judges' decisions. The men were called out in reverse order, with Ralph Kroger getting 5th, Bill Whitaker 4th, then Dennis Tinerino 3rd, Bob Gajda 2nd, and it was no surprise that Sergio Oliva was first again this year. This man certainly is fabulous and it would be hard to visualize anyone being more muscular, no matter what your definition of muscular might be. It was a popular decision with the audience and surely the contestants could not complain, at least as far as first place was concerned. The other places were so close that it could have gone any way.
Billy Parker, one of the Mr. America contestants, now came out and put on his muscle control routine and muscle dance. He is very good, and provided the crowd with a lot of entertainment and humor. We were then treated to a beautiful posing tableau of 5 fine bodybuilders gilded in gold and silver, with Gene Kuszinski in gold and his attendants in silver. This was a very impressive presentation. I can imagine the difficulties they had in getting this gold and silver washed off. The attendants were Ray Dotterwich, Mel Long, Rick Sargent and Chick Schiesser.
BODY PARTS WINNERS
Body Parts Winners were announced, with Sergio Oliva winning best arms and best back. No one could argue about this. Will Whitaker won best chest and he certainly had a good one. Best legs went to Ralph Kroger, a man who not only has good looking legs, but powerful legs, as he is a very good lifter. Best abdominals went to Dennis Tinerino.
MR. AMERICA CONTEST WINNERS
It was now time for the big announcement -- the winner of America's top title for bodybuilders, the man who would proudly wear this title for the coming year was about to be announced. The announcer and MC, Bob Callahan, who had done a fine job all evening, brought out the 5th place man first to present his trophy (these trophies were certainly beautiful this year). Fifth place man was James Haislop, a wonderfully built young fellow, and last issue's cover man on Iron Man, and a man who with a little more shaping up will be one of our greatest Mr. America's (we predict). Fourth place was another great bodybuilder, a small man, but one of physical perfection, Randy Watson. Third place man was another with a great future, Ralph Kroger, current Mr. California. The last two men were the ones that everyone was wondering about. Two top men were in everyone's mind. Which one would take the title? When Sergio Oliva's name was called for second place, everyone knew that none other than Bob Gajda could be the winner of the coveted title for this year, and the MC wasted no time bringing him out. Judging from the applause, this was a popular decision. A few seemed to feel that Oliva had a slight edge, but they should remember that a Mr. America ought to be a citizen and must be able to speak English fluently, so that he may keep speaking engagements, etc., during the year. Sergio is trying to take care of the citizenship business and is also attending night classes studying English, and has already made much progress, so if he will continue he should win the coveted title in time. We have some photos taken by Bob Gajda which are marvelous and we will show some of them to you in next issue. When you see them you will know why everyone raves about Sergio Oliva. As most of you know, these two men are good friends and training partners at Duncan YMCA in Chicago.
So ended a great show and a very satisfying one for the public, I'm sure. John Picard accompanied the show with music played on an accordion hooked up to some electrical devices that made it sound like a big pipe organ. He did a wonderful job and added much to the presentation.
We would like to try to squeeze in a few facts about the different contestants-31 in all. We have already given you the facts and figures on some of these men in the report on the Jr. Mr. America contest, so will not repeat them here.
We will begin in the order in which they appeared at the contest, with Will Whitaker being first. Win has trained 4 years and won several important physique contests. He played baseball, football in Southeastern Louisiana college, is 5'10½" tall, weighing 198, with 18½ arms, 50 chest, 31 waist, 26½ thighs and calves of 17½. He has bench pressed 385, squatted with 475 and dead lifted 515.
Incidentally, the measurements and the lifts given here are those stated by the contestants, as we took no measurements, or required no certification of lifts. We assume they are accurate and truthful.
John Kaczynski was No. 2 man out on the posing platform and he too has trained for 4 years and attends the night school of Baltimore University. His favorite sport has been basketball, and he is 5'10" tal1 and weighs 190 with measurements not given.
Ray Melendez came from Puerto Rico 19 years ago and has been training 9 years. He likes gymnastics, for which he is well built, being 5'4" tall and weighing 164, with 16½ arms, 46 chest, 30 waist, thighs 23½ and calf of 14.
Randy Watson is a minister in the Church of Christ, a man of sparkling personality and a real credit to the game. He has trained 9 years, is married and has a two year old son. He has won outstanding honors in gymnastics and the rings. He has bench pressed 360, squat 450, dead lift 500. He is 5'7" and weighed 170. He won the 1963 Jr. Mr. America title and was 3rd in the Mr. America in 1964 and 1965. We have carried Randy's story and his schedules in Volume 22 Number 6 Iron Man.
Gene Kuczinski has trained for 4 years and is in the Navy, working as an aviation electrician. He is 22 and weighs 205 at 5'9" and has bench pressed 375 and squatted with 450. He has 18 inch arms, 50 chest, 31 waist, 27 thighs and 17½ calves.
Jerry Doettrel has been training. 8½ years and is 5'4" and weighs 178, with 17½ arms, 45 chest, 25 thigh, 31½ waist and 17¼ calves. He is a cook by trade.
Flaubert Peltier has been training 8 years, is married and has a 14 month old daughter. He is a machinist and is 5'9" tall, weighs 180, no measurements were given, but he does a dead lift with 585.
Charles Fautz has trained 7 years and is 5'11" tall, weighing 220. He has a General Business Degree from Monmouth College and works as a purchasing agent. He has done a 440 bench press, 450 squats and 600 dead lift at 215 bodyweight.
Gene Wells has trained for 18 years and seems to improve all the time. He will be a cover man on Iron Man soon. He possesses outstanding chest and abdominal development -- we don't know why he didn't enter the abdominal subdivision. Gene is married, has a four month old daughter and works as a building contractor. He has done a press of 260, snatch of 220 and clean and jerk of 290 for a 770 total.
Kenneth Covington has trained 4 years and is 5'11½", weighs 190, with an arm of 17, chest 45½, waist 29, thigh 24 and calf 15. He has done olympic lifts of 230, 205 and 250 and power lifts of 310, 400, 540.
Ralph Kroger has trained 8 years and at 5'10" weighed 200, though he has weighed as much as 240, we understand. He has made a 1,000 pound total as a heavyweight lifter. His training consists primarily of power work, and he gives little thought to measurements. He works as a business manager and we hope to feature him in Iron Man soon.
Thomas Hutson has trained 5 years and at 22 years has an arm of 19, chest 49, waist 31, thigh 26, calf 18½, and stands 5'9", weighing 188. He works as a bottler for Anheuser-Busch.
Kent Kuehn has trained only 3 years but power lifts 340, 385, 530 and does 240, 215 and 290 in the olympic lifts. He was a gymnast at Central Michigan University. He is marred and has a 6 month old son.
Bill St. John has been training 3 years and does 250, 220, 290 in the olympic, lifts at 181 bodyweight, though he now weighs 210 it a height of 5'11. Bill is 23 years old and doesn't know what he measures as he doesn't consider measurements of any value. He was a high school wrestling champ in the 175 lb. class. He works for the Government as a draftsman.
Thomas Helms has been training for 6 years and was a Jr. Mr. America and was an outstanding wrestler and Delaware Olympic Lift Heavyweight Champ in 1963. He weighs 210 at 6'1" and has an arm of 18¼, 50 chest, 32½ waist, 26½ thigh and 17 calf. He works as a meat supervisor.
James Kowalski has trained 10 years and has won awards for track and field as well as marksmanship awards. He is a Pantagraph-Ultragraph machine operator, is married and has two children.
Wm. Parker has been training 8 years and is now a college student and 22 years of age. Standing 5'3" tall, he weighs 150 and has won many titles. He has done 200, 200, 250 in the Olympic lifts. He is a muscle control expert and much in demand for this activity at various shows.
Jim Dorn has been training a good many years and was formerly one of the top lifters in the 181 and 198 class, having done 315, 285, 360, 965 in the Olympic lifts. He developed sore knees and had to give up lifting. He is known to have one of the broadest backs in the country. He plans to go back to lifting when his knees will permit. Jim owns his own variety store, stands 5'7" and gives the following measurements 19 arms, 50 chest, 30 waist, 27 thigh and 17 calf.
Steve Johnson has trained 4 years and is a Karate expert and a member of the Philadelphia Police Department. He is 5'7" tall and weighs 182. He is a black belt in Karate.
Dennis Tinerino has been in the limelight for several years, having started training about 5 years ago, and later, in 1965, winning the Teen Age Mr. America title. Dennis attends the RCA institute and hopes to begin lifting soon. He is 6'1½" tall and weighs 217, with 19¼ arm, 50 chest, 33 waist, 26½ thigh and 17½ calf. We hope to carry his story soon. Dennis trained at Bill Pearl's gym for a few weeks prior to the Sell or Nats, and made great improvement over his condition at the Juniors. We talked to some who thought he should have won the Mr. America title this year.
Bob McNeill has trained 10 years and has won quite a few titles, is a Karate expert and does some lifting. He works as a receiving clerk and is 6' tall, weighing 210, with 18¼ arm, 50 chest, 29½ waist, 25 thigh and 16 calf, He is 30, married, and has two sons.
Charles Estes has trained for 10 years, is 6'2" and weighs a hefty 235 lbs. He is an inhalation therapist at the Nashville Hospital and has had a very good athletic history in most fields of athletics. In the power lifts he has done 450, 475, 525, and he measures: 19¼ arm, 51 chest, 32 waist, 27½ thigh.
James Haislop has been training for only 3 years but already has one of the most pleasing physiques with great possibilities. He is now a machinist for the Honeywell company and has already won many top titles. He is 6' tall and weighs 223 with 18¾ arm, 51 chest, 31 waist, 27¾ thigh and 17½ calf. See his story in last issue of Iron Man.
Gene Dickerson has his details in the Jr. Mr. America report in this issue. Please refer to it.
Bob Gajda also has his details in the Jr. Mr. America report. More will appear about Bob in future issues of Iron Man.
Nick Spano has been training 8 years and has made continual improvement. Nick is 5'8½" tall, weighs 185 and has won many titles. He is a teacher of social studies and was Jr. Middleweight wrestling champ of Georgia, and high school shot put champion. He has totaled 735 on the Olympic lifts and his measurements are 18 arm, 47 chest, 31 waist, 25 thigh and 16¼ calf. He has recently been on the Blair program and says he has made great progress.
Jose Lopez is a student at the University of Puerto Rico and has been training for 4 years, stands 5'11" and weighs 198. He has boxed in the Golden Gloves and also made 275, 240, 325 in the Olympic lifts in the 198 class, and this is good.
Sergio Oliva, who has been training 7 years, has details in the Jr. Mr. America report. Here is an added detail our reporter Don Wilson picked up. We didn't know Sergio was married, but according to this report, his wife is coming from Cuba via Spain.
Dan Howard has been training for 3½ years and is 6'2¼", weighing 222 lbs. He was honorable mention for All American football and is a sky-diver and is working on his doctorate at the University of Tulsa in Zoology and Physiology. He has an 18½ arm, 51 chest, 31 waist, 26½ thigh and 17½ calf.
George Papp has trained for 10½ years, was a boxer in the US Air Force, and is a steel worker. He is 5'11" and weighs 181. At 41, he was the oldest man in the contest.
Steve Sakoulos had been training the longest--22 years, and is the second oldest in the meet at 40. This is the 6th Mr. America contest he has appeared in. He is a glass blower but owns a company that manufactures hospital supplies. Steve is also an Olympic lifter, having made 250, 245, 320 while weighing 181. He is 5'11" and weighs 185.
We did not say much about the training methods of the above men. Most of them train pretty much on the general programs of several sets of about 8 repetitions and perhaps about 12 to 20 sets per body part for three to five workouts per week, most of them using the split system of upper body one day and lower body the following, thus getting in 5 workout days per week. Most of them follow very good nourishing diets, keeping their protein high and carbohydrates low. Most of them use some form of supplements such as protein, vitamin-mineral and wheat germ oil, as well as liver tablets. They all agree that dedication to a regular schedule, careful living habits and hard work are the secrets of their success. They are all dedicated to their programs ahead of all else.
We will carry stories of many of the above men in future issues of Iron Man.
We are indebted to the industrious activities of Don Wilson, the hard working Chairman of the Pacific Association this past year, and my wife, Mabel, for much of the information contained in the above remarks.
Judges for the Mr. America were: Steve Stanko, Karo Whitfield, Frasher Ferguson, Bob Crist, Frank Bates, Bob Hise, Morris Weisbro
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Muscular Development, Vol 3, No 10, Page 32, October 1966
BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE MR. AMERICA CONTEST
THE 27TH ANNUAL MR. AMERICA CONTEST took place in York at the William Penn Highschool on June 19th and was sponsored by the York Barbell Club. It was indeed the finest extravaganza of strong and muscle men ever presented. The unusual throng that witnessed this gala spectacle agreed that it was a colossal display of America's finest developed men. Of course the entire National Weightlifting Championships were truly superb, with strong competition to the very last lift. All in all the three-day event was something to remember and will be long talked about.
In the past the Mr. America contest was an important but relatively small part of the National Championships, but this year, for the first time, an entire day was devoted to this physique event. When this contest is "squeezed in" at the end of the championships, the time is usually late and everything has to be rushed. York Barbell Club, having more Mr. America winners than any other club, felt that these men have trained hard and long and deserve to have more time and more consideration, so an entire day was devoted to this annual occasion. In this way no one was rushed and the show finished by 10:30 that evening, making it still rather early for out-of-town visitors.
The day after the National Championships started early. The lifting platform, scoreboard and other equipment had to be removed so the stage could be set for the Mr. America contest that evening. John Terlazzo, who accepted the burden of organizing the meet, had everything well-planned and allocated certain jobs to different men who were willing to share some of the tasks. The whole stage setting was superb, and John Grimek with the help of capable electricians arranged the lights to complement the unique stage setting. The whole arrangement took several hours and was completed just about the time the prejudging started, which began at 12:30 P.M.
Since these men (the officials, who perform a thankless and difficult job), were not hurried this time, they looked over each contestant carefully and gave him every consideration. Though this was a prolonged affair, the information these men gathered was most noteworthy in making their decision.
Each contestant was interviewed and asked for valid proof of his athletic ability. It might be emphasized here and now that many a Mr. America contender "gets lost in the judging" when he fails to provide some evidence of his athletic ability. For anyone who gets a low score for his athletic ability automatically loses his chance of winning. This will explain WHY a muscular, well-proportioned fellow fails to win . . . simply because HE DID NOT have enough athletic points to back up his muscles. Dennis Tinerino, for example, placed sixth not because he lacks any phase of muscular development, but primarily because he fails to bring along sufficient evidence to back up his athletic accomplishments. Others, with outstanding development, fall into the same category. Future contestants should remember this and bring along ample proof of their athletic ability.
Months before some discussion was made to hold the contest in three height classes: short, medium and tall, and three extra trophies were bought. During the prejudging as each man was being measured to determine his height category and just when things were running along smoothly, the officials get word from the National Weightlifting Chairman that the height classes would not be permitted on stage but the trophies could be presented backstage. This decision was accepted only to learn later that even this idea was boycotted, consequently all the contestants who were looking forward to seeing who would win the different height classes were truly disappointed when this event failed to materialize.
This, MD feels, is a gross error on the part of all AAU officials who opposed this decision, because if the Mr. America contest is held in various height divisions, the whole event will become bigger than it was ever thought to be. Smaller men who seldom have any chance when they are competing against 200-pounders or heavier men, will at least try to win their own height category, and this to them will be just as satisfying as if they won the overall title . . . these small men should be given that chance. Several officials, however, endorsed this idea wholeheartedly and no doubt this will be a big issue at the next AAU Convention. It seems rather certain that the next Mr. America, scheduled for Columbus, Ohio, will hold the Mr. America in two or more height classes, and if it is, it will be for the "good of the game!"
After prejudging of the athletic ability the men returned to be judged for the various subdivisions; arms, chest, back, legs and abdominals. In the past, due to the lack of time mostly, these events were omitted, but since a whole day was being devoted to the Mr. A contest these subdivisions were reinstated. Most of the winners and runners-up in these events were well-judged and deserved their victories, although two contenders, Charles Estes and Gene Wells, should have placed in the Best Back award. Both these men displayed impressive backs. However, when there are so many fine looking physiques it really is a job to pick them all to please everyone, and as said before it's a thankless and difficult job. . . and very few want it.
Winner like Bob Gajda, Sergio Oliva and Ralph Kroger placed in most of these subdivisions, indicating that these men were in top form and deserved the positions they rated.
The prejudging took around five hours to complete, then a tie between Sergio and Kroger was noticed. This was resolved by, adding each man's high and low score, which is normally tossed out, and in this way Sergio forged ahead without any difficulty. However, less than a month before Sergio won the Jr. Mr. America title in San Jose, California, beating Gajda by one-half point. These results were listed last month. Randy Watson, whose been in a few of these events, finished fourth this year, and Jim Haislop, who is excellent Mr. America material once he trains down to finer muscularity, was a fifth favorite. The crowd approved the entire decision with hearty applause.
It's not surprising but most of the contestants were evenly matched, and if you refer to the list of contestants in last month's MD you'll notice how close the points were in almost every case, and in some cases the lack of athletic points made the difference.
The show got underway promptly at 7:30 PM. Bob Callahan, the MC for the show, did an excellent job of keeping the audience informed about each category and about the men as they stepped upon the posing dias. Of course besides the Mr. America. Most Muscular and subdivision events, several outstanding acts - were featured. A clean & jerk demonstration by two youngsters; Mike Stevens and Lyle Crim, make a big hit with the crowd. The Monnette, a fine tumbling and acrobatic group from Philadelphia did a great job. And right after intermission an extraordinary juggler, Ken Sherburne, thrilled the audience with his amazing stunts. But the act that was hard to believe even though you saw it right before your eyes was the balancer extraordinary, Karen Nyce. Her unbelievable one-finger stand and back-bending ability held the crowd breathless. The muscle control by Billy Parker was superb, and Gilded Artistry was another impressive act. So with all the fine posing and display of muscles, the show had enough variety to interest everyone. . . and it did.
As the final 10 men were called up to give their final posing demonstration, somehow Bob Gajda must have learned that he was the winner, because when he came out to pose he overstayed his time. He just continued to stay up on and on, and this premature exhibition was not popular with the officials or most of the audience. Some of the judges wanted to disqualify him, and they would have had they not already turned over their score sheets. "Jumping the gun," so to speak, rubs people the wrong way and several of the officials voiced their disapproval over this. No doubt it will be considered and brought to discussion at the next Mr. America contest during their meetings. Even some of the contestants felt this was in bad taste yet felt that it was this exhibition that may have won the title for him. It did not. The winners were known two hours or so BEFORE the actual contest began that evening, although the MC did not get the names of the actual winners until each category appeared on the program. He should have waited until he was announced the winner and then his exhibition would have been appreciated by everyone. Nevertheless, Gajda was a popular winner and many enthusiasts came backstage and milled around him for a long time after the show ended.
Thus ended another Mr. America contest but more fabulous than any previous Mr. America show. . . it was the greatest! It will be long remembered, even after a score of other winners have been chosen, but the Mr. America contest of 1966 will be remembered by all who saw it as the very best. . . and they will be right. It was the BEST!
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Strength & Health, Page 22, September 1966
THE 1966 MR. AMERICA SHOW
CONTESTANT CLUB POINTS
1. Bob Gajda Duncan YMCA 69
2. Sergio Oliva Duncan YMCA 66½
3. Ralph Kroger Coast Health Studio 66½
4. Randy Watson Atlanta, Ga. 65½
5. James Haislop tampa Health Club 65½
6. Dennis Tinerino Brookylyn, N. Y. 64½
7. Will Whitaker Parkview Health Club 64
8. Charles Estes Cosmopolitan HC 64
9. Tom Helms York Barbell Club 58½
10. Bill St. John York Barbell Club 57½
11. Eugene Dickerson Lea's Gym 56½
12. Eugene Kuczinski Eastern Health Studio 56½
13. Gene Wells Fritsh's Gym 56
14. Nick Spano Physical Fitness HC 55
15. Wm. Parker Bel Air Health Club 55
16. Steve Johnson Fritsch'e Gym 53
17. Charles Fautz Surf Breakers AC 52½
18. Tom Hutson St. Louis, Mo. 52
19. Jim Dorn York Barbell Club 52
20. Kent Kuehn Lansing, Mich. 51
21. Jerry Doettrel York, AC, Buffalo 50
22. Jose Lopez Roberto Santana HC 49
23. Steve Sakoulos Irving Park YMCA 49
24. Ken Covington Boodley's Gym 47
25. Dan Howard Univ. of Tulsa 46½
26. Bob McNeill Don's HC 46½
27. John Kaczynski Eastern Health Studio 46
28. James Kowalski Pittsburgh Boys' Club 46
29. Flaubert Peltier Boston YMCA 44
30. Ray Melendez Fritshe's Gym 41½
31. George Papp Buffalo, N. Y. 38
MOST MUSCULAR
Sergio Oliva
Bob Gajda
Dennis Tinerino
Will Whitaker
Ralph Kroger
SUBDIVISIONS
Best Abdominals - Dennis Tinerino
Best Arms - Sergio Oliva
Best Legs - Ralph Kroger
Best Back - Sergio Oliva
Best Chest - Will Whitaker
The 1966 Mr. America show was a huge success in all respects. John Terlazzo, the show director, and his organizing committee are certainly to be cogratulated for making this the "best ever". For the first time in the 27-year history of the Mr. America Contest, the competition was conducted on a separate evening from the lifting contest. The show was not only attractive to bodybuilding enthusiasts, but to all persons, regardless of their interest or ages. Besides the subdivision, most muscular, and Mr. A posign competition there were numberous variety acts for young and old alike. Tumbling, karate, acrobatics, juggling, muscle control, hand balancing, and gilded artistry performances added greatly to the contest. As someone said as they left the York High School Auditorium, "This will be a tough acto to follow."
Bob Gajda, the personable Chicago YMCA worker, captured the top honor in the Mr. America competition. He has everything that it takes to be a great Mr. America. Needless to say, he has the muscles, but he also creates a fine appearance and has an interest in the game that rfew others have possessed. Sergio Oliva was the runner-up for Mr. A and won the Most Muscular title as well as two subdivisions: "Best Back" and "Best Arms". Ralph Kroger was a very close third place finisher. He also won the "Best Legs" award and was fifth in the Most Muscular contest. Randy Watson and James Haislop were next in the top five. A full report on the competition and the show will be in next month's issue.
(In the event of a tie the hight and low scores of the judges were totaled to determine the winner.)
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Strength & Health, Page 22, October 1966
HIGHTLIGHTS OF THE 1966 MR. AMERICA SHOW
by Bill Starr
The 27th Annual A.A.U. Mr. America Contest was more than a physique contest -- it was a tremendous variety show as well. Mike Steven and Lyle Crim put on a fine clean and jerk exhibition. The Mannetts thrilled the crowd with their tumbling, acrobatics, and parallel bar exercises. Steve Johnson demonstrated his skill in karate in between appearances in the Mr. A competition. Ken Sherburne delighted the audience with his juggling performance and Karen Nyce made the most flexible viewers feel very humble indeed after watching her contortionist act. Bill Parker, who was also a Mr. A contestant, treated everyone to a fantastic display in muscle control The variety part of the show was toppped off with a gilded artistry presentation. Gene Kuczinski posed in gold with Rick Sargent, Ray Dotterwich, Mel Long, and Chick Schiesser in silver.
The entire show was MCed very expertly by Bob Callahan and John Picard at the organ gave the entire affair a professional touch.
Strength & Health presents an exclusive "first" -- the judges scoring for the 1966 Mr. America Contest. We have long felt that the individual scores of the judges should be made public as they are in any other athletic activity such as: figure skating, diving, boxing, gymnastics, etc. This would eliminate any behind-the-scenes "hanky panky" on the part of the officials. We feel that if the judges are aware that their decisions are going to be publiczed, then they will be less biased and more discreet in their decision making. We recommend that this be a required practice in future physique competitions.
1966 MR. AMERICA SCORE SHEET
contestant Whitfield Stanko Hise Bates Weissbrot Crist Ferguson Sub-Total Athletic
Points Total
1. Will Whitaker 15 12 11½ 12 19 11½ 12 59 5 64
2. John Kaczynski 9 10 9 9 9 8 7½ 44 2 46
3. Ray Melendez 8 8 9½ 8 8 7 7½ 39½ 2 41½
4. Randy Watson 15 12½ 13½ 11 10½ 11 12½ 60½ 5 65½
5. Gene Kuczinski 10 12½ 10½ 10½ 8 10½ 10 51½ 5 56½
6. Jerry Doettrel 10 8½ 10 9½ 7½ 9 9 46 4 50
7. Flaubert Peltier 7 9 8 12 7½ 7½ 6½ 39 5 44
8. Charles Fautz 9 11 9½ 11 9 9 7 47½ 5 52½
9. Gene Wells 12 10½ 11 9½ 10 10 9½ 51 5 56
10. Ken Covington 9 9 9 8½ 7 8 9 43½ 3½ 47
11. Ralph Kroger 14 12 12½ 12½ 11½ 12 12½ 61½ 5 66½
12. Tom Hutson 10 12½ 9½ 9 9 9½ 9 47 5 52
13. Kent Kuehn 8 7½ 10 9 10 10 9 46 5 51
14. Bill St. John 12 10½ 10½ 11½ 10½ 10 10 52½ 5 57½
15. Tom Helms 12 12½ 10½ 9½ 11 9½ 10½ 53½ 5 58½
16. James Kowalski 9 10 9½ 8½ 9 8 7 44 2 46
17. Wm. Parker 14 10½ 11 9 8 10 9½ 50 5 55
18. Jim Dorn 9 10½ 11 8½ 7½ 9 10 47 5 52
19. Steve Johnson 12 10 10½ 8½ 8½ 10½ 8 48 5 53
20. Dennis Tinerino 13 14 11½ 12 11½ 12½ 12½ 61½ 3 64½
21. Bob McNeill 8 8½ 8½ 8½ 7½ 8½ 8 1½ 5 46½
22. Charles Estes 14 14 12 10½ 10½ 11 11½ 59 5 64
23. James Haislop 14 9 11 11 12½ 13½ 12½ 60½ 5 65½
24. Eugene Dickerson 12 14 11 10 6½ 9 9½ 51½ 5 56½
25. Bob Gajda 14 10 13½ 13½ 12½ 11½ 13 64 5 69
26. Nick Spano 14 9 12 10½ 9½ 9 9 50 5 55
27. Jose Lopez 9 9 10½ 10 9 9 10 47 2 49
28. Sergio Oliva 15 11½ 13 12 12 12½ 12 61½ 5 66½
29. Dan Howard 9 9 12 9½ 7½ 8 9 44½ 2 46½
20. George Papp 6 9 8 9 6 7 6 36 2 38
31. Steve Sakoulos 10 9 9½ 9½ 7 7 9 44 5 49
Judgint the Mr. America Contest is done by the point system. The judges can give a maximum of 5 points to each contestant for: symmetry, muscular development, and general appearance for an overall maximum of 15 points. A panel of seven judges vote for Mr. America. The high and low scores for each contestant are eliminated to prevent bias and the remaining five scores are totaled. This give the sub-total. A five point maximum for athletic ability is allowed for each contestant and this is added in after the sub-total. This gives the final total for the contestant. In cases of ties the high and low scores are added to determine the highest man.
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1967 Mr America - AAU
1 Dennis Tinerino
2 Jim Haislop
3 Will Whitaker
4 Ralph Kroger
5 Boyer Coe
6 Chris Dickerson
7 Gilbert Hansen
8 Charles Estes
9 Craig Whitehead
10 Kent Kuehn
11 Melvin Meriweather
12 Philip Smeja
13 Ronald Schiavoni
14 Dominick Duche
Most Muscular
1 Dennis Tinerino
2 Will Whitaker
3 Jim Haislop
4 Chris Dickerson
5 Boyer Coe
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IronMan, Vol 26, No 6, Page 14, October 1967
Tinerino Wins Mr. America Title
By Ralph Countryman
THE physique pre-judging for Mr. America took place during the afternoon lifting of the second day. It was possible to interview, assign athletic points, and check posing routines, and compare physiques in the separate auditorium provided by the meet sponsors. Accordingly all had been decided by the time the men were introduced to the audience in the evening.
The number of contestants must have been an all time low, although the quality of the top men was high as ever, possibly even better. Only fourteen men competed; one did not appear and one withdrew after interview. Even with a wide stage, though, those fourteen bodies had trouble finding adequate space during their introduction to the audience. Bodybuilders only masquerade as ordinary men. In posing trunks and with lats spread they're something else.
HOW THEY PLACED
Judges for the pre-judging of the Mr. America were: Bob Gajda (last year's Mr. America), Dave Collier, Doug Duggan, Ralph Countryman, Jim Messer, Lyall Ryden and Joe Raymond, men of experience and integrity, and spread over the entire country. Peary Rader is chairman of the Mr. America judges and in charge of selection of judges and directing the pre-judging and contest procedures.
We do not believe that points give a very good comparison of the men below the first 3 or 4 places, but everyone wants to know the places and points, so we reluctantly print them.
1 Dennis Tinerino 76½
2 James Haislop 73½
3 Will Whitaker 67½
4 Ralph Kroger 66½
5 Boyer Coe 63½
6 Chris Dickerson 62
7 Gil Hansen 59½
8 Charles Estes 58½
9 Dr. Craig Whitehead 58
10 Kent Kuehn 52
11 Phil Smeja 46½
12 Melvin Meriweather 42
13 Ron Schiavoni 41
14 Dominick Duche 39½
MOST MUSCULAR winners were, in the order of placing: Dennis Tinerino, Will Whitaker, James Haislop, Chris Dickerson, Boyer Coe.
BEST ARMS winners were: Coe, Tinerino and Haislop.
BEST CHEST: Coe, Tinerino and Whitaker.
BEST BACK: Haislop, Tinerino and Whitaker.
BEST ABDOMINALS: Haislop, Kuehn, and Tinerino.
BEST LEGS: Dickerson, Haislop and Tinerino.
The men who have been through more than one interview session for a national title are usually well known through picture coverage. If they weren't, they would still be fairly easy to spot by their dress and conduct. The experienced contestant will usually wear a suit, is well poised, and generally can field half a dozen questions at a time from as many judges. It isn't any coincidence that seven of the eight finalists wore suits and eight of the eight had this self-control under fire. I was particularly impressed by the polish acquired over a couple of years of this kind of ordeal by Charles Estes and Jim Haislop. I recall Estes as wringing wet and nervous after his first national interview in 1964. This time he was Mr. Poise all the way. Haislop has also grown in poise and manner of presentation. For deftness in fielding questions quickly and easily and alertness to the mood of the questioner, Will Whitaker, Gil Hansen and Dr. Craig Whitehead were especially impressive. Chris Dickerson has had dramatic training and it showed in his use of the language and his well modulated voice. Dennis Tinerino and Boyer Coe both conducted themselves like champions-easy but poised, friendly but not familiar. And Ralph Kroger had these same champion's attributes that the judges are looking for so carefully during interview. And he also had one unique attribute. He'd brought his family to Columbus; this included one of th loveliest little girls I've ever seen, with his coloring, her good looks, and a radiant manner all her own.
Contestants were introduced to the judges alphabetically and carried on the program that way. The standard questions were asked to establish background and athletic ability.
Several carried resumes with them to help in establishing athletic points. It was an athletic crew this year as ten of the fourteen received a full five points; only Dickerson of the finalists had fewer than the maximum. Bob Gajda, who had passed his national referee's test earlier in the day, was serving as a panelist; he had a question on the athlete's intentions with the title that evoked the most interesting answers. Being rather unexpected, it required quick thinking and phrasing of reply. I like this idea of the present Mr. America helping to select his successor. Unless he has a definite affiliation with any of the contestants, I feel it ought to be standard procedure.
Boyer Coe was the youngest man in the contest at 20. He was a memorable Teenage Mr. America last year and is definitely a future Mr. America. He was soft-spoken and intelligent in forming his answers. He has made noticeable improvement since last year and has a much better balanced physique now at about 5'7" and 200 pounds. He has been training steadily for five years and the results of dedication are obvious. In spite of the fact that he is a third year medical student at Southwestern Louisiana in his hometown of Lafayette, he still finds time for his lengthy workouts and an interesting outdoor job of caring for racehorses-grooming, running and training.
Dominick Duche is from Warren, Michigan but grew up in Pittsburgh. He was in the Marine Corps for two years and was trainer and alternate on the All-Marine boxing team of 1958. He is now 29, married, and has two sons. At 5-3 and 143 pounds, he has a slight but well defined and very symmetrical physique. He played four years of baseball in high school and later semi-pro ball, eventually trying out for the Pirates. He has been working out for six years and is a sheet metal worker. For all his athletics, though, he had no resume, and drew only two athletic points. Last year he was Mr. Detroit and Mr. Michigan.
Chris Dickerson is the present Mr. California and placed high in the Junior Mr. America this year. He is 5-6½ and weighs 178; he has been training for about 4½ years, inspired by pictures in the magazines. He was also hurting for athletic points, but he did receive three for a lifting contest he entered recently. He vows that next time he'll have five. Chris was raised a Quaker and served his government obligation in humanitarian fields. He is 27 and is presently employed by a catering service, but he admits his main objective now is the big title.
Charles Estes is a former marine, where he was on a championship football team. He has also done the 1OO-yard dash in 10 seconds. He started working out his last year in high school and built up to 164. He's added about 60 pounds since to his over six feet and has concentrated in the power lifting end of the sport, holding the Tennessee bench press record and placing high in the state meet. He is 28, was most responsive, and spoke well. Previously I have been most impressed by his great calf and arm development; now the rest of his body seems to have caught up. But a narrowness of the shoulders for his height has been a handicap. Charles lives in Nashville and is a therapist at a hospital there.
Jim Haislop is much improved. The choice of Mr. America seemed to narrow down to him or Tinerino. He has cut down his huge thighs and is even more symmetrical than last year when his symmetry was outstanding. Further he has developed definition to go with his bulk. With his size and coloring, he presents a spectacular appearance on stage and is the immediate audience favorite. Jim is 25, single, and did his service in the Navy where he started bodybuilding at 165. He had been the lightest man on his high school football team (fullback, yet) which was second in the state. He lives in his home town of Tampa where he works for the General Telephone Company. Jim is 5-11 and weighs 220. He's positively a future Mr. America, possessing the physique, athletic, and background qualities necessary to win the title. Right now he'd have to occupy the favorite's position for 1968.
Gil Hansen, next to Craig Whitehead, was the most well-rounded individual in the contest. He is a police officer in Waterloo, Iowa, where among other duties he runs the physical fitness classes. He has a second degree black belt in karate and is the Iowa State lifting champion in both Olympic and power lifting. And that doesn't count the high school sports he participated in. He has put in two years at Iowa State Teachers College in speech and English. He is 30, married, and has two children. At 6 feet, he weighs 214. He was quick with his responses, alert to catch the jumble of simultaneous questions, and deft in forming his replies. He has a dense, very hard, heavily defined muscle and moves with quick athletic grace.
Ralph Kroger is a former Mr. California and runner-up in Mr. America. He's originally from Minnesota but now manages a health studio near San Diego. He was a paratrooper in the Army, making 25 jumps. He has been an outstanding lifter in between bodybuilding kicks, and a better than average track and field man in high school. He is 29, 5-10½, and weighs 205 now; but he has done his best lifting at 235. Like the other top candidates, he was well dressed and groomed, spoke well, was always in control of his words, and made quick responses. Like Hansen, he has the hard, muscular, heavily defined look.
Kent Kuehn is from Lansing, Michigan. He was a state champion all-around gymnast while at Central Michigan University, his best event being free exercise. He was a physical education major but did not graduate. He is 31 and took up bodybuilding four years ago to get back in shape. He certainly succeeded and has a light but well-defined body with excellent abdominals at 5-7½ and 177. He is married and has a 1½ year old boy.
Melvin Merriweather had the most resounding name in the contest. He also had a fine build. He is 29, married, and has three children. He weighs 194 at 5-9 and was Mr. Indiana in 1966. He is a millwright helper in Portage, Indiana. He played football in high school; also baseball and track, running the middle distances, but was able to get only two points for these endeavors. He has been working out for four years, and was started by a friend. He has a fairly well defined, bulky type of build, a little short on symmetry.
Ron Schiavoni of Cleveland is 28, married and has one daughter. He is a painter and decorator. He admits to a brief career in Golden Gloves, but he has been quite active in power lifting recently, having placed third in his district championships in the mid-heavy class which earned him four athletic points. He is 5-10½ and he weighs 198. He has a symmetrical body with pleasing bulk but needs more work on definition.
Phil Smeja has put on a number of pounds since his last national appearance in the 1964 Teenage Mr. America. A sensational set of abdominals is well-covered now but he still has some cuts and excellent symmetry at 5-8 and 180. Phil got his five athletic points with ease; in fact he got them about five different ways. He's held a world press record as a teenager, has been outstanding in football, track, boxing, cross country, gymnastics (still rings and parallel bar), and a great deal more than competent in several other sports. He is single, 21, and goes to YMCA Central College in Chicago. He works with street gangs and sees about 500 boys a week. His interest in his work is obvious and he loves to talk about it. He sees physique titles as one more tool in reaching out and establishing contact with this group.
Dennis Tinerino needs little introduction. He is 21, single, 6-0 and 220; and with the Mr. America title he becomes the first man to win all five national titles--Teenage Mr. America, Junior Mr. America, Junior Mr. U. S., and Mr. U. S. He was an outstanding fencer in high school but has turned recently to lifting. His job of calibrating airline instruments is so sensitive that it is draft exempt. He still finds time to go to night school.
Will Whitaker is originally from Hammond, Louisiana, but now lives in Chattanooga, where he is a therapist at a rehabilitation center. He is 27, 5-10, and weighs 205 pounds of tightly packed muscle. He was a physical education major at Southeast Louisiana University where he played baseball. His high school sports also included football and track (the dashes). Now he is a power lifter, having placed second in the Louisiana state meet in the midheavy class. He has spent three years in the Army and sees physique titles as a source of inspiration to the children he works with at Siskin Foundation. Will's answers were quick and good-humored; he would do credit to any title.
Dr. Craig Whitehead was making his first appearance in a Mr. America contest in two years. He appeared in his Air Force captain's uniform and stated he is a career man. If background were primary in this contest, Dr. Whitehead would probably win with room to spare. He received his medical degree from the University of Miami and has since done graduate work in opthalmology. He is a flight surgeon and has training in aerospace medicine. He's 32, single, 5-10½, and 205. He has been Southern heavyweight lifting champion and also has been on a championship skindiving team. He is interested in doing further articles on exercise, nutrition and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately he was not in his best shape for this contest.
After interviews and initial judging from the lineup, the judges chose the most muscular and best body parts. Those who wished to compete in the particular body part being judged, stepped forward when their names were called. Each judge picked the three or four he wanted to come back (of course there were many overlaps), and the six or seven finalists in each of these categories were viewed together and separately. Finally all the contestants were viewed once more as a group and posed individually for the Mr. America judging. The whole process was meticulously done and consumed about five hours. The judges were all from different associations throughout the country, as diverse in preferences as possible. Still there was near unanimity of first and second places, on most muscular, and all seven picked the same man for Best Arms. Eight finalists were to be selected and each one had at least five of seven votes; several were unanimous choices.
Dennis Tinerino won both top titles, and while he didn't win any subdivisions, he placed in the top three in all of them. Haislop won an easy second in Mr. America and a third in Most Muscular. His muscle is large and well-defined but lacks the hardness of Tinerino's and Whitaker's. Whitaker was second in Most Muscular and third in Mr. America. Chris Dickerson was fourth in Most Muscular but sixth in Mr. America. With five athletic points he would have been one place higher. Boyer Coe was fifth in both, though I feel he merited a higher placing in the Mr. America contest. Ralph Kroger was fourth in Mr. America and sixth in Most Muscular. Kuehn and Estes also drew votes in the Most Muscular contest, while Hansen and Estes rounded out the finalists in the Mr. America contest. In the subdivisions Coe was a unanimous first in Best Arms followed by Tinerino and Haislop. Best Chest also went to Coe for greater density and shapeliness of muscle over Tinerino and Whitaker. Best Back was Haislop's, followed by Tinerino and Whitaker. Best Abdominals also went to Haislop, with Kuehn and Tinerino tied for second. And Best Legs was Chris Dickerson's very own trophy, but this time he was hard-pressed by Haislop and Tinerino. The calf is a stubborn muscle, and for some, particularly Negroes, an impossible muscle. That is why it is pleasing to see a Negro win this award which he got primarily for calves though his thighs are also very shapely and heavily muscular.
The lack of entries merely cut down the total judging time; it was still a difficult contest to judge, with anyone of the top five men an outstanding representative for Mr. America. And it's still the Mr. America show that draws the crowd. Tinerino had to stay around for over a half hour to acknowledge the plaudits of the audience and pose for their cameras. It's tough on the losers who put just as many hours into training as does the winner, but they were quick with their congratulations, which is one reason they all deserved to be in the contest for Mr. America.
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Muscular Development, Vol 4, No 9, Page 34, September 1967
THE 1967 MR. AMERICA REPORT
By John Terlazzo
BEHIND the SCENES at MR. AMERICA . . .
TINERINO DID IT AGAIN! Fresh from his victory in the Junior Mr. America, Dennis Tinerino of Brooklyn took the big one. Dennis is our new Mr. America.
This year's contest was sponsored by the Columbus, Ohio YMCA. The event was held at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. James Lorimer of Worthington, Ohio, was General Chairman and Fraysher Ferguson of Columbus was the Meet Director and Masters of Ceremonies.
The meet was very well organized. There was a press luncheon before the contest and the Governor of Ohio, the Honorable James A Rhodes was the principal speaker after which the Mayor of Columbus, His Honor Maynard E. Sensenbrenner, praised the contest ideals and gave his blessings to the contestants.
SUMMARY 1967
MR. AMERICA
1. DENNIS TINERINO,
Brooklyn, New York 76½
2. James Haislop,
Tampa, Florida 73½
3. Will Whitaker,
Chattanoga, Tenn. 67½
4. Ralph Kroger,
Solana Beach, Cal. 66½
5. Boyer Coe,
Lafayette, La. 63½
6. Chris Dickerson,
Los Angeles, Cal. 62
7. Gilbert Hansen,
Waterloo, Iowa 59½
8. Charles Estes,
Nashville, Tenn. 58½
9. Dr. Craig Whitehead,
McDill AFB, Fla. 58
10. Kent Kuehn,
Lansing, Michigan 52
11. Melvin Meriweather,
Michigan City, Ind. 49½
12. Philip Smeja,
Chicago, Ill. 46½
13. Ronald Schiavoni,
Cleveland, Ohio 41
14. Dominick Duche,
Warren, Mich. 39½
The big show was little late in getting started due to the number of 198-pound lifters. Their event preceded the physique contest. Without a doubt the Columbus Y gave the finest trophies we've seen in a long time. When Bob Hoffman accepted the Team Trophy (this marked the 36th time the York Barbell Club has won the team trophy) he was mighty pleased with it.
All the contestants were called out on the stage and presented to the audience which numbered about 2500. The contest was of very high caliber though there were only 14 entrants.
This field was narrowed down to eight and from them the sub-division winners were selected. Popular Boyer Coe of Lafayette, Louisiana took the first of the handsome trophies for Best Arms. Coe's arms were sensational. Jim Haislop of Tampa, Florida came out to take the Best Back.
Coe again made a trip to the posing dais, this time for the Best Chest. It was Haislop again for the Best Abdominals. Chris Dickerson of Los Angeles won the Best Legs as was expected.
The judges narrowed the field down to five -- and selected the Most Muscular Man. Coe was given fifth place while Dickerson made fourth. Third place went to Haislop and second to Will Whitaker of Chatanooga, Tennessee.
The winner -- Dennis Tinerino! Dennis copped the Most Muscular at the Juniors and now he became the big man at the Seniors.
It was time for the big event - the Mr. America of 1967. The five finalists were: Ralph Kroger of Solana Beach, California; Coe, Tinerino, Whitaker and Haislop. The judges, Bob Gajda, Joe Raymond, Doug Duggan, Lyall Ryden, Jim Messer, Ralph Countryman, Dave Collier and Perry Rader did a terrific job. We all knew that selecting Mr. America would be no easy task.
As in all Mr. America contests the judges work backwards from fifth place and that went to Boyer Coe. Coe won second place in the Junior Mr. America.
In fourth was judged Ralph Kroger. Kroger was last year's Mr. California. Will Whitaker won third place. He won third in the Juniors this year.
This left Haislop and Tinerino. Who would be the winner?
This is the most suspense filled moment of any Mr. America. Haislop and Tinerino are opposites; Haislop is blond and Tinerino dark. It reminded us of the 1947 contest between Reeves and Pederson.
Finally Fraysher Ferguson broke the suspense. In second place was Jim Haislop -- Dennis Tinerino was the victor! There was a wild ovation as Dennis accepted the winner's huge trophy. He deserved it.
Haislop was not without his supporters, many of whom thought he should have won and he too received a rousing round of applause.
Dennis trained hard for over a year for this big moment. Two years ago he won the Mr. North America title and prior to that the Teen-age Mr. America. The first title Dennis won was the 1964 Junior Mr. Metropolitan. In the course of the three years from that contest, he probably won more titles and trophies than any other physique star.
If Dennis is looking for new worlds to conquer -- there is only one contest left -- the Mr. Universe.
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1968 Mr America - AAU
1 Jim Haislop
2 Boyer Coe
3 Chris Dickerson
4 Ken Waller
5 Charles Collras
6 Bill St John
7 Gilbert Hansen
8 Will Whitaker
9 Craig Whitehead
10 Jim Morris
11 Tommy Johnson
12 Curtis Haywood
13 Eugene Kuczinski
14 Robert Moore (1)
15 Ken Covington
16 Daniel Miles
17 Bill Grant
18 James Handley
19 Dennis Yaklich
20 Lawrence Gordon (1)
21 William Collins
22 Melvin Meriweather
23 David Upson
24 Vince Anello
25 Pearson Hinkle
26 Oscar Hudson
27 Lou Kushner
Most Muscular
1 Boyer Coe
2 Charles Collras
3 Chris Dickerson
4 Ken Covington
5 Gilbert Hansen
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IronMan, Vol 27, No 6, Page 34, September 1968
Haislop Wins Mr. America Title
By Ralph Countryman
THE pre-judging in the Mr. America contest lasted about six hours, with interviews, judges' decisions, posing, selection of winners in body parts, and pointing for the Mr. America portion. And it was still difficult to give all 27 contestants the consideration that was their due after the years of training and months of preparation it takes to get to this point. The quality was even better than last year's which had set a high mark, and the quantity was a great improvement from last year's 14. Although the judges have an obligation to screen and eliminate during the pre-judging any contestant they feel does not measure up to Mr. America caliber, not once did the question arise. All of these men belonged and 75% were exceptionally good. Problems the judges had.
Because all activities were halted during the Sunday morning period of mourning for Senator Kennedy, the National Weightlifting Committee had not met and would not have a chance to do so. Accordingly, the judges panel used part of their time to discuss proposed changes in the Mr. America requirements and in physique contests in general. Former National Weightlifting Chairman Don Haley is drafting a proposal regarding athletic prerequisites that reflected the consensus. This concerns the use of certain standard physical fitness tests as at least an additional means of establishing athletic points and perhaps eventually using it and weightlifting exclusively. Tests could be administered before the panel or even prior to coming to the meet site by a qualified Association panel. Consideration and discussion was also given to the point method. The general feeling was that it is not too satisfactory but alternatives would have to be developed gradually.
During interview it became apparent that the top contenders weren't going to falter because of too few athletic points. The first 13 men all had a full five points. Only three men would have moved up if they had had a full five instead of what they did receive, and the top dozen men would not have been affected by any such changes. So that factor which has hurt some good men in the past had no effect in this contest.
Once again there were some standouts during interviews, but more satisfying was the fact that no one really hurt himself in this phase of the judging. Because of the number of men to be interviewed and the time limitation, though it wasn't possible to spend as much time with each man as the judges would have liked. The allotted time was barely enough for the essentials and perhaps one question demanding a thoughtful but quick reply.
In the order of their appearance before the judges and later the audience:
LOU KUSHNER is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia with a physical education major. He is currently a playground supervisor and finds that his competition in physique contests is a good example to the boys he works with in the city. He stated frankly that he didn't expect to win. Lou was currently engaged in publicity for the Teenage Mr. America contest to be held later in the month in Philadelphia. His sports have included long distance running, cross country, power lifting, and (according to one of my indecipherable and therefore questionable notes) gymnastics. Lou is 26 and a bachelor, and seemed at ease during the interview.
VINCE ANELLO is currently a junior at Baldwin-Wallace in Cleveland, majoring in physical education, and hopes to be a teacher. His sports include wrestling and football. The latter introduced him to weights and he has done some power lifting (a 1290 total as a lightheavy). He is interested in self-hypnosis and finds it has helped his concentration in both studies and athletics. His other sports interests include bowling and tennis. Vince is 20 and was a finalist in last year's Teenage Mr. America.
ROBERT MOORE of Nashville works for the Tennessee Fish and Game Commission. He is 25 and married, and has been bodybuilding about five years. He started because he lost a chance at an athletic scholarship to college due to his lack of size (he weighed 145 in high school). He succeeded, as he is about 200 now. His sports were primarily track and field, with a 10 flat 100 yard dash his best effort. He was the 1967 Mr. Tennessee and fifth in this year's Junior Mr. America. Maybe the best evidence of the quality of this year's competition is that such a fine build as his ranked no better than fifteenth.
BILL ST. JOHN is tremendously improved since his last appearance in a Mr. America contest two years ago. He works in the ordnance section of Philadelphia's Naval Shipyard and is 25 and single. He began working out five years ago when inspired by Val Vasilieff, Mr. America of 1964, a friend and neighbor. Hill was high school state champion in wrestling in New Jersey at 175 and has made 740 in Olympic lifting as a lightheavy. He now weighs 208 of hard, thick muscle, with especially deep abdominals. He has two years of college in electronics.
WILLIAM GRANT of Morristown, New Jersey is 21. He was a miler in high school as a 110 pounder. He has been working out for eight years starting with a high school friend. He works as a detail draftsman but was a physical education major while attending college. He is married with one child.
GIL HANSEN is a man I find it easy to admire. He's accustomed to speaking before groups and this is one of the reasons he comes across so well in interview. He's always neat, pleasant, courteous, clear and complete. But he deserves praise as well for his achievements. He holds all the Iowa state records in Olympic and power lifting in the midheavyweight class and holds a third degree black belt in judo, a sport which he teaches in the 130-man police department in Waterloo. He is the police liaison officer to the schools there. He is 31, married, and has two children; his nine year old boy accompanied him on this trip. After seven years in this sport he is in top condition, rugged and hard, and always a finalist.
MELVIN MERIWEATHER was competing in his second Mr. America contest. He is a millwright in Portage, Indiana but lives nearby in Michigan City. He is 30, married and has three children. He's another community-conscious man, active in his church and president of a P-TA group. He played football in high school and has done power lifting in the five years he's been working out. He's built up from a school weight of 160 to the present 200.
DENNIS YAKLICH was in his first national meet. He's a farmer in Avondale, Colorado, near Pueblo in the plains area. He had to drop college and give full time to farming when his father was injured. He is 20, 6-4, and weighs 225 (up from 173). His farm chores gave him no time for school sports, and he's tried only power lifting since taking up bodybuilding after attending his first physique contest 2½ years ago. Dennis has very good symmetry for a tall man and shows a fine potential, but there is a lot of hard work ahead of him.
DAN MILES of Southgate, Michigan, was not well known to the judges, but he made a deep impression with his well defined, muscular body. He is a crane operator for Great Lakes Steel, is 27 and married. At 180 he has been studio training for three years. After high school football his only sport has been sky diving while in the Army Airborne Infantry. Dan should be heard from again if he stays with it, as he has a wonderful start and great potential.
KEN WALLER of Jeffersonville, Indiana had definitely been heard from with his great impression at the YMCA Nationals, but most of the judges had not seen him in person. He is truly impressive. The most impressive thing about him, though, was his statement that he has been bodybuilding for only six months. Even though he won the Mr. Kentucky title in 1965, he said that it is part natural and part the steady weight training he practiced for football from high school on. Weight training or bodybuilding, it certainly works. He's 6 feet and weighs 220 pounds of hard, well shaped, dense muscle. In football, he was captain and all conference end on the Bowling Green team of 1964 which played in the Tangerine Bowl. Ken is single and a high school teacher in Louisville. If he chooses to stay with it, he could take it all in the next couple of years.
DR. CRAIG WHITEHEAD is now stationed at MacDill AFB in Tampa as a flight surgeon. He has seven years in the Air Force and is a major. He has a long history in the lifting-bodybuilding sports which have been detailed often. He has done research and papers on phases of training, the kind of person who would add luster to the title of Mr. America rather than borrowing glory from it. But at 33 it seems the muscles aren't as hard though the shape and size remain and the posing is as effective as ever.
LARRY GORDON was another surprise to most of the judges, the surprise being that men like him and Miles have reached top shape and belong in national meets and yet have received virtually no national exposure or coverage for contests they have entered. He is studying at the University of Iowa for his PhD in psychology. He's originally from Florida where he got his bachelors in physics. He played tennis in high school and played around with weights for seven or eight years; but it wasn't until four years ago that he turned to serious training, deciding that he was out of shape.
WILL WHITAKER is no surprise as his fame is widespread and justified. Everyone knew how good he was last year. Unfortunately he didn't have quite the finish he displayed in Columbus. Will is still working toward his degree in physical therapy in Chattanooga. He was an all around athlete in high school and service, making the All-Army team in football. He is 28 and single.
TOMMY JOHNSON is a rare man indeed and was quite a hit with the judges, partly for his own pleasant personality, partly because of his wife, Judy. Tommy is a deaf-mute and has been since he was two when a viral disease destroyed his mastoid nerve. That didn't stop him from being a top athlete, discus thrower, and a silver medal winner in both Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling in the Deaf Olympics at Helsinki. He has five years of college and is presently a linotype operator for the Columbus Dispatch where he also is a volunteer instructor at the YMCA. All of this was eloquently presented by Mrs. Johnson with hand comments by Tommy, interpreted by her, and it had the judges wondering how they could bend the rules to recognize the influence of a good wife.
BOYER COE is another bodybuilder of national repute who needs no further introduction. Except that this was the latest edition of a man who continues to show amazing improvement each year. Last year I had predicted that Haislop had to be the favorite this year. After seeing Coe, I changed my mind. Last year I thought he was exceptional and deserved higher ranking; in this case I didn't change my mind unless it's to say that he's better than exceptional. I don't see how he can improve much more; there must be a limit. But if the last couple years are good evidence, he'll find the limit and probably exceed that too. Boyer is now a senior at Southwestern Louisiana but has changed his major from medicine to personnel management.
DAVID UPSON of Philadelphia was making his first Mr. America appearance. He's originally from South Carolina where he played football and ran the 100 yard dash in high school. He's 27, married, and works as a barber. He has been working out for six years.
CHARLES COLLRAS is notable for the extreme definition he has managed to maintain at the advanced bodybuilding age of 36. He is the current Mr. California, is married, and has two children. He's an electrical technician in motion picture and TV work. He was all state in high school gymnastics in Reading, Pennsylvania, and continues actively in that sport in beach contests as well as in physical fitness meets in Los Angeles. He is the California State power lifting champion in the lightweight class.
JIM HAISLOP is another famous name in the sport. While he hasn't shown the improvement during this year that he showed in last year's contest, there was less room for improvement. He is still incredibly symmetrical with shapely muscle and good bulk and pleasing definition. Jim works for the General Telephone Company in Tampa but aspires to an acting career. He is 26, and single, but engaged.
CHRIS DICKERSON joins Coe and St. John as most improved competitor. Chris has been active in lifting this past year and succeeded in picking up his five athletic points. But nothing else suffered because of this preoccupation. His legs are still great, and the fact that Coe beat him out in this category only shows how much Coe has improved. The fact that Chris took Whitaker and Coe in the Best Chest category shows the improvement that he has made in his torso. His lats are noticeably better and his arms much improved. Next year, the judges will have a miserable time choosing among the men mentioned above, Waller, and the inevitable dark horse. As always Dickerson comes across well in interview; he's easy-mannered, has a well-modulated voice, uses good diction and speaks in complete sentences with good phrasing. He's a great asset to the sport. He works as a reservations agent for an airline but keeps weekends free for posing exhibitions, talks and spreading the gospel on health to boys and young men.
CURT HAYWOOD made his second appearance in a Mr. America contest. His first came last year when he furnished the muscles that were used in adjusting the posing light at Columbus. He was pretty good then, but he's a lot better now. Curt is 27, married, and has two children. He works for Timken Roller Bearing. He fishes, hunts, rides (motorcycles and horses). and is a volunteer YMCA instructor. He impresses as a big man but weighs only 185. He was on a top Marine Corps football team and was all city fullback in high school along with track (440) and field (pole vault). Curt was another unflappable with a pleasant, easy manner and a contagious smile.
GENE KUCZINSKI from Baltimore is currently in the Navy working in electronics in a helicopter squadron at Norfolk. He is 24 and single and got top athletic points for his swimming achievements. He will be remembered for his gold statue posing in the 1966 Mr. America contest. He's on the smooth side but has excellent shape and symmetry.
JAMES MORRIS, another outstanding man who made perhaps the best presentation of himself during an interview (and there were some excellent ones). He is a New York City fireman. He was studying architectural drawing at Pratt Institute, but his mother insisted that he take the fireman test. He did reluctantly, got the job, and has never regretted it. He relishes the chances he gets to help others in need and carries this into his volunteer work at the Central Queens YMCA. He is 32 and single and did his service tour in the Air Force. He got full athletic points for Olympic lifting.
JAMES HANDLEY of Baltimore is also a fireman. He is 23, married. and has been working out for seven years, weighing 113 when he started. He has top athletic points for high school and college wrestling. He did his national service in the Army. Like his fellow Baltimorean, Kuczinski, he tends to the smooth side with excellent shape and symmetry.
PEARSON HINKLE was the local entry. He is a solid chunk of muscle but doesn't have the cuts or hardness to go with his mass. He plays softball and in high school he took up weights to help him in soccer, baseball and basketball, but he didn't turn serious about his workouts until 1963 when he was 24 and started working out with Vern Weaver.
WILLIAM COLLINS of Washington. D. C., is an Olympic and power lifter. He is married, has a son, and has worked out for twelve years. He is a volunteer instructor at the YMCA and a Post Office employee. He is no stranger to national competition in all phases of the sport.
OSCAR HUDSON is from Atlanta. He is 25 and single and has worked out five years. He has two years at Davis College and works as an assemblyman for a refrigeration company.
KEN COVINGTON was the last entry (in on time but too late for the program) and a welcome one. He had an infectious humor about him that almost had the judges participating in the Covington Laugh-In. At 19 he was the youngest man in the contest and one of the most muscular. He is a meat cutting apprentice at a beef company. He has lifted and also runs dashes and cross country. He shows plenty of definition and enough bulk. With the fine 4½ year start he has in work outs. he should do well in future contests..
The presentation of the competitors to the audience followed the usual procedure of introduction of all contestants (it had to be in groups) followed by individual posing with a minute time limit on the routine. This was followed by presentation of awards to the winners of the best parts, the selection of most muscular, selection of finalists and finally the Mr. America awards. The selection of Haislop was hotly disputed by the muscle-conscious audience who had picked Coe as their favorite. Not that Haislop was without supporters. But his type of build and good looks appeals more to the general public, and this particular audience was highly knowledgeable in the weightlifting game. My own feeling is that there were several Mr. Americas on that stage and future years will prove it. Presentation of the Mr. America trophy was made by his predecessor, Dennis Tinerino, who had earlier told the crowd of his year as Mr. America and the profound effect it had had on his life and the honor he'd felt by representing the sport and even his country in contests and posing appearances (over 100 altogether). Tinerino's will be a difficult act to follow.
Judges (1) Charles Gschwind, Ohio Assn. (2) Joe Paul, Central Assn. (3) Colon McMath. Virginia Assn. (4) Bob Bendel, Middle Atlantic Assn. (5) Len Bosland. New Jersey Assn. (6) Ralph Countryman, Pacific Assn. (7) Don Haley, Southern Pacific Assn. Chairman: Bob Crist, Virginia Assn.
MOST MUSCULAR
Each judge selected the men he wished to consider for this title. The ten receiving the most requests were once again asked to pose and to appear together for a final selection of each judges top five places. The final ten are indicated with an *. The votes for the men to be considered: Seven votes--St. John*, Coe*, Dickerson; Six votes--Hansen*, Collras*; Five votes--Waller*, Whitaker*, Haislop*, Covington; Four votes--Miles*; One vote--Moore.
Each judge placed his top five men; these placements were converted to points on a 6-4-3-2-1 basis. The places and final scoring:
1 Coe (5 1sts, 1 2nd, 1 5th) 35
2 Collras (l 1st, 4 2nds, 1 4th) 24
3 Dickerson (1 2nd, 3 3rds) 13
4 Covington (1 2nd, 1 3rd, 1 4th, 1 5th) 10
5 Hansen (1 1st, 1 4th, 1 5th) 9
6 St. John (3 4ths, 2 5ths) 8
7 Waller (2 3rds, 1 5th) 7
8 Haislop (1 3rd, 1 4th, 1 5th) 6
9 Miles & Whitaker tied (no placements)
BEST MUSCLE PARTS
The same basis for final consideration. Each judge selected not more than five men whom he wished to consider for each of the parts. The five men receiving the most votes were brought back for a second sighting. Each man in the contest was considered at least once in each of these categories. Finally each judge selected the one man he felt deserved the award. The finalists are indicated *.
BEST ARMS --
Seven votes--Coe*; Six votes--Hansen, Waller*, Covington*; Four votes--Miles*; Three votes--St. John, Dickerson; Two votes--Upson, Collras; One vote--Grant, Whitaker.
1 Coe--six votes; 2 Waller-one vote.
BEST CHEST --
Seven votes--Coe*, Dickerson*; Five votes --Waller*; Three votes--Hansen*, Collras*, Haislop*; Two votes--St. John, Whitaker, Morris; One vote--Grant, Kuczinski, Covington.
1 Dickerson--three votes. 2 Coe--two votes. 3 Waller, Haislop-one vote each.
BEST BACK --
Seven votes--Dickerson*; Six votes--Coe*; Five votes--Collras*; Three votes--St. John*, Grant*, Haislop*; Two votes--Hansen, Miles, Morris, Covington.
1 Coe--two votes; 2 Tie with one vote each-St. John, Grant, Collras, Haislop, Dickerson.
BEST LEGS --
Six votes--Coe*, Haislop*, Dickerson*; Five votes--Waller*, Whitaker*; Three votesSt. John; One vote--Moore, Hansen, Miles, Collras, Haywood.
1 Coe--five votes; 2 Tie with one vote each--Haislop, Dickerson.
BEST ABDOMINALS --
Six votes--St. John*; Five votes--Collras*; Four votes--Haislop*, Covington*; Three votes--Miles*; Two votes--Morris; One vote--Grant, Meriweather, Whitaker, Johnson, Dickerson.
1 Collras-four votes; 2 St. John--three votes.
HOW THE JUDGES VOTED. . .
Name (Progam No.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mid 5
Total Ath.
Pts. Total Place
James Haislop (20) 12 15 15 15 12½ 14 14 70½ 5 75½ 1
Boyer Coe (16) 13 15 13½ 14½ 13 14½ 13 68½ 5 731½ 2
Chris Dickerson (22) 15 15 13 14½ 11½ 14 11½ 68 5 73 3
Ken Waller (11) 14 15 11½ 14 11½ 13½ 11 64½ 5 69½ 4
Charles Collras (18) 11 13 11½ 12½ 12 13½ 12½ 61½ 5 66½ 5
Bill St. John (5) 12 13 12 13 11 13½ 10½ 61 5 66 6
Gilbert Hansen (7) 14 14 10 13 10 13 11 61 5 66 7
Will Whitaker (14) 11 13 12 14 11½ 13 11 60½ 5 65½ 8
Craig Whitehead (12) 10 11 12 14 11 13½ 9½ 57½ 5 62½ 9
James Morris (25) 11 11 11½ 13 11 12 9 56½ 5 61½ 10
Tommy Johnson (15) 10 12 12 13½ 9 11½ 9½ 55 5 60 11
Curt Haywood (23) 11 11 12 12½ 10 10 8 54 5 59 12
Eugene Kuczinski (24) 9 12 12½ 12½ 9½ 10½ 7 53½ 5 58½ 13
Ken Covington (30) 13 11 10 12 10½ 10½ 10 54 3 57 14
Bob Moore (4) 11 9 10 11 9½ 11 10 51½ 4 55½ 15
Dan Miles (10) 9 9 10½ 12 11 12½ 9 51½ 2 53½ 16
William Grant (6) 10 11 9 11½ 9½ 10 8 49½ 2 51½ 17
James Handley (26) 8 9 11 12½ 9 9½ 7 46½ 5 51½ 18
Larry Gordon (13) 7 12 10½ 13 8 10½ 8 49 2 51 19
Dennis Yaklich (9) 10 10 10 10½ 9 10 8 49 2 51 20
William Collins (28) 9 9 9½ 11½ 9½ 7½ 8½ 45½ 5 50½ 21
Melvin Meriweather (8) 10 8 7 11½ 10 9½ 7½ 45 3 48 22
David Upson (17) 9 8 10 11 9½ 9 6½ 45½ 2 47½ 23
Vince Anello (2) 6 10 9 11 8½ 8 9 44½ 2 46½ 24
Pearson Hinkle (27) 7 10 9 10½ 8½ 8½ 6 43 2 45 25
Oscar Hudson (29) 9 6 9 11 9 6 7 40 2 42 26
Lou Kushner (1) 7 10 6 9½ 7 6 7 36½ 2 38½ 27
PHOTO CAPTIONS
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Muscle Builder, Vol 10, No 1, Page 45, September 1968
HAISLOP WINS AAU MR. AMERICA
COE SECOND, MOST MUSCULAR
FOR those bodybuilding fans who waited through two days of lifting to see th 1968 AAU Amateur Mr. AMerica, what they got was really "amateur". York, Pa., scene of the Mr. America show in 1966, whcih was the best imitation of the IFBB extravaganzas the AAU ever conducted, was in 1668 the victim of the latests AAU regulations.
It seems that now no professional act or even poser can appear on the same program as amateur bodybuilders . . . it might "taint" them. So . . . no show, no poser, no nothing except 27 contestants and the various awards.
One step in the right direction . . . contestants are now allowed one minute of posing time, instead of the traditional 3 poses limitation. After all 27 men had posed, the Most Muscular winners were announced. Fifth was Gil Hansen; fourth, Ken covington; thir, Chris Dickerson; second, Chuck Collras; first, Boyer Coe. Other than Coe, just how these awards were arrived at were a mystification to the fans. Coe, however, got an overwhelming reception and clearly was the favorite of the crowd.
Best bodyparrs were passed out: Coe, as expected, got Best Arms, Best Chest, and Best Legs. In decisions greeted by thunderous silence Chris Dickerson got Best Chest and Chuck Collras Best Abdominals. [obviously a typo: two best chest, no best back - tmf]
The 10 finalists were immediately announced (remember, no acts and no guest poser). There were on the stage: Boyer Coe, Chuck Collras, Chris Dickerson, Jim Whitehead, Will Whitaker, and Ken Waller.
Of this group, Will Whitaker and Bill St John looked particularly impressive, Jim Morris of New York City and Ken Waller of Indiana were in their first Mr. America shows, and Coe and Hailsop drew the greatest applause and fan support.
The top five were announced: fifth, to scattered rasberries, Chuck Collras; fourth, to disbelieving "awws," Kell Waller; third, to general apathy and wouldn't-you-know-it sounds, Chris Dickerson; second, to a thunderous chorus of boos, Boyer Coe. The winner, as expected, Jim Haislpop.
It would seem, despite Haislop's many supporters, that Coe had the approval of the fans, as he did in losing also at the Jr. Mr. America. In fairness to Haislop, amid the boing chorus, it should be remembered that he has a completely symmetrical body, despite a slight weakness of arm size, while Coe is hugely massive without the same symmetry, good looks, and Reeves-like appearance.
This Haislop has, while Coe is in the muscle monster category, with Oliva, Sipes and others of that size and development. Having waited his turn for a year, Jim Haislop is now Amateur Mr. America, 1968, and lots better than some winners of recent vintage. He deserves credit for working long and hard on his training. What Coe will do in the future is anybody's guess.
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Muscular Development, Vol 5, No 9, Page 32, September 1968
Highlights of the MR. AMERICA CONTEST
by Don Lehan and MD Staff
ANOTHER FABULOUS National Championships and Mr. America contest, sponsored by the York Barbell Club, has come and gone. Although this was the first time that hundreds of spectators had to be turned away because there were no more available seats, even the heat which usually plagues York every time a big championship is held here did not discourage the vast throngs.
The auditorium was filled to overflowing. Even the aisles and foyer were packed to capacity. Those lucky enough to get in were treated to a multi-record breaking performance something they'll never forget. The fact that 31 American, National and World records were broken and rebroken attests to the caliber of the lifting that took place, and this in spite of the great humidity that prevailed during the two day festivities. Yet very few if any people left during the contest. They remained in their seats sweltering but intrigued by the sterling performance.
The Mr. America contest was another great highlight of this two-day program. Of course most of the top AAU physique champions competed. The posing lights for this event were fabulous, and most of the contestants showed more muscle than they ever showed before. Even when the contestants lined up under the ordinary stage lights they all looked muscularly impressive. Judging such a caliber of men is not easy and some differences of opinion are apt to result.
After the line-up the contestants retired backstage and then came out and posed individually. The large crowd responded with hearty applause after each and every pose. This proved that the spectators enjoyed this fine performance and demonstrated keen interest by their applause.
The proceedings were somewhat delayed on the second day due to the proclamation by President Johnson to have Sunday as a day of mourning. Though things were delayed they could not be cancelled. Too many lifters and physique champions had traveled long distances and looked forward to this big event that only comes once a year. . . not to mention the spectators that came from every part of the country. Thus we were confronted with this decision and decided "the show must go on" even if we had to delay it.
Baseball games are played every day during the season so cancelling a game isn't much of a problem. But the Mr. America and National Championships come but once a year and cancelling them would deprive many contestants of an opportunity to compete. Then all the sweat, suffering and toil that is part of the preparation would go for nought. Postponing them for a week or two would also present problems, which includes the rental of an auditorium and whether the lifters and Mr. America contestants could come back. But we paid our respects by delaying the performance and then started things rolling . . . everyone seemed happy.
RESULTS 1968 MR. AMERICA CONTEST
JAMES HAISLOP Tampa, Fla. 75½
Boyer Coe Lafayette, La. 73½
Chris Dickerson Long Island, N.Y. 73
Kenneth Waller Jeffersonville, Ind. 69½
Charles Collras Los Angeles, Calif. 66½
Bill St. John York, Pa. 66
Gilbert Hansen Waterloo, Iowa 66
Will Whitaker Chattanooga, Tenn. 65½
Craig Whitehead Tampa, Fla. 62½
James Morris New York, N.Y. 61½
Tommy Johnson Columbus, Ohio 60
Curt Haywood Columbus, Ohio 59
Gene Kuczinski Baltimore, Md. 58½
Robert Moore Nashville, Tenn. 55½
Ken Covington Philadelphia, Pa. 54
Daniel Miles Southgate, Mich. 53½
William Grant Morristown, N.J. 51½
James Handley Baltimore, Md. 51½
Dennis Yaklich Avindale, Colo. 51
Lawrence Gordon Iowa City, Iowa 51
William Collins Washington, D.C. 50½
Melvin Merriweather Michigan City, Ind. 48
David Upson Philadelphia, Pa. 47½
Vince Anello Cleveland, Ohio 46½
Pearson Hinkle York, Pa. 45
Oscar Hudson Butler, Ohio 42
Lou Kushner Norristown, Pa. 38
MOST MUSCULAR
1st Place Boyer Coe
2nd Place Charles Collras
3rd Place Chris Dickerson
4th Place Ken Covington
5th Place Gilbert Hansen
SUBDIVISIONS
Best Arms Boyer Coe
Best Chest Chris Dickerson
Best Abdominals Charles Collras
Best Back Boyer Coe
Best Legs Boyer Coe
The physique contest started around 9 P.M. the scheduled time. The top five who recently placed in the Jr. Mr. America contest in Milwaukee were on hand. These were Jim Haislop 1st, Boyer Coe 2nd, Chris Dickerson 3rd, Gilbert Hansen 4th, Robert Moore 5th, plus about two dozen more qualified to compete for this important title.
After all the men posed individually, the subdivisions were announced and the winners were presented their awards. The man receiving the most trophies was Boyer Coe . . . who should have gotten another title, Mr. Trophies. . . because he got so many. He got one for Best Arms, Best Legs and Best Back. Chris Dickerson took Best Chest, and Chuck Collras won Best Abdominals.
Though each man was well-deserving of the honor bestowed on him, some wondered why the Best Legs award went to Coe instead of Dickerson who's been winning this award in the past. And why Dickerson got the Best Chest trophy when Boyer Coe has been winning that award. Many of the regular spectators wondered whether it was an error because of the switch. . . but it wasn't. The judges felt each man merited the award they gave him.
Though Boyer Coe had a massive back, a few thought that either Will Whitaker or Bill St. John should have gotten this trophy. Certainly the back display of St. John was not only impressive but showed sharper and greater muscularity than any of the others; and the terrific spread of Whitaker's back deserved some notice. However, none could top the massive arm development of Coe, though Ken Waller was a close second.
In the Most Muscular Man Contest St. John did not place, although he showed more muscular delineation than any other contestant. All this, however, is only a spectator's point of view, and it must be mentioned here that long before the men appear on stage the awards have been decided during the prejudging. This is the purpose of the prejudging. It is done backstage without the benefits of lights, and this is where so many of these men "lose", because they look well only under favorable conditions. The men appear several times before the judges and the judges are able to study and form an honest opinion, much better than the audience who sees them but once or twice and then under the most favorable conditions. Thus, some dissension is apt to occur occasionally but physique judges have rarely been wrong and eventually everyone agrees that the man the judges pick was the right and logical choice.
By now everyone awaited the winners. The announcer called Chuck Collras out for 5th place. Next came Ken Waller for 4th. Then Chris Dickerson was announced for 3rd, and then Boyer Coe for a close 2nd. Just about everyone knew who the winner would be as the announcer Rudy Sablo said, and now we give you Mr. America for 1968, JIM HAISLOP, and out came the handsome, blond adonis with a wider V-shape than any Mr. America ever showed. Flashbulbs flashed everywhere for some time as the tired contestants picked up their trophies and retired to the shower.
So ended another Mr. America contest and another year for some of the contestants to work harder and try again. And no matter who wins the people enjoy the show and they look forward to the next one with always the same question in mind: Who Will Win It Next Year?
Well, if you stick around you'll find out . . . we'll see you there!
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Strength & Health, Page 18, September 1968
MR. AMERICA REPORT
by Bill Starr
On Sunday evening, June 8th, twenty seven contestants mounted the posing platform at the William Penn High School Auditorium to vie for the coveted Mr. America Title. As the audience got their first look at the men it was obvious that it was going to be a battle between last year's runner-up, Jim Haislop, and Boyer Coe, a fifth place finisher in 1967. They were very evenly matched and very few of the 2000 fans who were packed in the auditorium were taking any bets on the outcome.
Results of 1968
Mr. America Contest
James Haislop 75½
Boyer Coe 73½
Chris Dickerson 73
Kenneth Waller 69½
Charles Collras 66½
Bill St. John 66
Gilbert Hansen 66
Will Whitaker 65½
Craig Whitehead 62½
James Morris 61½
Tommy Johnson 60
Curt Haywood 59
Gene Kuczinski 58½
Robert Moore 55½
Ken Covington 54
Daniel Miles 53½
William Grant 51½
James Handley 51½
Dennis Yaklich 51
Lawrence Gorden 51
William Collins 50½
Melvin Merriweather 48
David Upson 47½
Vince Anello 46½
Pearson Hinkle 45
Oscar Hudson 42
Lou Kushner 38
Most Muscular - Boyer Coe
Best Arms - Boyer Coe
Best Back - Boyer Coe
Best Legs - Boyer Coe
Best Abdominals - Charles Collras
Best Chest - Chris Dickerson
The final nod went to the Blond Hercules from Tampa, Florida, Jim Haislop, with 75½ points. Jim has no weak points and his overall development eased him by Boyer Coe of Lafayette, Louisiana. Boyer ended with 73½ points. Boyer's size and muscularity have to be seen to be appreciated. His overarm pose is perhaps the best ever with mountainous biceps growing from an iceberg-shaped triceps. The Louisiana physique star also copped the "Most Muscular", "Best Arms", "Best Legs", and "Best Back" awards. I would hae added the "Best Chest" for no one compared with him in this category.
Chris Dickerson of Long Island, New York, finished third -- a very close third. He was 1½ points behind Boyer last year and eased to within ½ point this time around. He continues to improve and looks like he may be the first Negro to win the top physique title in the U.S. Chris won the "Best Chest" trophy and displayed his unbelievable set of calves to the greatest advantage. The biggest surprise of the meet had to be Ken Waller of Jeffersonville, Indiana. It usually takes two or three trips, at a minimum, to the Mr. A show to break into the top five, but Ken had everything plus 5 big athletic points and moved over some highly respected competitors. He should make his presence felt at the Junior Mr. USA and Mr. USA contests this summer.
Chuck Collras of Los Angeles, California, was expected to do well and he did. He had won virtually everything in sight on the coast and made a fine appearance under the lights. Chuck grabbed the fifth spot in the scoring and won the "Best Abdominals" award.
Bill St. John, Gilbert Hanson, Will Whitaker, Craig Whitehead, and James Morris rounded out the top ten. Bill St. John got my vote for the "Most Improved Contestant". He looked terrific and should have, in my opinion, won the "Best Abs".
Doctor Craig Whitehead also was very, very much improved over last season. He scored 4½ more points than he did in Columbus, but ended up in the same relative position. I was surprised at the placing of Will Whitaker. He was just behind Haislop in Columbus, but wound up 8th this time around. Personally, I thought he looked better than 8th - more like third or fourth. Gilbert Hansen looked better than ever before. I was very much impressed with him at the Junior Mr. America and if he works on his weaker points in the coming year he will have a shot at the title in '69. James Morris impressed the judges and scored consistently enough to take the number ten position.
The 1968 Mr. America is certainly a credit to his chosen sport. He has spent a dedicated eight years working toward one goal - to become Mr. America. After his victories at the Mr. USA and Junior Mr. A shows, there was no stopping him. Besides having the finest physique in America, Jim possesses a congenial personality and meets people very well. He will wear the crown well.
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Strength & Health, Page 36, October 1968
1968 Mr. America Contest
BEHIND THE SCENES REPORT
by Bill Starr
In 1966, S&H published the individual scoring on the Mr. America Contest. This was the first time that the judges' scores had been made public in the history of the sport. Up to that point the individual scores had been guarded like the crown jewels, leaving many people with the impression that they must hide them because things may just not be on the up and up. We strongly recommended that this practice become standard procedure for future national-level contests. The response we received from contestants, fans, and A.A.U. officials was gratifying. Yes, even from the very officials that some peopel suggest we would be doing a disfavor. Every official I talked to that has been on a national physique contest panel wanted his scoring reported. Some associations began reporting the scores of the local Mr. contests on the spot so that the contestants would know just where they stood before they left the scene. The fear that the reporting of facts would alienate the athletes and the officials has been unwarranted. It has, on the contrary, done just the opposite. Now the competitor knows his weaker points and exactly where he stands, without guessing. The truth, in the final analysis, is not so hard to swallow after all.
1968 Mr. America Judge Scoresheet
Gscwind Paul McMath Bendel Bosland Coun-
tryman Haley Athletic
Points Total
Score
Kushner 7 10 6 9½ 7 6 7 2 38½
Anello 6 10 9 11 8½ 8 9 2 46½
Moore 11 9 10 11 9½ 11 10 4 55½
St. John 12 13 12 13 11 13½ 10½ 5 66
Grant 10 11 9 11½ 9½ 10 8 2 51½
Hansen 14 14 10 13 10 13 11 5 66
Meriweather 10 8 7 11½ 10 9½ 7½ 3 48
Yaklich 10 10 10 10½ 9 10 8 2 51
Miles 9 9 10½ 12 11 12½ 9 2 53
Waller 14 15 11½ 14 11½ 13½ 11 5 69½
Whitehead 10 11 12 14 11 13½ 9½ 5 62½
Gordon 7 12 11½ 13 8 10½ 8 2 51
Whitaker 11 13 12 14 11½ 13 11 5 65½
Johnson 10 12 12 13½ 9 11½ 9½ 5 60
Coe 13 15 13½ 14½ 13 14½ 13 5 73½
Upson 9 8 10 11 9½ 9 6½ 2 47½
Collras 11 13 11½ 12½ 12 13½ 12½ 5 66½
Haislop 12 15 15 15 12½ 14 14 5 75½
Dickerson 15 15 13 14½ 11½ 14 11½ 5 73
Haywood 11 11 12 12½ 10 10 8 5 59
Kuczinski 9 12 12½ 12½ 9½ 10½ 7 5 58½
Morris 11 11 11½ 13 11 12 9 5 61½
Handley 8 9 11 12½ 9 9½ 7 5 51½
Hinkle 7 10 9 10½ 8½ 8½ 6 2 45
Collins 9 9 9½ 11½ 9 7½ 8½ 5 50½
Hudson 9 6 9 11 9 6 7 2 42
Covington 13 11 10 12 10½ 10½ 10 3 57
List of Mr. America Judges:
Charles Gschwind, Ohio;
Joe Paul, Missouri;
Colon McMath, Virginia;
Bob Bendel, New Jersey;
Len Bosland, New Jersey;
Ralph Countryman, California;
Don Haeley, California;
Chairman of Selection Committee:
Bob Crist, Virginia
Judging the Mr. America Contest is done by the point system. The judges can give a maximum of 5 points to each contestant for: symmetry, muscular development, and general appearance for an overall maximum of 15 points. A panel of seven judges vote for Mr. America. The high and low scores for each contestant are eliminated to prevent bias and the remaining five scores are totaled. This gives the sub-total. A five point maximum for athletic ability is allowed for each contestant and this is added in after the sub-total. This gives the final total for the contestant. In cases of ties the high and low scores are added to determine the highest man.
It is interesting to point out some of the facts on this year's scoring. The variance in scoring was fairly consistent except in a few cases. Usually 2½-3½ points separated the high and the low score. However, on one contestant there was a glaring difference of 6 points between the high and low score. On two competitors there was a 5½ point gap and on yet two more there was a 5 point spread. This is certainly too much variance when one considers that but 15 total points are being worked with. Some judges scored consistently higher on all the men while others are lower point givers. Bob Bendel gave a total of 85 more points on the 27 men than did Don Haley, for example, and Bendel had the high score on 16 contestants while Haley had the low score for 12 men. It should be noted that both were very consistent. There was no geographical favoritism as far as scoring went. For example, Charles Gschwind of Cincinnati, Ohio, actually gave lower scores to the three men from his home state (Anello, Johnson, and Haywood) than did some of the other judges.
It is obvious from watching these men work that they do an extremely capable and conscientious job. The scoresheet only helps to prove this fact to the general public. Integrity shouldn't be hidden, the facts are much easier to digest than
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1969 Mr America - AAU
1 Boyer Coe
2 Chris Dickerson
3 Ken Waller
4 Bill St John
5 Bill Seno
6 Robert Moore (1)
7 Michael Dayton
8 Paul Love
9 Joseph Sasso
10 Ellington Darden
11 Tommy Johnson
12 Tom Muscolino
13 Jerome Currin
14 Carl Smith
15 Alex McNeil
16 Willie Johnson
17 Curtis Haywood
18 Melvin Meriweather
19 Paul Devine
20 Dan Howard
21 Harry Brown
22 William Collins
23 Thomas Howard
24 Steve Sakoulos
Most Muscular
1 Boyer Coe
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IronMan, Vol 28, No 6, Page 12, September 1969
Coe Wins Sr. Mr. America
By Ralph Countryman
THERE were two hours of interviewing (five minutes per man), two hours of judging, and two hours of nervous waiting. During the last segment the confident and foolhardy attended the banquet for athletes and officials, while the rest feasted on fingernails.
Finally, when all were duly pumped and de-oiled, the presentation went off as if it had been rehearsed. In a way it had, as all of these men were experienced competitors in big meets, nine of them repeaters from last year's Mr. America contest. The collective titles would have filled an edition of Burke's Peerage. The collective muscles did fill the stage and overflowed a bit, with presentation being confined to groups of eight. In case anyone is interested, a regulation lifting platform is four and a half lat spreads wide or two Coes and a Darden.
A great deal of the smoothness of the presentation was due to the outstanding announcing of Len Bosland, a many-time competitor himself. He had been present during the interviews and had carefully briefed the athletes. He made the introductions with style and effect, He doesn't oversell the man, and he maintains the pace of the contest. He uses mike silence more effectively than some use words.
1969 MR. AMERICA
1. Boyer Coe 70½
2. Chris Dickerson 70¼
3. Ken Waller 67
4. William St. John 65½
5. William Seno 65½
6. Robert Moore 63½
7. Michael Dayton 58
8. Paul Love 56½
9. Joseph Sasso 56½
10. Ellington Darden 56½
11. Tommy Johnson 56
12. Thomas Muscolino 54
13. Jerome Currin 53½
14. Carl Smith 53½
15. Alex McNeil 53½
16. Willie Johnson 52
17. Curt Haywood 51½
18. Melvin Meriweather 51
19. Paul Devine 50½
20. Daniel Howard 48
21. Harry Brown 46
22. William Collins 44½
23. Thomas Howard 42
24. Steve Sakoulos 40
MOST MUSCULAR WINNERS
Boyer Coe
Chris Dickerson
Ken Waller
Bill St. John
Bill Seno
BEST CHEST
Bill Seno
Boyer Coe
Chris Dickerson
BEST BACK
Ken Waller
Bill St. John
Chris Dickerson
Bill Seno
BEST ABDOMINALS
Bill St. John
Ken Waller
Bill Seno
Jerome Currin
BEST LEGS
Chris Dickerson
Boyer Coe
Ken Waller
BEST ARMS
Boyer Coe
Chris Dickerson
Ken Waller
Judges
Charles Gschwind, Ohio Assn.
John Scott, So. Pacific Assn.
Lou Hopfe, Central Assn.
Ray Wornom, Virginia Assn.
Bob Bendel, Middle Atl. Assn.
Frank Bates, New Jersey Assn.
Ralph Countryman, Pacific
After appearing in groups under normal lignts, the men returned individually for spot-lighted posing and a few words about them from the announcer. All were well received, but there were obvious favorites and not just the local competitors. There seems to be an increasing tendency toward booing the judges' decisions. Unfortunately this is usually interpreted as dissatisfaction with the winner himself, and it takes a pretty gutsy man to face the catcalls he doesn't deserve when the decision is unpopular. Perhaps our contests should provide a brief period for insulting the judges, either on introduction or just prior to announcement of the winners. Then the winners could get only the acclaim they richly merit.
This year was the first in many in which athletic points were not a factor in judging. Still the top five men showed their stamina and strength. They were on and off the stage so many times as finalists in the various categories that it looked like Bodybuilders Local No. 1 on picket duty. They certainly weren't striking for better trophies; the local committee had come up with the largest assortment of big trophies for all competitors (lifters and bodybuilders) to be seen outside of the office bowling tournament. The top five men took them all, each staggering off with many pounds of glittering dust catchers and thereby earning strength points.
The elimination of athletic points was a major change which speeded the interviews considerably although that was not its primary purpose. It has been a thorn to competitors and a can of worms to administer, There is another change being proposed to the national committee, which should eliminate some of the painfully close decisions of the past. This is to increase the number of points given in each major group (symmetry, muscularity, and general appearance), at the same time eliminating fractions. Presently the span of 0-15 points that each judge can give a contestant allows too little latitude for properly ranking two dozen athletes. The actual range is, in fact, more like ten points, as no one eligible to enter a Mr. America contest is going to get fewer than five points. This year one judge felt so constricted by point range that he used quarter points, which accounts for the closest decision in years. A strong argument can be made for eliminating points altogether, and going only with rankings by each judge, but this has even more difficult tie-breaking possibilities than the present system of rating with points against an absolute. Further, it would require many side-by-side comparisons of the athletes, a desirable feature when time isn't an essential factor, But since the judging of a physique contest is largely subjective anyway, the ranking system may eventually come. The main thing to note is that the subject is open and changes are being made. Lifters have their representatives on the National Weightlifting Committee, but there is no equivalent sounding board for bodybuilders. Contact is indirect but it can and should be made through Bob Crist, the Chairman of the Mr. America judges' panel. Your comments to him or to the author, a member of his committee, care of this magazine, will receive consideration and may possibly lead to additional desirable changes. So write!
So much for the editorial; now back to the contest. Everyone knew it was going to be a close one. Everyone knew it would be between Coe and Dickerson, with Waller a man to watch. Everyone was right. It was hairily, heartbreakingly close, and Coe won by the margin of one-quarter point; that's about one lump and a cut ahead of Dickerson. Coe was probably a shade past his peak of the Junior Mr. America contest. Dickerson, who had been down for that one, was the best I've ever seen him. A coin tosser couldn't have gone wrong in picking one over the other. Both were clearly outstanding. Ken Waller was a much improved man from last year. He has everything: size. bulk, density, cuts, shape, and glow of vitality, and that overwhelming look of the top strength athlete in top condition. Each time he came out to pose, I had to add another point to my score sheet for him. Bill St. John and Bill Seno tied in points, with St. John getting the fourth place by a quarter point on a tie-breaker. And it was just that close, Both of them are of the rock hard type, St. John with a bit more definition, Seno with more massiveness. Bob Moore of Nashville was not the same Bob Moore of Nashville who competed in last year's Mr. America contest. He was the most improved man in the contest. He jumped from a smooth fifteenth to a highly defined sixth, really a different man in one of those amazing transformations that weights and determination can make.
It's not surprising for the top five men in the Mr. America to reappear as the top five in the Most Muscular phase. But the identical one through five ranking is a bit unusual. And like the "Mr." contest, a complete reshuffling of the top five in any random order would have been a defensible selection. A bit more unusual was that the top five men took all three places in the best parts divisions (with the exception of the second place in abdominals) and that each of the five won a first. These rankings are detailed elsewhere in this article along with a table of how the judges voted.
All of the first six men with the exception of Bill Seno were in last year's Mr. America, and Iron Man provided their background sketches in the September 1968 issue.
BOYER COE, 22, of Lafayette, Louisiana, has now graduated from Southwestern Louisiana and will be going to summer school, but it undecided about his future. He has been working with youth groups and wants to continue this in his future plans. During the year he lost one and won one in physique competition; Dickerson took the Mr. U.S.A. title from him, but he turned around and bested Dickerson in the Junior Mr. America contest. His win in Chicago ends the seven-year itch for the big title he has had ever since he first started training.
CHRIS DICKERSON of Jamaica, New York, continues his stage and voice studies and will make his debut as a dramatic tenor this fall. He said that his weight training led him to singing, and he feels the advantages in added lung capacity and chest development are marked. He is also less taxed by the physical demands of a three-hour performance which requires the maximum in breath control. Chris is at a crossroads now and must decide whether to continue mixing bodybuilding with voice training or switch completely to the latter. At 30, he feels he is behind where he should be in his singing career, and yet he wants that elusive title. He has been a tremendous asset and fine example to this sport, and it would be a shame if he had to leave it now when he is so near the pinnacle. There is no one else like him when it comes to stage presence and the ability to present himself effectively.
KEN WALLER made a big decision during his twenty-sixth year. He left teaching, moved to St. Louis and started work as a claims adjuster in personal injury cases for Travelers Insurance Group. It might just be that Waller is one of the reasons that Dickerson is at the crossroads. Certainly no title is safe for anyone else as long as he is in the contest, and if he makes the same kind of improvement this next year as he did the last, there's another tight race in the offing with or without a new point system.
BILL ST. JOHN, 25, Glassboro, N. J., is still working for the Navy at the Philadelphia Shipyard in electronics. He still trains hard, still is a block of solid muscle, still wins big contests (Mr. Chesapeake Bay this year), and is still single.
BILL SENO was making a come-back after several years away from competition. He has completed his schooling and is now teaching high school English in nearby Niles, where he lives. He will complete work on his masters this fall. Bill's example is a good argument for the place of sports in school. At 16 he was an almost dropout, but football kept him in school and led to an athletic scholarship in college. Gradually the idea of education grew more important and athletics became the adjunct rather than the dominant force in his life. Bill is 30, married and has a 13 month old girl.
BOB MOORE, 26, still works for the Tennessee Fish and Game Commission in Nashville. He is in public relations work in the home office and no longer has to travel about the state. He backs up the field teams which do the visiting to schools, clubs, and other organizations. The pump was especially kind to his type of definition, bringing out his exceptional upper back and deltoid separation.
MIKE DAYTON, at 20, was making his bow in national competition. After winning Teenage Mr. America in 1967, he hibernated a while before resuming contest appearances. In the meantime he has completed work at Napa Junior College, majoring in business administration, and will continue this fall in a four year college. Mike started training under Jack Delinger, who emphasized leg work from the beginning. It's obvious that Mike was a good student, but his overall balance needs more harmony.
PAUL LOVE has been running a seesaw battle with Mike Dayton all year in the California contests. Both have won two. This was Pauls first national contest, and he was the highest ranking of those on the national scene for the first time. Originally from Mississippi, he attended Colorado State on a football scholarship and now works for Westinghouse in the San Jose area. Paul's big, well-defined torso has carried him a long way, most recently to the Mr. California title this past spring. Paul is 29 and is single.
JOSEPH SASSO of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, is a bunch of freckles held together by a lot of muscle. He is the current Mr. New England and was another newcomer to the big time. He is a sales manager for John Hancock, attended Boston University, played football and baseball there, and majored in English and liberal arts. He introduced himself as 29, the father of four and the husband of one. Joe made a hit with the panel with his puns and effervescent good humor.
ELLINGTON DARDEN is about 5-8 tall and about 8-5 broad. Originally from Texas, he is now at Florida State in Tallahassee working on his Ph.D. with a thesis concerning physical image among groups of athletes. His physique is very reminiscent of Jim Haislop's. He intends to go into group evangelism with personal emphasis on physical condition and sports. He also had the panel running overtime in interview as they listened to his ideas on mud pit training as a means of exercise without soreness. He is 25, single, and the current Mr. Texas.
TOMMY JOHNSON was a repeater from last year. The panel enjoyed talking to Tommy through his attracive wife, Judy. She gave the judges an insight into the psychology of a deaf-mute, and was entertaining in describing a deaf party where everyone was having a ball in total silence. Tommy is 31, has two children, and is a journeyman printer.
TOM MUSCOLINO, Mr. Chicago of 1969, was the youngest competitor. At 19 he has a fine build, heavily muscled, with big limbs and narrow waist. He's a man to watch. Tom works for the Metropolitan Sanitary District as a lab assistant and will start college in the fall, majoring in physical education or physical therapy. He started working out at 15 to keep in shape and has had the benefit of highly approving parents.
JEROME CURRIN of Indianapolis was the only man outside the top five to take a place in the best parts. His abdominals are long and thick and deep. Jerry is 32, married, has three children and is a bus driver for the city. He has a happy disposition and an easy manner before the panel.
CARL SMITH is the kind of guy who might be lost in a crowd. He almost looked as if he didn't belong during the initial briefing. But it was obvious as soon as he came back to pose, that he's a man to watch. In four or five years he will be Mr. America. He has beautiful proportions and a good degree of muscularity with cuts that will hold as his bulk increases. Carl is a protege of Tommy Johnson. He needs only seven hours to complete his major in business administration at Eastern Kentucky. He is 23, married, and has one girl and one trailer.
ALEX McNEIL is a policeman from Jackson, Mississippi. He seemed too soft spoken for a policeman, but says he works with teenagers and finds bodybuilding and the soft approach the effective way to come across. His constantly changing shift makes for a highly unusual workout pattern, but he's kept at it five years and gone from 140 to 195 with a fine build to show for it. He has no really weak points, and a good potential for much higher placings. Alex is 31, married, and has two children.
WILLIE JOHNSON of Akron is 24, married and has one daughter. He's been working out for three years, has an excellent upper back, slight waist, and many cuts. He's relatively weak in the calves and needs more posing work. Willie followed Tommy Johnson as this year's Mr. Ohio.
CURT HAYWOOD was trained down too far for this contest. In gaining cuts he sacrificed a most pleasing bulk. His legs remained good but his torso lost the imposing look he had last year. Still I feel he was underrated. Curt continued his work with the local YMCA in Columbus and puts on strength shows, lifting a horse, tug-of-war with 10 men, tearing phone books, etc., to plug the sport. Curt is 28, married, and has two children.
MELVIN MERIWEATHER was another repeater from 1968. Again he made a good impression with his poise (he's still president of the P-TA) and his dedication to the sport in promoting lifting and weight training. Mel is 31 and married, with three children ranging from 9 years to 2 months.
PAUL DEVINE of Chicago was another man I felt was underrated. He is married, with one boy, and is a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority. There is something about these bus drivers; they know how to meet the public and they have personalities that come across. Paul was active in high school sports but turned down a college scholarship. His nephew started him training when Paul was 17, but he's been a regular for only three years. He is the current Mr. Midwest.
DAN HOWARD was another whose interview ran overtime. He is the trainer for all athletic teams at Tulsa University, and his research on the pill was most informative and well delivered. He is doing work for his masters on the steroids, and his conclusion is that they are bad. He gave a catalog of their harmful effects from lowering resistance to certain diseases, to sexual upsets, to psychological disadvantages. Dan trains in the excellent University weight room, often building his own equipment (he's a welder, too). He's a big man, 230 pounds, with a great frame for bodybuilding, but in need of additional density. At 28 he has time to acquire this.
HARRY BROWN was the first man up for interview and set a high standard for the others. He's a doctor of chiropractic in Atlanta, and uses his opportunities to plug the value of exercise. Harry is a slight man with exceptional posture, a fine set of abs and pecs and poise aplenty. He is 29, married, and has girls 2 and 4.
WILLIAM COLLINS had two panel rooters when they learned that he too was a mailman. He has been active in the sport for 15 years and likes all phases of it, frequently acting as an official in his own district. He figures he'll go on in competition until he fades, and that's a long way off even for a man of 35.
TOM HOWARD is a foreman at the Gene Glick Co. in Indianapolis. He is married and has worked out for six years. Tom was Mr. Indianapolis in 1967. But he lacked size for a good showing in this contest. He is 30 and married.
STEVE SAKOULOS was a panel favorite. At 43 he was in the Mr. America for the eighth time; his first appearance being in 1955. He was the Saroyan of the middle years and almost made one happy to admit to being over 40. He put in a great plug for the senior bodybuilder and avowed that he was having more fun now than ever before. Maybe that's because he is still single. He left the panel with the firm impression that he will feel the same way about being 53. Steve was a glass blower by trade but now promotes glassware and pharmaceutical glass for the same company.
So that was the 1969 Mr. America. It was an above average year with cream at the top but not as deep in qualit as 1968. The placings are generally good; the points tend to cluster, but this is a fair indication of the quality as the athletes did seem to be on three or four definite quality levels. The average age is 28 and the men are almost equally divided between married and singles. They have a total of 24 children. Keep your eye on the men in the middle, though: They're a bunch of comers, and I counted at least two future Mr. Americas there.
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Muscular Development, Vol 6, No 10, Page 32, October 1969
1969 MR. AMERICA CONTEST
By John C. Grimek
THE 1969 MR. AMERICA CONTEST and the National Weightlifting championships were held in Chicago on June 13, 14 and 15 at DePaul's Alumni Hall, a spacious, basketball type of gymnasium. At one end in the center of the gym a specially built platform was sturdily constructed to withstand the onslaught of record attempts. In all more than 25 National, American and World records were shattered and new marks established, which strongly illustrates the caliber of lifting that took place. A great turnout attended the championships, and chairman Norb Grueberhinted that around 5,000 tickets were sold in advance for this occasion. Of course, even the weather was favorable. Not nearly as hot as it has been on other occasions, and this may have contributed to the great record breaking performances. Those who didn't make it to Chicago this year missed the unusual lifting and the hotly contested Mr. America title.
The committee in charge apparently worked hard and long for the success achieved and deserve applause for their efforts. On the other hand, the selected venue wasn't befitting a Mr. America pageant because of its barn-like atmosphere (as so many commented on) when compared to some of the previous locations this competition was staged. All previous staging of the Mr. America contest was more professional and dramatic compared to this year's presentation. But outside of this the championships as a whole were a credit to the game and to all those who helped make them a success. The crowd was enthusiastic and orderly, applauding every great effort to the delight of each lifter and "mister" contestant.
Prejudging took place Sunday afternoon during the 242-pound lifting. Photographers were not allowed into the interview room, but a vote taken by Bob Crist, chairman of the Mr. America judging panel, allowed only one photographer to photograph each man after his interview. This was given to Cliff Swan, our West Coast representative. Some of the pictures used here were taken at that time, but the usual "Behind the Scenes," impromptu shots were not available this time.
Yet under this rule the judges were able to do their job without interference, whereas in other places in the past, half of the audience could mill around and this made it difficult for the judges to concentrate on their job. So barring everyone did have some advantages even though there were certain disadvantages.
Right after the prejudging and the conclusion of the 242-pound class, which lasted longer than expected, a dinner-banquet followed. Several awards were presented at this time, including some nominations for the Helms Hall of Fame. Immediately following this banquet the Mr. America contest got underway. Around two dozen entries for the Mr. America contest and Most Muscular Man contests were on hand for these events. As they lined up on the lifting platform, any experienced eye could see that a dozen or so would be in the top running.
1969 Mr. America Results
1. Boyer Coe, Lafayette, La. 70½
2. Chris Dickerson, Jamaica, N.Y. 70
3. Ken Waller, St. Louis, Mo. 67
4. Bill St. John, Glassboro, N.J. 65½
5. Bill Seno, Niles, Ill. 65½
6. Robert Moore, Nashville, Tenn. 63
7. Michael Dayton, Napa, Calif. 58
8. Paul Love, Cupertino, Calif. 56½
9. Joseph Sasso, Lynnfield, Mass. 56½
10. Ellington Darden, Tallahassee, Fla. 56½
11. Tommy Johnson, Columbus, Ohio 56
12. Tom Muscolino, Chicago, Ill. 54
13. Jerome Currin, Indianapolis, Ind. 53½
14. Carl Smith, Richmond, Ky. 53½
15. Alex McNeil, Jackson, Miss. 52½
16. Willie Johnson, Akron, Ohio 52
17. Curtis Haywood, Pataskalo, Ohio 51½
18. Melvin Meriweather, Mich. City, Ind. 51
19. Paul Devine, Chicago, Ill. 50½
20. Don Howard, Tulsa, Okla. 48
21. Harry Brown, Atlanta, Georgia 46
22. William Collins, Washington, D.C. 44½
23. Tom Howard, Indianapolis, Ind. 42
24. Steve Sokoulos, Chicago, Ill. 40
The sub-division winners and runners-up were first announced. Competition in each category was excellent, and those who won trophies for Best Arms, Chest, Back, Legs and Abdominals all deserve credit for their victories.
Following the sub-divisions the competition for the Most Muscular Man title took place, trophies were donated by MD magazine. Again competition was close, but in the final count it was Boyer Coe who emerged as the winner, Chris Dickerson second, and Ken Waller third. Then each man presented several poses to the audience that displayed his muscularity even as the crowd awaited the big news -- the crowning of a new Mr. America.
Anxiety enveloped the throng as MC Len Bosland, who incidentally did a very fine job of introducing each contestant, started announcing the Mr. America winners. Five places were announced, with Bill Seno being called out first for fifth place. Next came Bill St. John who was fourth. In third place was Ken Waller, and Chris Dickerson was in second place by one-half point behind winner Boyer Coe, thus making it one of the closest contests ever judged.
When the announcement was made, Sergio Oliva and Arnold Schwarzenegger, both of whom were conspicuous during all three days of the meet, jumped up on the platform and began congratulating the winners, almost tearing the arms off of Coe, Dickerson and the others. For some time pandemonium reigned and made it impossible for our photographers to get a good picture of the top five, which we had hoped to use in our center spread. Under the circumstances this proved impossible with so many enthusiasts crowding the platform.
However, shortly afterwards the workmen asked that the platform be cleared and they began disassembling it. Within minutes the huge platform that withstood the pounding of thousands of tons of weight was eliminated, while people were still bidding farewell to each other. Thus ended another championship and those who were fortunate enough to be present were rewarded in witnessing many record-breaking attempts, and the climax of the Mr. America contest.
To be sure it was a close contest all the way, but Boyer Coe achieved the victory he trained so diligently to get. Next year in Los Angeles, however, another lifting meet and Mr. America contest will be held. Meanwhile, those who came so close but didn't make it this year, will have to "hit the irons again and again" in hopes of attaining this victory. We wish them luck!
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Strength & Health, Page 18, September 1969
Highlights of the 1969 Mr. America Contest
By Don Reed
Final Scoring For 1969 Mr. America CONTESTANTPOINTS 1.Boyer Coe, Laffayette, La.70½ 2.Chris Dickerson, Jamaica, N. Y.70 3.Ken Waller, St. Louis, Mo.67 4.Bill St. John, Glassboror, N. J.65½ 5.Bill Seno, Nilles, Ill.65½ 6.Robert Moore, Nashville, Tenn.63½ 7.Michael Dayton, Napa, California58 8.Paul Love, Cupertino, California56½ 9.Joseph Sasso, Lynnfield, Mass.56½ 10.Ellington Darden, Tallahassee, Fla.56½ 11.Tommy Johnson, Columbus, Ohio56 12.Tom Muscolino, Chicago, Ill.54 13.Jerome Currin, Indianapolis, Ind.53½ 14.Carl Smith, Richmond, Kentucky53½ 15.Alex McNeil, Jackson, Miss.52½ 16.Willie Johnson, Akron, Ohio52 17.Curtis Haywood, Pataskala, Ohio51½ 18.Melvin Meriweather, Michigan City, Ind.51 19.Paul Devine, Chicago, Ill.50½ 20.Dan Howard, Tulsa, Oklahoma48 21.Harry Brown, Atlanta, Georgia46 22.Willaim Collins, Washington, D. C.44½ 23.Tom Howard, Indianapolis, Ind.42 24.Steve Sakoulos, Chicago, Ill.40
The 1969 Mr. America Contest saw a lineup of superbly built bodybuilders vying for America's top physique crown. The tension was terrific during the final minutes before the posing began. Announcer Len Bosland called the group out into three sections of eight and let the audience see them in a relaxed state under normal lighting. Then the lights were dimmed and Dr. Harry Brown began the posing. He was followed by Boyer Coe, who presented a fantastic display of the ultimate in size and musculature. He finished his routine with an arms overhead stretch pose that brought the house down, and left the stage in a wave of applause. Bill Collins, a personable veteran from Washington followed. Jerome Currin of Indianapolis combined muscularity, excellent abdominals and an excellent posing routine. Ell Darden showed a golden Florida tan, a fine "V" shape and a huge chest. Mike Dayton, of T-A Mr. A fame, showed improved symmetry and size. Paul Devine looked very massive under the bright lights. The audience greeted Chris Dickerson with a warm round of applause and he responded with one of the most masterful posing displays of all time. His physique is classical, and his knowledge of art and sculpture enabled him to display it perfectly. His physique is of a different mold than Coe's, and like Coe, he is at the very head of his class. It was obvious that a very close battle was in store. Curt Haywood showed improved muscularity and symmetry over last year. Daniel Howard represented Tulsa, Oklahoma quite well in this great lineup. Thomas Howard also showed very good possibilities. Tommy Johnson of Texas displayed good arms and a solid midsection. Will Johnson, written up in MD, showed enormous potential, and a really magnificent taper. Paul Love of California showed power and intense muscularity. Melvin Merriweather represented Michigan City, Indiana well. Alex McNeil of "Man of the Month" fame looked very powerful and will be a factor in future contests. Robert Moore presented a spectacular appearance with a golden tan and blonde hair. He is a powerlifter and a good one. Thomas Muscolino showed good muscularity. Steve Sakoulos seems to have worked out a compromise with Father Time. He has lost a little hair, but his physique is still powrful and lithe at 44. Joe Sasso showed massive deltoids. Bill Seno, the Chicagoan's favorite, was massive and muscular. He benches over 450 and his power was obvious Carl Smith of Kentucky has evidently worked quite hard on his leg development. Bill St. John presented a powerfully athletic appearance, with magnificent abdominals and muscularity. he was also a contestant in the Best Back competition. The last contestant was Ken Waller, featured last year in S&H. Ken is powerful and possesses excellent symmetry. His back especially was massive and muscular.
The tension mounted still further as groups of athletes were called to pose for various bodypart awards. When the dust settled, Bill Seno had won Best Chest, Ken Waller had taken Best Back, Bill St. John had copped the Best Abs award, Chris Dickerson had won Best Legs, and Boyer Coe had won Best Arms and Most Muscular. Now there was only the big one left, and the audience was on the edge of their seats. The announcer started at fifth place. Bill Seno walked away with the coveted award. Fourth place went to greatly improved Bill St. John, a deserving winner. Third place went to massive Ken Waller, and the audience held its breath as the deciding envelope was opened. Chris Dickerson was second. Thunderous applause rocked the hall as the last envelope was unnecessarily opened and the reign of Boyer Coe as 1969 Mr. America began. Chris Dickerson had lost by half a point, and is the heir apparent. Seldom has their [sic] been such a close contest, with two men so worthy of the Mr. America crown.
Boyer coe of Lafayette, Louisiana will be a worthy Mr. America. His spectacular physique and rugged good looks will help to bring many converts to the weight game, as will his warm personality and good speaking voice. We know the readers of Strength and Health join us in wishing Boyer Coe a successful and happy year as Mr. America.
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1970 Mr America - AAU
1 Chris Dickerson
2 Ken Waller
3 Casey Viator
4 Bill St John
5 Charles Amato
6 Anibal Lopez
7 Jim Morris
8 Vic Tanny Jr
9 Robert Holden
10 Charles Collras
11 Ed Corney
12 Bill Grant
13 Joe Tete
14 Alex McNeil
15 Scott Cooper
16 Ellington Darden
17 Wayne Andersen
18 Art Peacock
19 Paul Hill
20 Joe Dodd
21 Clint Beyerle
22 Paul Love
23 Dan Howard
24 Gary Hill
25 Brian Marshall
26 Leonard Huntley
27 Dennis Yaklich
28 Jaime Blancarte
29 Henry Jinks
Most Muscular
1 Chris Dickerson
2 Ken Waller
3 Casey Viator
4 Charles Amato
5 Charles Collras
6 Bill St John
7 Bill Grant
8 Jim Morris
9 Vic Tanny Jr
10 Anibal Lopez
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Muscular Development, Vol 7, No 9, Page 32, September 1970
1970 MR. AMERICA REPORT
The Staff and Greg Ward
THE FABULOUS 1970 MR. AMERICA CONTEST was staged in Culver City, California on Sunday June 14th at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium at 8:00 PM. Twenty-nine muscularly impressive contestants vied for the honor of becoming the 31st Mr. America titleholder. It was the most outstanding array of talent ever. None of this outstanding group was below standard. Each could have been chosen a Mr. America and still made a great contribution to the sport.
The panel of Mr. America judges was headed by able Bob Crist, a hard-working chairman. The judges spent an entire day selecting the man of their choice from this aggregation of impressive champions. The judges for the contest were: Bob Parker, Ramon Garcia, Jerome Weis, Larry Hanneman, Dave Collier, Bob Bendel and Bob Samuels. All of these men know physiques and the essential qualifications that a Mr. America must have, so there was little if any disagreement among them.
1970 MR. AMERICA RESULTS
Points
1. CHRIS DICKERSON. Los Angeles 383
2. Ken Waller, Cincinnati. Ohio 368
3. Casey Viator. New Iberia, La. 354
4. Bill St. John, Glassboro. N. J. 336
5. Charles Amato, Milwakie, Ore. 333
6. Anibal Lopez, New York City 323
7. James Morris, Pasadena. Cal. 309
8. Vic Tanny. Jr.. Los Angeles, Cal. 307
9. Robert Holden, Washington, D. C. 306
10. Charles Collras. Los Angeles. Cal. 302
11. Eddie Corney, Fremont, Cal. 295
12. William Grant, Orange. N. J. 294
13. Joe Tete, Florence. N. J. 286
14. Alex McNeil. Jackson, Miss. 285
15. Scott Cooper, Tampa. Fla. 274
16. Ell Darden. Tallahassee. Fla. 272
17. Wayne Anderson. Fremont. Cal. 263
18. Art Peacock, Los Angeles. Cal. 258
19. Paul Hill. Hollywood. Cal. 256
20. Joe Dodd, Trenton, N. J. 248
21. Clint Beyerle. Los Angeles. Cal. 247
22. Paul Love. Sunnyvale. Cal. 245
23. Dan Howard, Tulsa. Okla. 242
24. Gary Hill. Fresno. Cal. 236
25. Brian Marshall. Venice. Cal. 203
26. Leonard Huntley. Syracuse. N. Y. 201
27. Dennis Yaklich. Avondale. Colo. 188
28. Jaime Blancarte. Los Angeles, Cal. 178
29. Henry Jinks. East Orange. N. J. 163
MOST MUSCULAR MAN
Chris Dickerson
Ken Waller
Casey Viator
Charles Amato
Chuck Collras
BEST ARMS
Casey Viator
Ken Waller
Bill Grant
BEST CHEST
Casey Viator
Jim Morris
Chris Dickerson
BEST BACK
Casey Viator
Charles Amato
Ken Waller &
Chris Dickerson
BEST LEGS
Chris Dickerson
Casey Viator
Ken Waller
BEST ABDOMINALS
Charles Amato
Charles Collras
Bill St. John
June MD's coverman, Chris Dickerson, continued to make 1970 "his year" as he captured the highest physique honors of the year. . . the Mr. America title. Chris "looked" improved over his 1969 appearance in Chicago last year, where he was a close runner-up. But in the early part of this year, January to be exact, Chris moved to Los Angeles to train under the watchful eye of Bill Pearl. He trained hard and long and certainly this perseverance and dedication paid oft.. He finally reached the goal he had set for himself just a few years ago to be a Mr. America winner.
Besides winning the big title, Chris also annexed the Most Muscular Man title and the Best Legs award. His physique looked muscular and symmetrical and, being very adept at posing, was certainly able to display his muscular body to great advantage. Chris, with his pleasing and friendly personality is definitely a tremendous credit to our game, and we know he will make a very impressive and great Mr. America.
Runner-up was husky Ken Waller of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ken was expected to give Chris the closest competition in this contest. . . which he did. However, Ken moved up one place this year as he placed third in Chicago. This husky specimen is impressive and, if size alone was the determining factor, Ken would undoubtedly be hard to beat. Ken was also runner-up in the Most Muscular Man contest.
The big surprise of the whole contest was teen-ager Casey Viator of New Iberia, Louisiana. Casey placed fifth in last year's Teen-age Mr. America contest in Des Moines, Iowa. But his improvement has been sensational since then. Proof of this can be determined by the number of trophies he won... MORE THAN ANY OTHER CONTEST ANT!
He placed third in the Mr. America line-up, and third in the Most Muscular Man event, but he won the Best Arms, Best Back and Best Chest trophies. This young man trains under last year's Mr. America, Boyer Coe, and undoubtedly, Coe's influence is coming through, for Casey has terrific arms and his posing routine is patterned after Coe's. Casey, it seems, is billed for stardom.
In fourth place was the perennial Bill St. John. Bill was also much improved over his 1969 appearance, but the sensational Casey prevented him from moving up the ladder this year. The Glassboro, N. J. contestant is certainly deserving of his high placing and could become a real threat for the top position anytime.
Charles Amato of Milwakie, Oregon was another "relatively new face" on the scene that had some of the audience guessing. Earlier he appeared in contests, won several along the West Coast and then dropped out only to return this year and create quite an impact. He took the coveted fifth place trophy and just three points behind Bill St. John. But he did beat Bill out for the Best Abdominal award, something that Bill's been winning the past few years. Amato also placed fourth in the Most Muscular contest. So it's obvious, any of these four runners-up could come out the winner in next year's go-around.
The 1971 Mr. America contest is scheduled for Muscletown York, and could be the most hotly contested yet. We can only wait and see who becomes the winner then. Plenty of time yet for improving, and you can bet that every man will be an improved edition of his California appearance in York next year.
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1971 Mr America - AAU
1 Casey Viator
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Bill St John
4 Ed Corney
5 Carl Smith
6 Anibal Lopez
7 Charles Amato
8 Joe Tete
9 Bob Gallucci
10 Mike Mentzer
11 Michael Dayton
13 Curtis Haywood
14 Ken Covington
15 Kent Kuehn
16 James Handley
17 Joe Dodd
18 Fred Shandor
19 Ron Neff
20 Anthony Pace
21 Bob Birdsong
22 Don Ross
23 Douglas Beaver
24 Ron Gibson
25 Bill Ashpaugh
26 Robert McNeill
27 Thomas Willert
28 Spyros Loukas
29 Sam Stamoulis
30 Ron Thompson
31 Tom Campanaro
32 Tommy Johnson
33 Thomas Crawford
Most Muscular
1 Casey Viator
2 Michael Dayton
3 Bill St John
4 Anthony Pace
5 Pete Grymkowski
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Muscular Development, Vol 8, No 9, Page 8, September 1971
MR. AMERICA CONTEST
IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND -- a hot one, but one of the BEST. Contestants and spectators from allover the country converged on York for the important festivities that took place on June II, 12 and the 13th. But of the three days, the 12th was the hottest night when the battle for the honor of being chosen as the 30th Mr. America was staged. And from this great array of contenders, it was the massive and husky Casey Viator that came through as the winner. During the past year he has been unusually successful in winning ALL the contests that he decided to enter. Still a teen-ager, Casey is the youngest ever to achieve this great honor. Quite an achievement for one so young!
MR. AMERICA RESULTS
1. Casey Viator
New Iberia, La. 377
2. Peter Grymkowski
Rochester, N.Y. 350
3. Bill St. Joh
Glassboro, N.J. 350
4. Edward Corney
Freamont, Calif. 337
5. Carl Smith
Louisville, Ky. 336
6. Anibal Lopez
New York, N.Y. 335
7. Charles Amato
Milwaukie, Ore. 334
8. Joe Tete
Florence, N.J. 326
9. Bob Gallucci
Hartford, Conn. 323
10. Michael Mentzer
Ephrata, Pa. 319
11. Michael Dayton
Napa, Calif. 319
12. William Grant
Orange, N.J. 311
13. Curt Haywood
Pataskala, Oh. 304
14. Ken Covington
Philadelphia, Pa. 296
15. Kent Huehn
Orlando, Fla. 290
16. James Handley
York, Pa. 277
17. Joe Dodd
Trenton, N.J. 270
18. Frend Shandor
Manville, N.J. 262
19. Ron Neff
Philadelphia, Pa. 261
20. Anthongy Pace
Pittsburgh, Pa. 260
21. Robert Birdsong
Louisville, Ky. 259
22. Don Ross
Detroit, Mich. 247
23. Douglas Beaver
Fremont, Oh. 245
24. Ronald Gibson
Fremont, Oh. 241
25. Bill Aspaugh
Noblesville, Ind. 239
26. Robert McNeill
Broomal, Pa. 238
27. Thomas Willert
Trenton, N.J. 227
28. Spyros Loukas
Washington, D.C. 226
29. Sam Stamoulis
Roebling, N.J. 221
30. Ronald Thompson
Flint, Mich. 217
31. Tom Campanaro
Fremont, Oh. 199
32. Thomas Johnson
New Albany, Ind. 185
33. Thomas Crawford
Greenboro, N.C. 165
JUDGES: Bob Crist, Chairman
(Virginia Assn.), Morton Steuer
(Metropolitan Assn.), Peary Rader
(Midwestern Assn.), Bob Bendel
(Middle Atlantic Assn.), Joe Paul
(Central Assn.), Jack Lipsky
(south Atlantic Assn.), Jerome
Weis (Ohio Assn.), Gordon Andrews
(Michigan Assn.).
SCORERS: Messrs, Bendel, Paul, Weis.
Most Muscular Man
Casey Viator
Michael Dayton
Bill St. John
Anthony Pace
Peter Grymkowski
Best Arms
Casey Viator
Michael Mentzer
William Grnat
Best Back
Casey Viator
Peter Grymkowski
Charles Amato
Best Chest
Casey Viator
Peter Grymkowski
Bob Gallucci
Best Abdominals
Charles Amato
Anthony Pace
Bill St. John
Best Legs
Casey Viator
Michael Mentzer
Bob Gallucci
Little over a year ago Casey entered and won the Teenage Mr. America title here in York, and less than a month ago, in Bay town, Texas on May 16th, Casey took the Junior Mr. America title, along with most of the subdivision awards. . . which he again repeated in the Seniors. A most impressive string of victories for anyone.
Of course the line-up of contestants this year was one of the best, and certainly one of the largest groups in recent years to assemble, though several failed to put in their appearance at the last minute. Unfortunately, Ken Waller, one of the formidable contenders, was disqualified on the grounds that he allowed his picture, knowingly or unknowingly, to appear in a commercial advertisement circulated in a widely distributed magazine. At a special meeting that morning a final vote was taken on the issue, with only two votes given in his favor, while five opposed him. Naturally, this eliminated him from the competition and Casey had it all his way. If Ken Waller was eligible there would have been a much closer battle for the top honors, since Waller is bigger and heavier and apparently was in top shape, against the shorter but more massive Casey Viator. Of course reaching a decision under those circumstances would have given quite a headache to the judges, and the results might have been different than they turned out. At least it's something to speculate about. However, even as things turned out, a tie for second place resulted between Peter Grymkowski and the perennial Bill St. John. On the second voting ballot, Grymkowski scored 137 points over St. John with 132 points, putting Grymkowski ahead of St. John in the contest. However, another tie for 10th place was also broken by a second ballot. In this case the relatively new-comer, Mike Mentzer, forged ahead of Mike Dayton by one point, 128 to 127. But the overall competition was excellent, and most of the contestants looked really great under the lights.
Periodically, it seems, York has been plagued with the heat of Hades during most of the Nationals that are held here, and this year was no exception. However, the weeks and days BEFORE the York weather was pleasantly cool. . . only to soar near the 90s during the championships. Those who sat through this may be a little shocked to know that immediately following the championships the weather got much cooler, so much so that by Tuesday many places here in York had to turn on the heat! Unbelievable? Yes, but nevertheless, true! In fact ever since the Nationals the weather has been pleasant. . . not nearly as warm as it was during the Nationals. Yet in spite of the heat very few people walked out, and those who did went out only to get a drink of water and returned to their seats promptly. Everyone stayed to the bitter end, so you know it was a good contest and interesting enough to keep everyone in his seat. However, once the winners were announced, and the awards presented, the auditorium began clearing out--but not one minute before!
All in all it was a great championship, and although many people didn't mind the heat, a few did complain. . . but even they did not leave until the finish. Matter of fact, portable air conditioning units were considered prior to the event, but inasmuch as the weather was pleasantly cool earlier, there was no reason to suspect that temperatures would rise near the 90s, as it probably did on Saturday evening when the auditorium was filled to overflowing. Every seat was taken; the aisles were filled, the space along the back row of seats, even the lobby was jammed, all trying to get a glimpse of the contestants as they went through their series of poses. This overcrowding contributed to much of the heat in the auditorium, but as mentioned earlier, everyone remained in his seat until the last of the winners was announced. It was a great contest, and it was put over in a big way. Everyone who witnessed this great event seemed to enjoy it immensely.
There was very little grumbling about the selection. A few thought that Grymkowski should have taken the Best Chest award, and Michael Mentzer should have gotten the award for Best Arms, while Tony Pace should have won the Best Legs trophy. But on the whole the majority of spectators agreed with the decision of the judges, consequently no one booed thus making it a unanimous decision.
Among the assembled throng a number of former Mr. Americas showed up, and everyone of these former title holders looked fit and in top shape. Even muscular Sergio Oliva and massive Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Dan Lurie were about, all looking impressively husky. Matter of fact, Sergio and Arnold plan to compete against each other in London this coming September, along with Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Dennis Tinerino and several others. And in the amateur division, a proposed battled between Viator and Waller is pending; not to forget Chris Dickerson who is again flying over to make his bid for the title. Chris gave a very impressive posing display just before the Mr. America contest got underway, and this man still retains a high degree of muscularity and symmetry that should be a threat in any physique competition.
Our thanks to the appointed photographers who covered the event for Us, especially to John Fritshe, Doug White, AI Antuck, Dave Sauer and Achilles Kallos from South Africa, all of whom did a great job:, but unfortunately due to our deadline we had only contact prints to choose from, therefore used them only in their original size. However, we will feature more of the photos in months to come, and in much larger size. So if you missed this contest, keep a watch on MD. You'll be seeing most of the men in some of their finest poses.
Our thanks goes out to all the men who helped to make this a successful affair, and we look forward to next year's event that will be held in the Detroit area. . . hope to see you there!
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1972 Mr America - AAU
1 Steve Michalik
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Jim Morris
4 Bill St John
5 Ken Covington
6 Paul Hill
7 Ron Thompson
8 Don Ross
9 Phil Stepaniak
10 Bob Birdsong
11 Bill Seno
12 Gene Massey
13 Carl Smith
14 Bob Gallucci
15 Will Whitaker
16 James Allen (2)
17 Joe Tete
18 Fred Shandor
19 Joseph Sasso
20 James Handley
21 Dennis Wood
23 Robert McNeill
24 Spyros Loukas
25 Ron Gibson
26 Dominick DiBetta
27 Bill Ashpaugh
28 Robert Lauda
29 Michael Forgione
30 Juan DeJesus
31 Jan Novak
32 Jim Manion
33 Allen Nickles
34 Dennis Harkai
35 Harold Bakkelund
36 Peter MacDonald
Most Muscular
1 Pete Grymkowski
2 Steve Michalik
3 Jim Morris
4 Ken Covington
5 Bill St John
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Muscular Development, Vol 9, No 9, Page 8, September 1972
REPORT ABOUT THE
MR. AMERICA CONTEST
CONGRATULATIONS and plaudits to the Michigan AAU Association for the fine staging of the Mr. America and National Weightlifting Championships that were held in Detroit. The fine Masonic Temple was the site of this great event. The auditorium was magnificent; spacious with excellent seating. The stage setting, too, was impressive, contributing to the efficient way the championships breezed along, which reflected the fine cooperation this association enjoys. Those who were involved in helping to make this such a grand event deserve all the credit bestowed upon them, and we of the M D staff extend our heartiest congratulations to one and all for a great championship.
Mr. America Results
Name/Affiliation Points
1 Steven Michalik
Unattached 370
2 Pete Grymkowski
Rochester Turners B.C. 358
3 James Morris
Bill Pearl's 350
4 Bill St. John
York Barbell Club 342
5 Ken Covington
Unattached 333
6 Paul Hill
Vince's Gym 323
7 Ronald Thompson
Unattached 317
8 Don Ross
Armento's Gym 316
9 Philip Stepaniak
Cincinnati Central Y 316
10 Bob Birdsong
Vince's Gym 315
11 William Seno
Sayre Park WLC 309
12 Eugene Massey
Unattached 308
13 Carl Smith
Unattached 306
14 Bob Gallucci
Central Conn. St. College 294
15 Will Whitaker
Roman Health Spa 285
16 James Allen
Unnattached 285
17 Joe Tete
Unnatached 283
18 Fred Shandor
Win Franklin H. C. 283
19 Joseph Sasso
Unnattached 282
20 James Handley
York Barbell Club 278
21 Dennis Wood
Univ. of Florida 275
22 Robert McNeill
Ryan's Gym 265
23 Spyros Loukas
Unnattached 256
24 Ron Gibson
Unnattached 252
25 Dominick DiBetta
Joseph's Gym & Spa 246
26 Bill Ashpaugh
C.I.W.C 245
27 Robert Lauda
Unattached 239
28 Michael Forgione
Armento's Health Club 231
29 Juan DeJesus
Unattached 229
30 Jan Novak
Unattached 229
31 James Manion
Alleghany Mtn. W/L Team 227
32 Allen Nickles
Columbus YMCA 225
33 Dennis Harkai
Unattached 213
34 Harld Bakkelund
Rockford YMCA 205
35 Peter MacDonald
Unattached 197
Most Muscular Man
Peter Grymkowski
Steven Michalik
James Morris
Ken Covington
Bill St. John
Subdivisions
Best Legs - Carl Smith
Best Arms - Jim Morris
Best Back - Jim Morris
Best Abdominals - Jim Morris
Best Chest - William Seno
Although the crowd Saturday evening was good, it seemed a bit dwarfed by the spaciousness of this vast auditorium, with less attendance on Sunday when some truly great lifting took place. This smaller attendance, it's believed, was due to the fact that the finals of the Mr. America contest were made known on Saturday. Whereas greater speculation would have resulted had the Most Muscular Man and subdivision awards been made known on Saturday and holding up the finals of the Mr. America until Sunday. As it was, many people, including the Mr. America competitors, all left once the top five contenders were known. In fact, the Hilton hotel appeared deserted by Sunday evening when compared to the crowd that congested the place on Friday and Saturday. Of course those who failed to stay for the lifting on Sunday missed some truly great lifting, especially the 501¾ clean and jerk by super-heavyweight, Ken Patera. This being the first time a lift of over 500 pounds was made officially by any American, and those who saw it really appreciated the effort.
On the whole this annual event was a great success, even though a number of lifters did not perform as was expected, and the Mr. America contest itself was an upset, with Steve Michalik emerging as the winner after placing second less than a month before. He must be given credit for his persistence, which further proves that a man may be down but never out if he puts forth renewed effort. Naturally, the Jr. Mr. America, Peter Grymkowski, was somewhat disappointed, as were his friends. But we hope he doesn't take it to heart and will continue to train and try again--next year or, perhaps, this coming November when the Mr. World title will be at stake, neither of whom won it as yet, so can be another "battleground" for them.
The prelude to the championships started with meetings and a clinic by Tommy Kono on Friday morning. But the longest meeting took place that evening. It started at 7:00 P.M. and lasted until 2:30 A.M. Unfortunately, some of the officials had to get up early the next day for the weighing-in which began at 7:00 A.M., so some of these officials did not get much sleep, yet in spite of it all, did a fine job. Competition in all classes was very keen, and S&H will feature the full report.
The gathering of the Mr. A. contestants, nearly 40 in all, though some failed to show up so that 35 actually competed. The prejudging started at 9:00 A.M. This was the first time the public was invited to watch. The place of the prejudging was a large ballroom with ample seats and a stage. The men were brought out in several groups to give the audience and the judges a good look at each man without the benefits of any fixed lights. The men faced front, then to the right, full back, then to the opposite side and finally front again, after which they filed off and another group came up, repeating the various turns. After all the contestants appeared before the judges, then each man came out individually and presented his posing routine. During this time the judges appraised each for his muscularity, the various subdivisions and for the Mr. America title. The whole process took at least three hours, and judging 35 men can be quite an ordeal, especially when several of them are closely matched.
During the prejudging it was obvious that the majority of the contestants came prepared, that is, they knew what they were supposed to do, and how they were going to do it, and did just that. So even these men deserve a hand for coming prepared, which helped to make the judging a bit easier. The judges for this contest were: Don Haley, So. Pacific Asso., Dave Mayor, Mid-Atlantic, Ralph Countryman, Northern California, Herb Gowling, Washington, D. C., Robert Szymanski and Len Bosland of New Jersey, and Norman Rauch of Wisconsin.
After the prejudging each man was interviewed that afternoon, and by 5:00 P.M. that Saturday all tabulations were completed and the winners were chosen. Speculation about this time ran high. . . everyone was making guesses or wondering who placed where and how. When the Mr. A. pageant was presented that night, and as each man went through his posing routine after being introduced by Len Bosland, the MC, the final announcement was made. The results seemed to be accepted with mixed emotions.
Of course before the final announcement the various subdivisions and Most Muscular Man awards were presented. Jim Morris took Best Arms, Best Back and Best Abdominals. Carl Smith was awarded the trophy for the Best Legs, and the Best Chest award went to Bill Seno, the powerful bench press champion.
When the award for the Most Muscular Man was announced, the audience then awaited the Mr. America results with some apprehension, as many Mr. A. competitors who win the Most Muscular Man award usually win the Mr. America title with it, but this time, Grymkowski got the Most Muscular title while Steve Michalik took Mr. America. It wasn't hard to guess who the most disappointed person on stage was, and who the most elated one was! So Steve Michalik turned the tables after being beaten in the Jr. Mr. America then came through to take top honors in the biggest physique event of the year--MR. AMERICA!
We hope that those who were disappointed in their line-up will not give up but continue to train and try again next year. After all, there is never a sure winner, and even when one's chances look slim, one might emerge the winner! Michalik did it after being beaten in the Jr. A. only to come back and take top honors . . . so it's possible. Don't forget that!
Here are some pertinent facts about the top-10 in this year's Mr. America contest:
STEVE MICHALIK, the present Mr. America titleholder, lives in Valley Stream, N. Y. He's 24 and married. He won the 1971 Mr. USA title. Has been training for 11 years, and lately has been training only twice a week. Works as a commercial artist. How he trained for this year's Mr. America is told here on page 42 of this issue. His articles will be featured in S&H magazine where he will disclose the secrets of his training success.
PETER GRYMKOWSKI is from Rochester, N. Y. He is 26 years old and recently married. Is the present Jr. Mr. America titleholder. Has been training for six years, and works out about three times a week. In Detroit he also took the Most Muscular Man award. Pete works in real estate development.
JIM MORRIS is a former New Yorker but now resides in Los Angeles. He is 36 years old and has been training for 18 years, and currently works out five times a week. In 1967 he won the Mr. Jr. USA and Mr. NY State titles, and Mr. California in 1970. Is president of S. California W/L Association. Works as a sales representative for the Carnation Company.
BILL ST. JOHN, is from Glassboro, N. J. and has been training for nine years, and more recently working out six days a week. Bill is 28 years of age and is an automobile wholesaler. Repeatedly Bill has won the Best Abdominal award, and has been placing in the top-five for the past few years. His rugged physique is as impressive as it looks.
KEN COVINGTON, Philadelphia, Pa. is a meat cutter by trade and is 23 years old. Has been training for eight years and has been working out on the average of four times a week. Ken has won such titles as: Teen-age Mr. America, Mr. Chesapeake Bay, Mr. Middle Atlantic, Mr. Delaware Valley, Mr. Pennsylvania, Mr. Greater Philadelphia, and Mr. East Coast.
PAUL HILL, Los Angeles, California is 29, married and comes from a family of 10! He works for the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company. Paul also trains six days a week and has started working out seven years ago.
RONALD THOMPSON comes from Flint, Michigan. Ron is 25 years old, married and has two children. Has been training for six years on the average of six times a week. Manages a lumber company. Has a fine physique.
DON ROSS, Detroit, Michigan is 25 years old and is a former Mr. Michigan titleholder. Currently holds the Mr. Eastern States title for 1972. Don is very muscular. Has been training for 10 years, and is now training six times a week. Also participates in Yoga, bicycle racing and wrestling. Great believer in strict adherence to diet and training principles. Is an art student and cartoonist.
PHILIP STEPANIAK, Cincinnati, Ohio is 24 and holds the present Mr. Ohio and Mr. Midwest physique titles. He's been training for five years and works out on the average of six days a week. Is employed as a security investigator for a department store.
ROBERT BIRDSONG is 24 and is formerly from Kentucky. Bob now resides in Los Angeles where he attends the Art Center College of Design. He's been training now for 10 years and works out six times a week. Holds the Mr. Physique USA title for 1972, and recently placed second in the Mr. California contest. (Information supplied by Len Bosland who judged and M.C.'d the Mr. America Contest.)
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1973 Mr America - AAU
1 Jim Morris
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Anibal Lopez
4 Paul Hill
5 Willie Johnson
6 Fred Shandor
7 Tyrone Youngs
8 Douglas Beaver
9 Joseph Sasso
10 Bill Seno
11 Nathan LeBlanc
12 Mike Besikof
13 James Handley
14 Patrick Ruelle
15 Danny Padilla
16 Ned Drew
17 Gene Massey
18 Floyd Odom
19 Dick Hathaway
20 Charles Loesch
21 Ken DiAngelo
22 Paul Santos
23 Neil Hastey
24 Greg Long
25 Robert Holden
26 George Rumas
27 Herbert Bair
28 Robert McNeill
29 Edward Mayo
30 Dennis Harkai
31 Robert Lauda
32 Harold Bakkelund
Most Muscular
1 Jim Morris
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Willie Johnson
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Muscular Development, Vol 10, No 9, Page 8, September 1973
MR. AMERICA CONTEST - '73
By John C. Grimek
IT WAS A WARM AND BEAUTIFUL weekend in Williamsburg for the National Weightlifting Championships and Mr. America contests. The venue, too, was exquisite and befitting the occasion, as was the traditional Southern hospitality. . . up to a point! By that I mean that by the time the contest ended each night, which was eleven or past, all of the eating places were closed or were in the process of locking up! Competitors and spectators alike roamed around trying to find a plaice where they could pacify their hunger and thirst but everything, and I mean everything, was battened down for the night! The only drinks that were available were those found in vending machines, and after one or two of these over-sweetened concoctions, one was thirstier than before . . . and sicker! The water in this area wasn't the most palatable, although when it was iced, it wasn't bad. One group Saturday night after the show decided to drive over to Newport News in hopes of finding something there, but whether they did or not I never found out. Consequently, a lot of people went to bed hungrier than they ever did . . which might have been a good thing. Of course around the corner was a delicatessen store, and the place remained opened and crowded until late. This place probably did more business that weekend than it has done in a long, long time.
MR. AMERICA WINNERS
1 Jim Morris 369
2 Peter Grymkowski 339
3 Anibal Lopez 337
4 Paul Hill 323
5 Willie Johnson 322
6 Fred Shandor 321
7 Tyrone Youngs 320
8 Doug Beaver 318
9 Joe Sasso 277
10 Bill Seno 264
11 Nathan LeBlanc 261
12 Mike Besikof 261
13 Jim Handley 260
14 Patrick Ruelle 255
15 Daniel Padilla 252
16 Ned Drew 251
17 Gene Massey 250
18 Floyd Odom 249
19 Dick Hathaway 244
20 Charles Loesch 240
21 Ken DiAngelo 232
22 Paul Santos 219
23 Neil Hastey 201
24 Gregory Long 198
25 Robert Holden 198
26 George Rumas 198
27 Herbert Bair 175
28 Robert McNeill 171
29 Edward Mayo 170
30 Denny Harkai 168
31 Robert Lauda 167
32 Harold Bakkelund 138
Subdivision Winners
Best Arms - James Morris
Best Chest - James Morris
Best Abdominals - Anibal Lopez
Best Back Willie Johnson
Best Legs - Peter Grymkowski
Most Muscular Man Winners
James Morris
Peter Grymkowski
Willie Johnson
I've never seen so many sandwiches being made, or just a half pound of this or that meat. . . plus milk, juices and pop being dispensed, except at picnics. I myself didn't mind starving for I knew that any weight I lost there that this would only allow me to eat twice as much when I got home, and better, more nourishing food. However, I must admit that the gnawing sensation in the pit of the stomach wasn't very pleasant, even after drinking several glasses of ice water. . . which only gave me some cramps! The next morning, however, I got up early and chowed up to makeup for the night before. But even after eating lunch and dinner, by midnight the hunger pangs again bothered me. I retired early to forget them! Other than that, Williamsburg was not only the fine, quaint, old historical place one reads about but was very neat and friendly, and those who were there certainly enjoyed their visit.
The whole set up looked like an ideal spot for the championships but some of the lifters, after having lifted, did not like the platform. However, while testing the lights for the physique contest I happened to walk over and stomped upon the platform. It was made up of heavy interlocking rubber sections, and it looked to me like it would be a great thing. However, I failed to consider how it would feel to a lifter when he was handling a heavy weight. Lifters are used to sliding their feet, and this was difficult on this platform, consequently, some of the lifters attributed their misses to the rubber platform. In any case, there was more missing and "bombing out" in this year's championships than ever before. Maybe it was the platform, then again, maybe some of the men weren't in the peak condition they thought they were, It's really hard to say.
Many spectators, and some of the competitors, in the past complained about the enervating heat that predominated over some of the National Championships, and many felt that if the environment was more comfortable, air conditioned, the men would do better and lift much more, while the spectators would enjoy the proceedings better. So this year Bob Crist, the meet director and sponsor of these championships, tried to please everyone. He selected a venue that was fully air conditioned that made it a great pleasure to sit there and watch the action. Some of the lifters, however, thought it was too cold but only because, I think, they came into the vast auditorium from the warm-up area that was not air conditioned, so the striking difference made itself felt. Some, on the other hand, seemed so intensely involved in their lifting that they were unaware of the temperature difference until it was all over. The audience, nevertheless, was very receptive and applauded every valiant attempt any lifter made, and this in spite of the fact that very few records were attempted, much less made!
In the physique competition 36 entries were mailed in but 32 showed up for the actual competition. The prejudging took place in a specially assigned room just for this purpose, with a seating capacity for 200 people to watch, The contestants were asked to report for the prejudging by 9:30 Sunday morning. I wanted to get in on this preview, so rose rather early and went out for breakfast, not knowing when I will have time to eat again. Breakfast, however, took longer than expected and when I arrived the men were already going through their poses. . . I had missed them as they came out in groups for comparison, which is the usual procedure.
The place looked filled, at least up front but I managed to squeeze into a spot and watched the men go through their posing display. When this was completed, which took about two hours, the people were asked to vacate the room in preparation for the interview, but first the competition for the various subdivisions took place. A few of the men were called out again and again while the judges studied them before making their final selection. This was followed by the interview. When this was finished it was well into the afternoon, I heard a couple of the contestants complain about being famished from the ordeal--and who wouldn't be?
It was quite obvious that most of the audience who observed the preliminary judging seemed to agree that this was going to be a good, close contest, judging by the way certain individuals were being called out again and again, yet when the final scoring was announced to the audience that night, the whole thing didn't jive. A total of 30 points separated the winner from the runner-up, after which less than 10 points separated the next six men. How was this possible? Unless there was an error in the final tabulation, but otherwise it's virtually impossible for any man to be that far ahead of others in today's competition. Such a man would have to rate a near-perfect score, while the runners-up would have to fall far behind. Yet it happened. Consequently, when the scores were announced it was at this point that the assembled throng started booing, something that has not been in vogue lately, and when it was, it was merely an isolated incident. But this time the booing verberated strongly throughout the huge auditorium and took some time before it died down. That evening, and the next day, many people were asking one another whether they agreed with the decision.
When the question was asked of me, my usual reply was that I had nothing to do with it, and if this was the decision of the judges, we will abide by it. We did this with others, so why not this time? The winner didn't give himself all those points, so he cannot be blamed, but the total seemed excessive, particularly since the contest seemed so tight and close.
I personally felt that the winner, whomever he might be, would not outclass his opponents by more than five points at the best, and possibly not more than two or three. But 30 is excessive, and in today's competition no man is capable of outclassing any opponent regardless who he is, or whom his competitors are. The men are too closely matched in today's contests, and no one seems to outperform the other, so how can he rate higher than a few points above his rivals, much less 30? But then study the points the third place man got, the fourth, fifth, etc. and you'll see there is only a point or two difference, which is closer to the usual scoring, although the discrepancy may possibly lie in the actual tabulation. This will not alter the places of any of the men even if there was an error in the final tabulation but simply make the scoring more on par.
In the Most Muscular Man contest, the scoring was more even as was all the subdivisions. The fact is, the top five this year shared all the trophies. . . that's what you call "keeping it ALL TOGETHER!"
So another contest came and went and, next year another one will be up for grabs again. Can anyone foretell the winner? Not on your life, although anyone can hint who it might be. But who can say about a newcomer who might jump into the limelight and fool everybody. It can happen, and does--occasionally!
The following are some pertinent facts about each man as supplied by Len Boseland, the MC for the evening. The men are listed in the order they appeared on stage and not in the way they placed.
Herbert Bair, Chesilhurst, N.J. is 38 years old, married and has two children. Is a supervisor and has been training 10 years.
Harold Bakkelund, Rockford, Ill. is 48 years old and started training when he was 40. Is bricklayer by trade.
Douglas Beaver, Fremont, Ohio is 30 and a college student. In the Jr. Mr. America contest Doug made quite a hit with the crowd by winning the Best Abdominals and Best Arms awards, while placing high in the Most Muscular contest, too. He's been training 10 years.
Mike Besikof, Van Nuys, California is married and 32 years of age. Has three children and is an attorney. He's been training 15 years.
Ken DiAngelo, Pennsauken, N.J. is 25 years old, married with three children and is a salesman. Ken's been training for 10 years and was inspired by his father, a former physique champion.
Ned Drew, Gaithersburg, Md. is 32 years old, is single and has been training for 10 years. Is a 3M market analyst.
Peter Grymkowski, Rochester, N. Y is 27 years old, has been training for seven years, is married and is a co-owner of a building maintenance company. He's placed second for three straight years!
Jim Handley, Baltimore, Md. is 27 years old, married with one child and is a fireman. He's been training for 11 years.
Denny Harkai, Cleveland, Ohio has been training for 10½ years. Married with two children and is a salesman.
Neal Hastey, New Britain, Conn. is 28 and single. Is a restaurant manager. He's been training for five years.
Dick Hathaway, Overland Park, Kansas is 30 years old, married and a salesman. Training for four years.
Paul Hill, Los Angeles, California is 30 years old, married and has been training for six years. He works for the telephone company.
Robert Holden, Cockeysville, Md. is 30 years old, married and has been training for 14 years. Has doctorate in business.
Willie Johnson, Akron, Ohio is 29, married with three children and has been training for seven years. Works in manufacturing truck tires. In recent Jr. Mr. America took several subdivisions and won Most Muscular Man title. Has improved a lot over the past two years.
Robert Lauda, Pittsburgh, Pa. is 28 years old, training for eight and is in wholesale meats.
Nathan LeBlanc, Hayward, California is 29 years old, single and is a butcher by trade. Has been training for seven years.
Charles Loesh, Minneapolis, Minn. is 25, single and is a paramedic emergency medical technician.
Gregory Long, Philadelphia, Pa is 24 years old, single and an iron worker. Training for eight years.
Anibal Lopez, New York, N.Y. is 30, married with two children, and works for the N. Y .C. transit authority. Been training eight years.
Eugene Massey, Mira Mar, Fla. is 24, training 11 years, is single and has a health food store.
Edward Mayo, Canton, Ohio is 26, single and been training seven and a half years. Is electronic technician.
Robert McNeil, Philadelphia, Pa. is 39 years old, married, two children and a private investigator. Been training between 12 and 14 years.
James Morris, Los Angeles, California. Jim won the Mr. America title this year. He's 37 years old and been training for 19 years. Is sales representative.
Floyd Odom, Longview, Texas is 33 years old, married and is a car dealer in Texas. Been training only two years.
Dan Padilla, Rochester, N.Y. is 22 years old and has been training six years. Operates grocery store.
Patrick Ruelle. Pontiac, Mich. is 24, single and a college student. Training for six years.
George Rumas. Chicago, Ill. is 22, single and a machinist. Training for seven years.
Paul Santos. Hartford, Conn. is 21, single and works as a carpenter. Training for five years.
Joe Sasso. Lynfield, Mass is 33, married and has four children. Has been training for 16 years and is an insurance salesman.
William. Sena. Western Springs, Ill. is 34 years old, married with two children and is a teacher. He's been training 14 years.
Fred Shandor, Manville, N.J. is 29 and engaged to be married. Has been training for nine years. Is a probation officer.
Tyrone Youngs. San Diego, California is 25, single and works for a truck corporation. Been training five years.
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1974 Mr America - AAU
1 Ron Thompson
2 Paul Hill
3 Douglas Beaver
4 Willie Johnson
5 Ralph Kroger
6 Dave Johns
7 Sammie Willis
8 Anibal Lopez
9 Lawrence Samuel
10 Michael Dayton
11 Joe Means
12 Bill St John
13 Fred Shandor
14 John Boos
15 Joseph Sasso
16 Eddie Love
17 Nathan LeBlanc
18 Danny Padilla
19 Chuck R Carlson
20 Joe Dodd
21 Tommy Richards
22 Sam Sanchez
23 Mike Kowach
24 Ron Gibson
25 James Friedel
26 James Handley
27 Robert Rogers
28 William Chapoton
29 Cliff Ford
30 Homer Gassett
31 James Karas
32 Patrick Ruelle
33 Robert Lauda
34 Hugh Huggins
35 Harold Bakkelund
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Muscular Development, Vol 11, No 7, Page 34, September 1974
Behind The Scenes Of The
MR. AMERICA Contest
By John C Grimek
EVERY BODYBUILDER who trains with any regularity has his sights set to win the Mr. America some day, and with this goal in mind he keeps training and plugging along hoping that someday he will become "the champ of the year !"
Obviously, only on the rarest occasions does any man win this title the first time around but then, sometimes the unexpected happens. It happened this year. No one, not even the champion himself, Ron Thompson, expected to win the crown this year but he surprised everyone, including himself, and became the "man of the hour."
SUBDIVISION WINNERS
Best Abdominals
Sammie Willis
Dave Johns (Tie)
Doug Beaver (Tie)
Best Arms
Doug Beaver
Dave Johns
Larry Sammuel
Best Back
Willie Johnson
Doug Beaver
Dave Johns
Best Chest
Ralph Kroger
Willie Johnson
Doug Beaver
Best Legs
Ralph Kroger
Ron Thompson
Paul Hill
Most Muscular Man
Winners
Doug Beaver
Willie Johnson
Ron Thompson
Paul Hill
Ralph Kroger
Over the past months certain men dominated the physique field, so quite naturally it was expected that one of these, a most logical conclusion, would take the title. Such stalwart specimens as Paul Hill, Willie Johnson, Doug Beaver, Mike Dayton, Anibal Lopez, Dave Johns are just a few to mention, have been upon the scene for some time and most followers of the game expected one of them to "walk away" with the title, . . but it just didn't happen that way, and certainly no one expected that the quiet and unassuming Thompson would get it . . . at least not this year, So Ron does deserve credit for this great achievement.
For example, last year in the Juniors he placed among the top-10 but didn't even bother to enter the Senior Championships. He did, however, compete in the Mr, USA contest in Scranton last September where he placed among the winners. This past May he sprung another surprise by taking the Junior title in Virginia, but even winning this, the second most important title in physique contests was not enough to give him the edge over the other contestants, since others have won the Junior title yet failed to repeat in the Seniors, Peter Grymkowski is a good example, although there have been others. But obviously in Ron's case this was just the victory he needed to spur him on to the top, and he did just that and came through with flying colors.
However, let's go behind the scenes a moment, just prior to the prejudging. It was Sunday morning and the contestants assembled in the dressing room of the York gym. Already some were warming up, others were going through their posing routines, a few were just flexing muscles here and there, and because the dressing room's air-conditioning wasn't working efficiently, it didn't take much pumping to bring out the sweat. Most looked terrific, muscles pumped up and striated and bodies glistening with perspiration. They were ready for the action.
Ron Thompson was among this group. This was the first I saw of him since Scranton. He looked very good and went about warming up in his usual quiet manner. He was one of those I casually questioned about his training, etc. I even congratulated him on his Jr. victory of a month ago, and even asked if he got a good transparency of himself for use on our cover. Ever since he won the Mr. World title, nearly two years ago, we've been trying to get a good transparency that would do him justice. Those we had on hand were fair but they certainly failed to justify his development. Now as I conversed with him, not realizing that he would be "the man," nor did he indicate this in any way that he had a better chance that the others, replied in the same quiet manner, expressing the hope that he would get some good pictures this time. . . and he did. The cover shot was taken that day.
As I quickly scanned the mass of muscles bouncing around I couldn't help but wonder who would be the winner this time. At this point I certainly would not venture any guess. To may way of thinking, every man there trained just as hard as the next one. . . but when the results would be announced, only ONE man will be the winner--and he was in this group.
As I stood around talking I could hear the coordinator telling the men to get ready to file out for the prejudging. The men, very cooperative, began walking out into the gym and lined up in a semi-circle. . . all 30-odd contestants. This was the first time in York that the public was invited to view the prejudging, and the place was over-jammed. The air-condition unit worked at full blast but it failed to do much good, and I could see that the judges had their task cut out for them, a most difficult one.
Prejudging of this sort was started in London at the Mr. Universe contest, and people were invited then to watch proceedings. It gave them a chance to match their views with the judges and see just how close their selection matched the judges. In most cases the people's choice tallied with that of the judges so that everyone was happier.
However, in judging the men in the York gym the task looked even more difficult, and trying to select just one man out of this group wasn't going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Many of the entries were OUTSTANDING and no one exhibited a clear-cut victory. At this point a few seemed to agree that Ron Thompson showed fine leg development, had a clean-cut abdomen, a fine back spread with an overall impressive physique, but no one even hinted that he had the best chance. For one thing, his approach was less dynamic and though he presented himself exceedingly well, it failed to match some of the others in the contest!
Ron, whom I thought was more muscular this time than in the past, came through to take third in the Most Muscular Man contest. He also placed in the Best Legs category but outside of these he got nothing, while others were getting these awards left and right. This made his chances even slimmer, at least from the public's viewpoint.
Among the entries this year were a few newcomers who were making their debut. . . and very impressively too. One fellow had a massive pair of arms and the consensus of many was that he would take the Big Arms trophy. He got second. His arms were big but I heard they lacked the full shape and muscularity that was needed. Sammie Willis, the young lad that won the Teen-age title a couple years ago, won the Best Abdominal award--and deserved it. He also placed 7th in the overall competition. Doug Beaver, who was called out more often than any of the other contenders, looked improved and very muscular, and apparently the judges felt the same way because they gave him the Most Muscular title, beating out Willie Johnson, the man who has won it several times before. Now in second place it must have made him wonder whether he over-bulked himself and lost much of his unusual muscularity this year.
This year there were several surprises, and this is why it's so hard today to predict the winner beforehand. This is impossible unless the contests were "fixed" . . . something's that highly improbable while these contests are under the AAU jurisdiction.
The prejuding lasted about a couple hours after which the men were interviewed. This part of the contest is conducted to help the judges evaluate the contestant's personality and decide whether the winner has the best qualifications to represent the title. However, many of the contestants do not like this part of the contest anymore than they appreciated the athletic ability test, which in recent years has been eliminated. However, the interview does provide the judges with an opportunity to a better insight about the individual and thus help them to evaluate the men better. This is the reason why some of the judges are often asked to serve again and again simply because they know the men better and very little escapes them.
After the interview had been completed the men laid around, sunbathed, although a couple took a fast workout. A few who found the ordeal too demanding just rested and waited for the time they would have to get ready for their final appearances. Shortly before the lifting finished the men were backstage preparing for the last stage of the show.
The contest got started around 8:00 PM, only slightly behind schedule, due to the outstanding lifting that took place. Those who are interested in this report should read the complete account about it in the August-September S&H magazine. The report is very fascinating and should provide those, who missed this outstanding event, with an excellent in-depth account.
Now after the lifting awards were presented, the auditorium was packed to near capacity with interested spectators who came to see the Mr. America display.
Before the contest started one could see people mopping their brows, and this in spite of the fact that the air-conditioning was running full blast. Obviously, tension mounted. MC Len Bosland made his appearance and mentioned that the contest was about to start. Just then the huge stage curtains parted revealing the large group of men who came to vie for the title. MC Bosland made a fine introductory speech as the curtains began to close. The house lights were already dimmed as Len called up the first man, giving him full credit for his previous accomplishments.
As the man approached the center of the pedestal the strong overhead spots accentuated his muscular details, and some looked truly outstanding. Each was called until the entire 30-odd entries had their chance to go through their posing display, all of which was fascinating and interesting to the audience. The audience responded with a fine round of applause for every man who appeared, and when all had "done their thing," the awards for the Most Muscular and subdivisions were presented, then things began to get more exciting. Doug Beaver not only got the M M title, one of the first upsets of the contest, but he was called out in almost every other category for a place. For a while it looked as if HE WOULD BE THE MAN.
Ralph Kroger, a man who has been out of competition for a couple years, was in this one and making amazing headway. In the Juniors, just a month before, he entered and placed in the top-five and won the Best Chest and Legs trophies. This too surprised a few.
After these awards came the nomination for the top-10. It would be from this group that the winner and four runners-up would be selected. Now as these men stood on stage, sweating, nervous and partially flexed, the M C called out the man for the 5th place-Ralph Kroger. In 4th place was Willie Johnson. Doug Beaver, the man who placed in most of the subdivisions and whom many thought might be the man, got 3rd. In 2nd place was one of the top favorites, Paul Hill, whom many thought had the best chance with his rugged, muscular development. But now that most of the favorites were already on deck in their respective places, the top man was yet to be called. Standing on stage were still some good men. There was Sammie Willis, Anibal Lopez, Ron Thompson, Larry Samuel, Dave Johns and Mike Dayton, who was in the top-10 but didn't even bother to take his place on stage.
Maybe the MC stalled at this point on purpose before announcing the name of the winner, and by now the tension was near its peak, as everyone anxiously awaited the winner's name. It was puzzling trying to figure out which of the five still on stage, it might be. The men themselves stood somewhat nervously. Then slowly, almost teasingly, the announcement came and the name of Ron Thompson echoed throughout the auditorium. A hush settled over the auditorium for a moment as if they didn't believe their ears, but as Ron approached and took his place upon the rostrum, the applause mounted. Ron's wife, a lovely girl, forced her way up on stage to her husband's side and was one of the first to congratulate him after he received his trophy --a very beautiful thing.
The applause continued with a note of mixed emotion, not really knowing how it all happened. Then as the men stood for pictures, and cameras flashed from every corner of the stage and auditorium, Ron glowed in his moment of triumph--just as everyone else does when he hits the jackpot. But even he looked perplexed and may have been partly shocked over this great, unexpected victory. The mild mayhem continued even as the crowd started tiling out of the auditorium, talking and discussing the events of the day. A few disgruntled remarks could be heard, which is expected under these conditions, though there were some who gave the winner due credit for having the tenacity of "getting in there" when the odds seemed stacked against him.
Thus concluded another great contest and a very oustanding one it was. The one noticable thing was that evervbody was very cordial and seemed to get along well-everywhere. Even lifters, some of whom failed to do as well as they expected, were cheerful and helped those against whom they competed. The Mr. A contestants were equally as pleasant and exchanged ideas about their training, posing and relative details. Some even helped the newcomers and gave help to anyone who sought it. Actually, the whole affair turned out to be one of the nicest gatherings we've seen in a long time. It's the kind of fellowship that is hard to find today but it does happen--occasionally.
Many visitors said that such championships are great for getting together. It's the only time that they can see and meet the men they have read and heard about... and to see them in action. . . well, that was something else!
A few of the old-timers also made the trip and had quite a pow-wow as they reminisced about their era. Men like Milo Steinborn, Ottley Coulter, Bob Snyder, Robert Knodle and Ed Zercher are from another generation, yet all who saw and talked to these men were convinced that the "barbell way of life" must be the best and these men prove that.
Ottley Coulter, of course, had some tough luck a few years ago when he fell and broke his hip. It never healed properly and, as a result, developed arthritis. Naturally this condition makes walking for him a great problem, yet he comes to every show we hold in York and is always welcomed, as are all other old-timers.
Milo, however, had to leave almost before he got settled. An urgent call from home made it necessary that he repack his bags and return home. His son Dick, however, stayed on and took numerous pictures, and plans to attend these affairs more regularly.
York was loaded with barbell men and enthusiasts that weekend, even John Decola, whom we haven't seen or heard anything from for some time, was here and looking great. And Ted Keppler, his wife and several elderly citizens, a real enthusiastic group, that come down for every big contest we hold. They are always a welcome sight. They exhibit so much vitality that one wonders where they get it. Ted of course is the springboard of this group. Now in his 60s he still remains a real dynamo. He has been instrumental in starting many youngsters in sensible weight training, and has interested older people in caring better for their health, some of whom accompany him to our shows. These senior citizens may be old in years but are young in spirit, which may be the reason for their youthful appearance, and that may be the real "secret" of staying young.
Ted's claim to fame, however, is that fact that he was a contestant in the first Mr. America contest (1938) even before it was sponsored by the AAU, and today he still manages to keep himself in fine shape by remaining active.
The fact that all good things must end sometime the events of that memorable weekend came to a close, and naturally, went by faster than many others. Of course a good deal of thanks must be given to the efforts of John Terlazzo who arranged the details for this gala affair and, hopefully, we will have many more to cement other friendships and better sportsmanship!
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1975 Mr America - AAU
1 Dale Adrian
2 Clint Beyerle
3 Pat Neve
4 Michael Dayton
5 Robby Robinson
6 Scott Wilson
7 Charles Amato
8 Sammie Willis
9 Paul Hill
10 Willie Johnson
11 Tyrone Youngs
12 Anibal Lopez
13 Floyd Odom
14 Dave Johns
15 Mike Kowach
Tall
1 Clint Beyerle
2 Michael Dayton
3 Willie Johnson
4 Paul Hill
5 Floyd Odom
6 Steve O'Neil
7 Dan Tobol
8 Rod Koontz
9 Edward Mayo
Medium
1 Dale Adrian
2 Robby Robinson
3 Scott Wilson
4 Charles Amato
5 Tyrone Youngs
6 Dave Johns
7 Paul Love
8 William Chapoton
9 Mike Besikof
10 Tom James
11 Patrick Ruelle
12 Joe Means
13 James Allen (2)
14 C F Smith
15 Cameron Douthitt
16 Gene Cameron
17 Greg Long
Short
1 Pat Neve
2 Sammie Willis
3 Anibal Lopez
4 Mike Kowach
5 Errol Coke
6 Ron Hutchinson
7 Bob May
8 John Burkholder
9 Dominick DiBetta
10 Henry Jinks
Most Muscular
1 Robby Robinson
2 Clint Beyerle
3 Pat Neve
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Muscle Builder, Vol 16, Num 7, Page 12, November 1975
AAU MR. AMERICA
by Gene Mozee
The Culver City Veterans Memorial Auditorium was the scene of one of the greatest AAU Mr. America contests ever. The caliber of competition was so outstanding that any one of the Height Class winners would have made a worthy Mr. America.
In the year 1939, a young, muscular, unknown named Bert Goodrich won the first Mr. America contest in Amsterdam, New York. Thirty-six years later, on June 19, 1975, another relatively unknown bodybuilder named Dale Adrian won the most recent AAU Mr. America title. Coincidently, both Goodrich and Adrian presently live in Canoga Park, California, which is barely further than a Brian Oldfield shot put toss from the home of Weider International and the editorial offices of Muscle Builder Magazine.
AAU MR. AMERICA SUMMARY
Short Class:
Pat Neve
Sammie Willis
Anibal Lopez
Medium Class:
Dale Adrian
Robin Robinson
Scott Wilson
Tall Class
Clint Beyerle
Mike Dayton
Willie Johnson
Overall Winners
Dale Adrian
Clint Beyerle
Pat Neve
Mike Dayton
Robin Robinson
Subdivision Winners:
Best Arms: Pat Neve
Best Chest: Pate Neve
Best Back: Willie Johnson
Best Abdominals: Chuck Amato
Best Legs: Dale Adrian
Most Muscular Man:
Robin Robinson
Clint Beyerle
Pat Neve
Mike Dayton
Sammie Willis
The new AAU Mr. America reminds one facially of Larry Scott with a dash of Robert Redford thrown in. Dale stands 5'7½" tall (the same as Scott) and weighs 198 pounds.
Dale possesses a near-perfect blend of ingredients that comprise the AAU Mr. America's standards of excellence. He is an outstanding athlete, has a degree in Health Sciences, works two jobs, trains seven days a week and still manages to find time for an occasional game of tennis and some swimming. In short, he is intelligent, hard working and dedicated. His outstanding muscular development, combined with his other accomplishments, make him an ideal representative of the sport of bodybuilding and a worthy Mr. America winner.
In a daring departure from tradition, the AAU boldly held the contest in height divisions--something the IFBB adopted more than ten years ago. It was popular with the contestants and audience alike. It opened up the event and allowed more men to receive recognition for their accomplishments.
The caliber of competition was outstanding. As the curtains opened, thirty-nine well developed athletes were lined up by height classes--Short Class in front, Medium in the middle, and Tall in the rear. It was impressive.
Pre-contest favorites Paul Hill (last year's second place winner) and Willie Johnson ('75 AAU Jr. Mr. America) failed to impress the judges. Hill finished out of the money in the Tall Class and Johnson has to settle for third in the same division.
The man who got most of the applause and the least of the trophies was the sensational Robin Robinson, a former college football and track star from Tallahasse. Florida. Until Robin mounted the podium, the audience had been responding with only moderate applause. But when Robin flashed his front double-biceps pose, the crowd suddenly came alive with an explosive ovation that lasted for a full minute after he left the stage!
SUMMARY BY HEIGHT CLASSES
Short Class
Pat Neve, former world bench press record holder (468-lbs. in the 181 lb. class), completely dominated this division. Neve has a dynamite upperbody loaded with mass, shape and razor-etched definition. If his lower body matched his upper, he just might be able to dump Pierre van den Steen! Sammie Willis finished a distant second. Although Sammie is very symmetrical, with good size and shape, he just couldn't overcome Neve's additional twenty-five pounds of muscle (Pat weights 180, Sammie is 155). Anibal Lopez posed well and placed third. Ron Hutchinson and Michael Kowach were the best of the rest.
Medium Class
This was the most hotly contested division, featuring nineteen competitors. Dale Adrian's excellent proportions, quality muscle and fine stage presentation was the margin of victory. Many in the audience thought that second place winner Robin Robinson should have taken both the Medium Class and the overall title. Third place was captured by Scott Wilson who also looked terrific. Unplaced but deserving recognition for their outstanding physiques were Chuck Amato, Mike Besikof, William Chapaton, David Johns, Joe Means and Tyrone Youngs. Most of the men in this class were good. It must have been an agonizing decision for the judges to narrow it down to just the top three.
Tall Class
Clint Beyerle was a clear-cut winner. He had his share of supporters who thought he should have taken the overall title. No one in the contest possessed as much vascularity as Clint. The veins in his delts and biceps resembled telephone cables! His posing routine is reminiscent of Chet "The Jet" Yorton's. Second spot went to the highly defined Mike Dayton. With more size, Mike could be dangerous next year. Willie Johnson, who's back looked half-as-wide as the stage, placed third. Rod Koontz, Floyd Odom, Steve O'Neil and Dan Tobollooked promising. Paul Hill appeared overtrained.
Summarizing the contest, it was well organized and featured an outstanding cast of competitors. They were all good. The contest was pre-judged in flat lighting in a marathon session that took the judges almost eight hours to arrive at their final verdicts. The presence of a television film crew (the event was aired on CBS's Sunday Sports Spectacular on July 27) and their bright flood lights, tended to washout the stage somewhat and diminish the impressiveness of the men under the posing light.
Although the contest started thirty-five minutes late (due to the weightlifting--which preceded it--running overtime), the sellout crowd of 2800 thoroughly enjoyed the event. It may well have been the best AAU Mr. America contest ever.
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Muscular Development, Vol 12, No 5, Page 32, September 1975
MR. AMERICA CONTEST
By Bill Reynolds
THE ANNUAL AAU Mr. America contest is the thing that bodybuilding dreams are made of and it seemed appropriate that Culver City's Veterans Memorial Auditorium stands right across from MGM's movie studios. And Sunday, June 22nd the dream came true for an unheralded young bodybuilder from nearby Canoga Park, California named Dale Adrian. But let's start from the beginning. . .
On Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. the giants started arriving for the prejudging. As they trotted in, each was carefully measured for stature because 1975 would be the first year for height classes in the "Mr. A."
Mr. America Top-Five
Dale Adrian
Clinton Beyerle
Pat Neve
Mike Dayton
Robert Robinson
Most Muscular Man Winners
Robert Robinson
Clinton Beyerle
Pat Neve
Mike Dayton
Sammie Willis
Short Class Winners
Pat Neve
Sammie Willis
Anibal Lopez
Medium Class Winners
Dale Adrian
Robert Robinson
Scott Wilson
Tall Class Winners
Clinton Beyerle
Mike Dayton
Willie Johnson
Subdivisions Winners
Best Abdominals - Charles Amato
Best Arms - Pat Neve
Best Back - Willie Johnson
Best Chest - Pat Neve
Best Legs - Dale Adrian
At about 9:30 Ralph Countryman, National Physique Chairman, briefed the assembled contestants stressing the impending thoroughness of the judging process. Arbiters included Clarence Bass of New Mexico, Don Dumo of Michigan, Oregon's Gerald Dunn, Howard Miller of Kentucky, Bob Packer from the host state, Ken Peterson of New Jersey and Mabel Rader from Nebraska--six men and one woman, all extremely experienced in judging national meets and a very good geographic sample.
Dressed in street clothing and with most in suits, the contestants filed individually and in alphabetical order before the judges for the interview section of their evaluation. The main interrogator was Len Bosland, the show's able Master of Ceremonies, but during each four to six-minute interview, individual judges had pet "tricky" questions designed to assess each man's ability to cope with the public. After all, Mr. America can't run around in posing trunks for an entire year and should be able to talk impressively and intelligently with the public. For the most part, the top men had fine interviews. From Dale Adrian to Ty Youngs this process took a bit over three hours. Immediately following interviews, the short class appeared before the judges ready to pose. Of the 40 contestants only David Brazil and Charles Loesch failed to show, and of the remaining 38, 10 were in the short class of men up to 5'6". Immediate standouts were Pat Neve, Sammy Willis, Anibal Lopez and Mike Kowach. Semi-relaxed comparisons were made front, side and back so the judges could begin sorting out the super from the merely stupendous. Flexed comparisons were then made and finally individual posing on a raised platform but under flat and ordinary room light. Via this exhaustive process the judges were able to arrive at place ratings in each height class. The medi um class was the largest of the contest with 18 competitors and it was this class in which the overall (more) winner, Dale Adrian, competed. Other standouts here were Most Muscular Man Robert Robinson, veteran Chuck Amato, Dave Johns, Scott Wilson and Ty Youngs. They were eventually sorted out and the tall class Came on, including giants like Clinton Beyerle, Mike Dayton, Paul Hill, Willie Johnson and Floyd adorn. They, too, were placed by each of the seven judges. Then the high and low scores were crossed off, the remaining places added up, and the man in each class with the lowest total was declared the winner, wit h the second-lowest second, etc.
During height class judging, each member of the panel had marked his/her body part favorites and these men were brought back for additional comparisons to choose each best bodypart winner. And finally, the top five men in each height class were assembled and ranked to decide Mr. America and his runner-up. It might be noted that from this procedure there may have been men in sixth or seventh in one height class better than fifth or fourth in another, and who would have been in the top 15 if all 38 had been judged as one unit.
As Len Bosland remarked to me, the overall quality of physiques among finalists was so great t hat judges at this level began to look for faults instead of strengths, the man with the fewest weak points being declared the winner. In smaller contests a man with one or two startling areas can win, but on the national level the top man always has fewer faults. Unfortunately many in the audience misunderstood this exha ustive process and vented their discourtesy by booing halfofthe final placings. Itseemed little reward for the nine hours of meticulous work put in by seven fine and experienced judges.
After a two-hour break the show went on with the public presentation. All 37 men (Kevin Mirich got lost in the shuffle between prejudging and public show) were presented to the audience as a group and then each height class posed individually. And what an absolutely incredible lineu p it was, including two former Mr. USA winners and four Mr. Californias. I n order of presentation they stacked up as follows:
Short Man's Class
JOHN BURKHOLDER, the current Mr. Washington is single, a teacher, 25, 5'3" and 175 pounds. He sported 17½" arms and is credited with a 400 bench and a 525 squat. John was very massive and fairly cut up but could have had more skin tone.
ERROL COKE from Indianapolis is married with one child and is a postal employee, 5'3½", 155 pounds 17½" arms and 450 squat. Errol had a light physique with pleasing lines.
RON HUTCHINSON is from LaMesa, California. He's 31,5'5½" 165 pounds, has done a 450 squat and is a former Mr. Western America. Ron's married and is intent on furthering God's work. He had a nicely defined physique but should get more sIze.
HENRY JINKS is from Orange, New Jersey where he is the assistant physical director at the local YMCA. He is 34, 5'3", 140 pounds and has curled 195. His hobby is ornithology.
MICHAEL KOWACH is from Warren, Ohio. He's 30, 5'6", 185 pounds and is the current Mr. Ohio. Married and with two sons, Mike is a millwright. He curls 215, benches 395 and deadlifts 600. His fine and symmetrical physique has won him high national placings in the past, but he appeared to be a bi t overtrained here.
ANIBAL LOPEZ comes from Puerto Rico via Hollis, New York. He is 32, 5'5½" 160 pounds and works for the transit authority. He has won virtually every title in the East and has placed very high nationally. He has a nicely sym metrica I physique with a fine abdominal formation that probably came to him as a result of gymnastics, which is his hobby.
BOB MAY from Los Angeles is a former Mr. New Jersey, single, 29, 5'6" and 170 pounds. He works as a physical fitness director and has deadlifted 500. Bob has a light, very defined body and posed well.
PAT NEVE traveled from Phoenix, Arizona and was the overall third-place winner, as well as third in Most Muscular. He's 28, 5'6", 185 pounds of rock-hard muscle. Pat is married with one child and works as a physical therapist. He holds the 1974 Mr. USA title, is a former high school all-state wrestler, and has even held the world bench press record. An extremely dense upper body and improving legs make him one of America's best. I was particularly impressed with Pat's warm and open personality.
SAMMY WILLIS' powerful physique can only be described as incredible. He's from Indianapolis, only 21, 5'3" and 165 pounds. He is a single plumber and has squatted 515. His super dense physique has won him TeenAge Mr. America and second in the Junior Mr. America. Sammy's the quiet type, but his muscles do all the talking necessary.
Medium Class
DALE ADRIAN was the first man to come out in the medium class and is the new Mr. America. His story was in the July/August issue of M D so he should be no stranger to bodybuilding fans. He has a very symmetrical and shapely physique with enough size and cuts to suit anyone. Except for his legs, he had no body part especially overpowering, but presented instead a harmonious whole body that no other contestant could match. Dale is the current Mr. California and the first since Bill Pearl in 1953 to take both the California and America titles the same year, as well as the first since Pearl to win the Mr. America in his first national contest. As a group the judges were very impressed with Adrian and nobody on the panel ranked him lower than fifth place.
JIM ALLEN flew in from Middleton, Ohio. He is 27, 5'8", 203 pounds, single and works at a health club. He is a graduate of Miami University and is a former Mr. Ohio. He squats with 550 and his 19" arms can muscle up a 300 standing press.
CHUCK AMATO from Portland, Oregon was one of the more seasoned competitors and returned after a several-years' absence from Mr. America competition. Chuck's 33, 5'9", 180 pounds, married and works as a recreation director. He is a former Mr. Pacific Coast and presents a light, but proportionate and muscular physique. He's a very pleasant individual and a dramatic poser.
MIKE BESIKOF from Woodland Hills, California is 34, 5'9" and 195 pounds of hard muscle. He's a married attorney with three children and is a former Mr. California. He squats with 550 and his 50" chest tapers down to a 31" waist. Despite coming off a recent bout with the flu, Mike presented a fine physique with deep muscularity. His legs could use more cuts, however.
GENE CAMERON is a very symmetrical 27-year-old bodybuilder from Phoenix. He is single, 5'9", 185 pounds and is a former Mr. Arizona. He's squatted with 525 and with more work for size he could be very good.
WILLIAM CHAPOTON at 34 was one of the older contestants. He's 5'9", 195, married with two daughters and hails from Detroit where he works as a police officer. A former Mr. Mid-West, Bill has benched 480 and showed a fine muscular physique.
CAMERON DOUTHITT is a college professor from Friendswood, Texas. He is 32, 5'9", 188, married with two children and is the current Mr. Texas. Cameron showed a fine set of legs and overall symmetrical development.
TOM JAMES is a young fellow of 24 from Portland. Tom is single, 5'8", 180 and has curled 205 with his fine 18½" arms. He's a former Mr. Pacific Northwest with plenty of future potential. Tom owns his own body shop (cars, not people), specializing in fiberglass repair and painting.
DAVE JOHNS is one of the bigger names in bodybuilding by virtue of several past high places in national meets. He's 28, 5'8½", 205 pounds, married and from North Hollywood. Dave works as a probation officer and was Jr. Mr. USA last year. He was finely drawn, but was overtrained. If he keeps training though, Johns will soon climb to the top.
GREG LONG flew in from Philadelphia. He is an iron worker (what else could a bodybuilder be?), is 27, 5'8", 190 pounds and single. Greg was a bit smooth, but should put it all together in a couple of years with a better contest diet.
PAUL LOVE is 35 and from San Jose. At 5'8½" and 193, Paul has won Mr. California and Mr. Pacific Coast. He's married with two children and sports 19¼" arms. He looked good and had an especially fine back. Paul's recently been powerlifting with an official 550 squat. Paul was a very pleasant man to talk with and is very knowledgeable about the weight game. (See his story on page 24 of this issue.) JOE MEANS traveled from Columbia, South Carolina and had many of the women in the audience in a flutter. Joe's a police officer, 24, 5'9", 195 and single. A former Mr. All South, he was fairly symmetrical and shows plenty of promise.
KEVIN MIRICH is a 21-year-old bodybuilder from Merriville, Indiana. He's a police officer and at 5'8", 188 pounds has just scratched the surface of his potential.
ROBERT ROBINSON of Tallahassee, Florida was absolutely astounding and a popular choice for the Most Muscular Man title. He's 24, 5'7½" and 195 pounds of rock-hard ebony muscle. Robert is married with three children and works as a commercial artist. A Mr. Florida, he has benched 400 and squatted with 600. He was rated high for Best Chest, Arms and Back, but lost a better overall placing due to lack of thigh cuts and calf size. He has nonetheless an astounding body that will take him far. I personally got the impression that he should have posed twice as long!
PATRICK RUELLE comes from Pontiac, Michigan and he wore his long blond hair in a neat bun at the back of his head. The hair was easily explained, though, as it helps give him respect in his job as a drug abuse counselor. Pat is 26, 5'8" and 185 pounds. He has won the Mr. Michigan title and looked very good.
C. F. SMITH was a new M.D. from Tennessee. He's married, 25, 5'8½", 185 and a former Mr. Eastern USA. "CF" presented a Zane-type build and was an Associated Press Little All-American football player in 1970.
SCOTT WILSON was very massive and impressive. He's 24, 5'8½", 205, married and a full-time student on the GI Bill (USMC for three years). Scott was last year's Mr. California and when he hits a most muscular pose people really sit up and take notice. Scott's definitely future Mr. America material.
TY YOUNGS from San Diego is also a former Mr. California and has copped the Mr. Pacific Coast title as we]l. Ty is single, a carpenter, 27, 5'8" and weighs 208. His torso was incredibly thick and no doubt built by exercises like Ty's 495 bench press.
Tall Class
CLINTON BEYERLE from South Gate, California was first up in the tall class. He was also second both in Most Muscular and overall. Clint has made fantastic progress in the last four or five months, possessing now a borderline superstar body with startling vascularity. Clinton is married and a student of chiropractics. He's 26, 5'10", 205 pounds with a 52" chest, a miniscule 29½" waist and strength enough to squat with 600 and standing press 300. For my money, Beyerle is the favorite for next year.
MIKE DAYTON of Concord, California surprised a few people by placing fourth in both Most Muscular and Mr. America. He's 26, 5'10" and 198 pounds of symmetrical muscularity. Mike's a UCLA grad and works as a moving company executive. Mike has won Teen-Age Mr. America and Mr. Pacific Coast. He's benched 470 and is a former high school state wrestling champion.
PAUL HILL of Houston, Texas was the favorite going into the contest but he showed up looking a bit smooth. He's 32, 5'10", 205 and was Mr. USA in 1973. Paul works as a repair foreman for South Western Bell.
WILLIE JOHNSON is the current Jr. Mr. America from Akron, Ohio where he works for a tire company. Willie won Best Back but he appeared a bit past his peak. He is 30, 5'10", 219 pounds and married with three children.
ROD KOONTZ is a computer operator from Torrance, California. He's married, 23, 5'11", 205 pounds and the current Jr. Mr. Southern California Rod likes karate and with more hardness to go with his fine proportions will soon be a big winner.
EDWARD MAYO is single, a lab technician from Canton, Ohio and he's 28, 5'11" and 205 pounds. An army veteran, Ed shows promise and has won the Mr. Lake Erie title.
FLOYD ODOM came from Longview, Texas with a very massive and defined physique. He is 35, 6'0", 220 pounds and married. Floyd is a former Arkansas powerlifting champ and squats with 630. His posing was jerky and with improvement could really help him place higher.
STEVE O'NEILL was another Texan from Humble. He works as a health club salesman. Mr. Texas is single, 23, 5'10", 200 pounds and looked very good. With a little better muscularity, Steve will win a lot of titles.
DAN TOBOL from Houston was the final contestant and was last year's Teen-Age Mr America. He's still only 19, and weighs 230 pounds at 6'1". He's single and works as a gym instructor. As a high school basketball player, Dan was on two state championship teams. Tobol needs more shaping up but he appears to have unlimited potential.
After each height class posed, trophies were presented to that class' top three men. In Short, Neve took first, Willis second and Lopez third. Medium had Adrian in the top spot with Robinson and Wilson second and third. And Beyerle copped the Tall class followed by Dayton and Johnson.. Ralph Countryman presented trophies to Short class winners, Dennis Tinerino (Mr. America-Mr. Universe) took care of the Medium class and the great Bill Pearl passed out hardware to the Tall class. Pearl got a five-minute ovation from the appreciative SRO crowd of over 3500.
Bodypart winners were Neve for Chest and Arms, Adrian for Legs, Johnson for Back and Amato for Abdominals. The popular choice for Most Muscular was Robinson, followed in order by Beyerle, Neve, Dayton and Willis.
And finally the big moment had come. Robert Robinson was announced as fifth place for Mr. America. Mike Dayton was surprised to win fourth and Pat Neve was happy to take third. Clint Beyerle was a solid. second. And finally, after building up as much suspense as possible, MC Len Bosland (one of the contestants called him the Howard Cosell of bodybuilding) announced symmetrical Dale Adrian as the 1975 Mr. America. The winner's trophy was donated by Perry Rader.
Dale is going to make a fine Mr. America. He is a great person and has a great physique and will be making himself available for posing exhibitions anywhere. He plans to enter the Mr. Universe this fall in London and will be writing a very informative series of articles in M D and S&H. Look for them soon.
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1976 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Kalman Szkalak
Tall
1 Kalman Szkalak
2 Clint Beyerle
3 Dusty Caldwell
4 Doug Nagy
5 James Buckley
6 Willie Robinson
Medium
1 Dave Johns
2 Joe Means
3 Fred Shandor
4 Richard Baldwin
5 Bob Gallucci
6 Eddie Love
7 Vic Seipke
8 Paul Santos
9 Alex McNeil
Short
1 Pat Neve
2 Ron Teufel
3 Tom Platz
4 Lawrence Gordon (2)
5 Robert DePalma
6 James Davies
7 Tom Hicks
8 Steve Borodinsky
Most Muscular
1 Joe Means
2 Kalman Szkalak
3 Pat Neve
4 Clint Beyerle
5 Dave Johns
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Muscle Builder, Vol 17, Num 8, Page 64, November 1976
1976 MR. AMERICA AAU REPORT
Text and Photos by Bob Berry
Philadelphia - Kalman Szkalak, a virtual unknown out of Gold's Gym in Venice, California, copped his height class and two body part awards to soar above more experienced and better-known competition to win the 1976 AAU Mr. America contest before a small and spiritless crowd.
After displaying stunning size coupled with good proportion to make a seemingly-effortless sweep of the tall class, Szkalak kept favorite Dave Johns and Clint Beyerle to second and third respectively when the ballots were in following a gruelling posedown in the overall competition.
Despite poor lighting, used for the previous weightlifting meet, and a general lacklustre flavor to the whole event, several athletes out of the field of 24 looked incredibly sharp and managed to stir the taciturn audience.
SHORT CLASS
Coming off of a neck injury suffered in a car accident that only hampered contest training, Pat Neve actually improved over his striking form of last year. With a greater accent on his legs, Neve put it all together to win the short class.
Last year's Teenage Mr. America Roland Teufel was a crowd pleaser in gaining second place. Spiralling improvement has this man ticketed to be a contender next year.
Tom Platz, on the smooth side, earned third place.
MEDIUM CLASS
Favorite Dave Johns disbanded all opponents with his well-honed mass in winning the class. There was contention from the slashed-to-ribbons Joe Means who placed second, but Johns' muscle size qualmed the rush. Fred Shandor took third place in a fight which could have justly gone to either Bob Gallucci or Rich Baldwin.
TALL CLASS
Only six contestants here, and it was all Szkalak, who was promptly dubbed "Kal the Unpronounceable." Clint Beyerle, looking smaller and less-defined than his strong showing of last year, managed only a mild challenge to the awesome bulk of Szkalak. Dusty Caldwell rated third.
SUBDIVISIONS
Best Abs - Teufel easily bagged this award with his closest competition coming from Neve and Means.
Best Arms - Szkalak put the guns to Johns and Neve and came up a big winner.
Best Back - Probably the strongest bodypart of the Szkalak physique. Once again an easy victory over Johns and Neve.
Best Legs - The size of several entrants couldn't deal with Means' extreme separation and definition. Beyerle and Johns proved to be the closest competitors.
Most Muscular - As the finalists were announced, Johns fifth...Beyerle fourth...Neve third... Szkalak runner-up, the crowd buzzed to the anticipation that young Teufel would win the most muscular. However Means, in all his striated splendor, won over the judges. There was the belief amongst some observers that despite his terrific cuts, Means lacked mass and density.
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Muscular Development, Vol 13, No 5, Page 34, September 1976
Mr. America Contest
A Clean Sweep For California
By Bill Reynolds
THE BICENTENNIAL EDITION of the Mr. America contest is now history, and after all the smoke had cleared three young Californians occupied the top spots. Like last year at Culver City, Philadelphia featured a surprise winner in the sensational young Kalman Szkalak, current Mr. California from Gold's Gym in Venice.
There were several notable highlites at this contest, but also a couple low points. Let's get the bad out of the way first so we can concentrate on the good. When compared to the top five from last year's Mr. America, this year's winners were equally outstanding, but the overall depth was a bit shallow. I can think of a minimum of 15 very good American bodybuilders--many of them Easterners--who failed to show. Can it be that they're afraid to risk their carefully nurtured reputations in the big national competitions?
MR. AMERICA CONTESTANTS
Short Division
Pat Neve
Ron Teufel
Tom Platz
Lawrence Gordon
Naim Dib
Robert DePalma
James Davis, Jr
Tommy Hicks
Steve Borodinsky
Medium Division
Dave Johns
Joe Means
Fred Shandor
Rich Baldwin
Bob Gallucci
Eddie Love
Victor Seipke
Paul Santos
Alex McNeil
Tall Division
Kalman Szkalak
Clint Beyerle
Dusty Caldwell
Douglas Nagy
James Buckery
Willie Robinson, III
Most Muscular
Joe Means
Kalman Szkalak
Pat Neve
Clint Beyerle
Dave Johns
Subdivisions
Best Arms - Kalman Szkalak
Best Back - Kalman Szkalak
Best Chest - Kalman Szkalak
Best Abdominals - Ron Teufel
Best Legs - Joe Jeans
The Top 10
Kalman Szkalak
Dave Johns
Clit Beyerle
Joe Means
Pat Neve
Ron Teufel
Fred Shandor
Tom Platz
Rich Baldwin
Lawrence Gordon
The second problem is one I still can't believe. There was absolutely no posing light at the public presentation. The contestants were forced to pose under normal house lighting, which showed very little in the way of muscularity. For many of the entrants this was a disaster, and anyone who missed the prejudging under a spot actually missed the contest. To compound this problem, a camerman from some local television station zapped on his floodlight unit every time someone looked good to him, causing a total washout of muscularity. I always like to portray my favorite sport in its best "light," but I'm afraid that the organizing committee blew a fuse on this one!
The light of the contest was provided primarily by the great young Kal Szkalak, overall Mr. America, tall class winner, second in Most Muscular, and winner of Best Arms, Chest and Back. For a 23-year-old competing in only his third contest, this was a sensational triumph!
You can read a lot more about Kal in my interview in this issue, but let me say that he made absolutely sensational improvement in the six weeks between his Mr. Californiaand Mr. America victories. He'd dieted longer and hit his legs harder, so his cuts were improved and his lower body much more in proportion to his upper body. Kal told me he felt about 25 percent improved, and I'd have to agree with him.
I don't think that anyone in the audience after the contest had a doubt that Kal's going to be one of the real greats very soon. His shape is outstanding and his symmetry almost flawless, He has that rare ability to look good from any angle, a quality that he shares with his predecessor Dale Adrian. Combine these qualities with steel hard definition and massive size like 20-inch-plus upper arms and you have something very special.
A smiling second to Szkalak was Dave Johns, runner-up to Kal at the Mr. California contest but who won the current Jr. Mr. America. Dave has superior symmetry, a tribute to his perseverance and to the guidance of his trainer Bill Pearl. Dave once had big arms and little else, but he's gradually built up each lagging bodypart until nothing stands out over any other bodypart at this point. At 220 pounds, Dave was the biggest man in the contest with any kind of physique at all. He was very impressive in his fine display.
Third was Clinton Beyerle, also of Pearl's Gym. Clint was much improved--indeed, he weighed about eight pounds more than last year, but with equal cuts--but he dropped a notch from his finish last year. Many less mature bodybuilders would have stormed off the stage at this result, but Clint took the decision with consummate dignity, a tribute to his sportsmanship. It is really a pity that we can't have more than one AAU Mr. America each year, because Beyerle would make a very good one, as would Johns, Means and the amazing Pat Neve.
At this point, I'd like to go class by class through the individual contestants, giving a bit of biographical information on each. Like last year, I'm indebted to Master of Ceremonies Len Bosland for much of this data. And like last year, Len did a great job of running the public presentation of the show.
Short Class
Bob DePalma -- Bobwas first up in the 5'7" and under class. He hails from Waterbury, Connecticut. Bob's 26, 5'4" and weighs 170. He works as a hospital supervisor and is single. He had a nicely balanced build, and with a little more work he should be in the money.
Niam Deb -- Niam was at the prejudging, but he didn't show up for the final. He had rather strange definition, with startling arm cuts and fair legs, but a relatively smooth upper body.
Steve Borodinsky -- A finalist in last year's Teenage Mr. America, Steve is from Bridgewater, New Jersey. He is studying political science at Rutgers. Still only 19, Steve's 5'5½"tall and still single. His side chest pose is pretty remarkable, but he needs better definition.
Ron Teufel -- A definite crowd favorite from Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, Teufel was quite a surprise to me. Even though he was last year's Teenage Mr. America and a recentM D coverman, Ron showed me far more muscle than I'd expected. Indeed, Ron was avery close second to Neve in this class, as well as the Best Abdominal winner. Ron is also 19, 5'5½", and still single. He told me he's benched 430 at 185 and has never lost a bench press contest.
Tom Hicks -- Tom's Pat Neve's training partner at the Phoenix, Arizona YMCA. He is 5'6" tall, 168 pounds, 29 years old and works as a machinist. Tom showed a light, but very hard physique. I found him to be a quiet guy, but very easy to get along with.
Pat Neve -- The Phoenix superman was also a recent M D coverman, but he was showing the effects of his tragic auto accident several months ago. Rear-ended at a stop sign, Pat suffered a cracked cervical vertebra and was confined to a neck brace for several weeks. Despite the lost training, Pat had improved his overall symmetry and was a finalist for Best Arms, Chest, Back and Abs. Had it not been for the missed training time from his accident, Pat could very well be wearing the Mr. A crown today. This is especially tragic, since Pat is thinking of retirement now.
Jim Davis -- Jim traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to compete. He's 25 and weighed 180 at 5'7". He manages a health spa and is single. I thought he had great proportions, but Jim could use more size and sharper definition.
Larry Gordon -- Flying all the way from Anchorage, Alaska, Larry made a commendable showing with his hardness and good proportions. He weighed 185 at 5'7" and works as an administrator for the Anchorage parks system. He's 35 years of age and single.
Tom Platz -- Tom was the last contestant up in the short class, and he ended up with the third place trophy in that division. He hails from Troy, Michigan and weighed a massive 200 pounds at 5'7". A 20-year-old, Tom attends college as a physical education major. We talked during the prejudging and he came across as a very dedicated bodybuilder. He has phenomenal thigh development, come by honestly via parallel squats like his recent 27 reps with 405.
Medium Class
Paul Santos -- Paul kicked off the 5'7" to 5'10" class. Traveling from Hartford, Connecticut to compete, Paul was an S&H coverman about this time last year. He weighs 195 at 5'7½" and is 24 years of age. He's single and works as a mechanic. Paul was very massive and looked especially good in his last two poses--a Boyer Coe type pose with arms extended to the sides, then crunching down into a most muscular shot.
Fred Shandor -- a real veteran of national competition at 32, Fred is from nearby Manville, New Jersey. At 5'7½" and 185, Fred showed a very balanced physique with especially good calves. It landed him in third place for the medium division. Fred's a probation officer and married. He told me he'd spent the last month training at Pearl's in Pasadena, and he credited "The Master" with full responsibility for his recent improvements.
Richard Baldwin -- Richard showed the audience a type of physique that even the general public would admire. He has fine proportions, was very trim looking and displayed very good arms and shoulders. He came from Tallahassee, Florida where he works as an assistant manager at a health spa. He's married, 29 years old, 5'8" tall and about 185 pounds of pure muscle.
Bob Gallucci -- A former Collegiate Mr. America and Teenage Mr. America, Bob lives in Windsor, Connecticut. He's a Junior High physical education teacher. Bob's married, 25, 5'9" and 200 pounds. He looked very good, but he was the palest of all the contestants. With a better tan and slightly better cuts, Bob's proportionate and massive physique would certainly have placed higher.
Eddie Love -- From Indianapolis, Indiana, Eddie packed 192 pounds of muscle on his 5'9" frame. He's 23, married and works as an orderly. Eddie has good muscle quality, but his proportions seemed a little off.
Alex McNeil -- Alex traveled from Jackson, Mississippi where he is with the police department. He's married, 35, 5'9" and 200 pounds. Alex had very impressive legs, and when he flexed his calf the audience really sat up and took notice.
Joe Means -- Joe's also a law enforcement officer, but he's from Columbia, South Carolina. At 5'9", Joe had trained down to 185, a drop of 15 pounds from his contest weight last year. He's 25 years of age and single (although his fiancee accompanied him to the contest, so it shouldn't be long before Joe "bites the dust"). Means was extremely cut up and has great body lines. He won Most Muscular, as well as Best Legs. Like last year's leg winner, Dale Adrian, Joe can display his sartorius quite prominently.
Vic Seipke -- At 44, Vic was the oldest competitor, but he gave up little in the way of muscle to the fellows 20 years younger. Vic's from Detroit, Michigan where he works as a firefighter. He's married and at 5'9" weighs 195 pounds. I was impressed with Vic's abdominals. He told me he was using this contest as a warmup for the upcoming Mr. America past 40. Looking over myoId Strength & Healths, I noticed that Vic was a top competitor in the Mr. America contest over 20 years ago!
Dave Johns -- Giant Dave was the final contestant in the medium division. He lives in North Hollywood, California and commutes a half hour each way to Bill Pearl's gym in Pasadena for his workouts. At almost 5'10" in height, Johns weighed a massive 220 and sported 20" arms. Dave's 28 years old, works as a probation officer and is married. He is the current Jr. Mr. America and came through fora big second place in this competition.
Tall Class
Kalman Szkalak -- The over 5'10" class started out with a bang--namely the eventual overall winner in the massive shape of 210 pound, 5'10" Kal Szkalak. Kal's married and works as a mixologist. For more details on this great bodybuilder, see his interview on page 32 in this issue, and his photo on the cover.
Clint Beyerle -- Clint lives in Southgate, a Los Angeles suburb and, like Johns, he also commutes to Pasadena to train under the direction of Bill Pearl. Clint will soon finish his studies for a chiropractic degree and his story was featured in the last MD. He could have placed higher, but one or two of his fellow contestants had spread some very uncomplimentary rumors about how Clint gets his vascularity. I've known him for five years, and he's always had the veins, so rest assured that the rumors are untrue. Also rest assured that Clint deserves the title and is a really great physique.
Doug Nagy -- Nagy is from Pennsylvania and at 24 years of age, he packs 185 pounds on his frame. He's married and works as a typewriter repair technician. With more size, he could be a threat in the future.
James Buckery -- A hometown man, Jim weighed 235 at 6'2" in height. A married 32-yearold, he works as a longshoreman. He impressed me as having a wealth of raw potential, as of yet not developed.
Dusty Caldwell -- Dusty ended up in third for this height class, but it was largely because of the undistinguished nature of the tall competitors past the first two places. Dusty is in the Air Force and stationed at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. He works as a technician/mathematician. At 28 years of age he carries 212 pounds on a 6'3" frame. He's single.
Willie Robinson -- From Los Angeles, Willie manages a racetrack. He weighed 270 pounds at 6'6" in height. He's 33 and married. Willie appeared relatively muscle-less and smooth. In the opinion of many, he should never have been allowed to compete, as his physique was below the standard usually expected from a Mr. America contestant.
The Subdivisions
Best Abdominals finalists were Ron Teufel, Joe Means and Pat Neve. All were quite outstanding, but Teufel took the award. He was extremely well developed in the midsection, with very deep ab development and terrific intercostals. Val Vasilef presented the trophy.
Finalists for Best Arms were Kal Szkalak, Dave Johns and Pat Neve, all of whom possessed superior arm development. In the end, Kal's size and balance won out. His arms measured slightly over 20 inches of muscle on my tape a month before the contest. Bob Hoffman presented the trophy and shook each contestant's hand enthusiastically.
When Best Back finalists were called out, the three from Best Arms remained. Val Vasilef presented the gold again to Kal Szkalak. Actually this subdivision was probably the tightest of all, with each of the three contestants looking extremely good.
Szkalak, Johns and Neve remained out for Best Chest. By the time this happened, everyone had just about concluded that these three had the best upper bodies in the contest. Again the massive Kal Szkalak received the trophy, this time from Jim Morris, a former Mr. America who was no stranger to that particular subdivision.
Best Legs finalists turned out to be Joe Means, Clint Beyerle and Tom Platz. Chris Dickerson, whom many consider to have the greatest legs, presented the award to Joe Means. And Joe had real leg cuts, as well as good proportions.
Most Muscular Man had five place winners. The fifth man was Dave Johns with his terrific size, while fourth was Clint Beyerle with his outstanding vascularity. Pat Neve settled in third and Szkalak in second. Finally an elated Joe Means was presented the first place award by Jim Morris.
Class Winners
Short Class winners were Neve first, Teufel second and Tom Platz third. This was a very close contest for first and second. Mrs. Evelyn Mayor, wife of the overall show organizer Dave Mayor, presented this trophy.
In the medium height class, Dave Johns was a clear winner. Means was second, and the well-proportioned Fred Shandor was third. Dave Mayor passed out the awards to these three fine athletes.
Kal Szkalak won out over Clint Beyerle in the tall class and Dusty Caldwell was third. Kal was really quite overpowering with his size, cuts and body lines.
Place Winners
Huge trophies were awarded to the first three winners. Earl Williams, meet. administrator, gave the third place trophy to Clint Beyerle. Second place was awarded by Ted Jordon, Deputy Commissioner from Philadelphia Recreation Department, to a very happy Dave Johns. And finally the big moment had come. First place--a huge trophy--was awarded during thunderous applause by Robert Crawford, Recreation Director for Philadelphia, to Kal Szkalak. Kal was justifiably elated. He and his wife Joan embraced for long seconds after he was given his award and before he faced the public.
Judges and Personalities
Before wrapping up this report, I'd like to mention the judges who labored for nearly eight hours to separate the contestants. National Physique Chairman Ralph Countryman of Oakland, California picked nine judges and ably directed the contest. The judges were Dr. Michael Walczak from Los Angeles, Tony Nicolini from New Jersey, head judge Peary Rader from Nebraska, Jerome Weiss from Ohio, Jim Mannion from Pennsylvania, Val Vasilef from New Jersey, Chris Dickerson from New York, Tim Neller from Oklahoma and Tom Ciola from the Adirondak Association of the AAU. Overall this was a great group, and I heard very few complaints about the final placings.
Among the many celebrities I met were John Grimek, Mr. America in 1940 and 1941; Jim Park, Mr. America in 1951; Dan Lurie, America's Most Muscular Man in 1942 and 1943; Jim Morris, a recent Mr. America; Val Vasilef, Mr. America in the mid-1960's,and Mr. America-Mr. Universe Chris Dickerson.
Next year's Mr. America contest has tentatively been awarded to Gold's Gym of Venice and it will be held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. We all had a great time in Philly. Maybe we'll see you next year! MD
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1977 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Dave Johns
Tall
1 Manuel Perry
2 Clint Beyerle
3 Pete Grymkowski
4 Dave Rogers
5 Dave Dupree
6 Saladin Ibn El Amin
7 Floyd Odom
8 Dennis Holmes
9 Louie Perotta
Medium
1 Dave Johns
2 C F Smith
3 Douglas Beaver
4 Lawrence Gordon (1)
5 Patrick Ruelle
6 Charles Amato
7 Dominick Coroniti
8 Robert Reis
9 Lance Dreher
10 Nathan LeBlanc
11 Vic Seipke
12 Alan Katoa
13 Alex McNeil
14 William Chapoton
15 Tom James
16 Benny Crawford
17 Sam Sanchez
18 James Pittman
Short
1 Ron Teufel
2 Tom Platz
3 Don Peterson
4 Andreas Cahling
5 Ron Neff
6 Robert Jodkiewicz
7 Bill Register
8 Bob May
9 Lawrence Gordon (2)
10 Dominick DiBetta
11 Donald Dawson
Most Muscular
1 Dave Johns
2 Ron Teufel
3 Clint Beyerle
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Muscular Development, Vol 14, No 5, Page 20, October 1977
The 1977 Mr. America Contest
Held in Santa Monica, CA July 16th.
By John C Grimek
THIS YEAR'S MR. AMERICA Contest was an extravaganza! A very colorful event, it was also a very successful one as the auditorium was "jam-packed" at both sessions.
To get things rolling for the big event, a parade was held about noon on the day of the contest. A Lot of bands and performers took part but the "hit" of the parade was the musclemen who rode atop elephants ala Tarzan style. Among these men was Ken Waller who pleased the crowd by flexing his biceps and lifting his chest as he paraded past the throng-filled streets. A float with a banner heralding Gold's Gym was also lined with musclemen and a few shapely females.
Results submitted
by Dave Sauer
Short Class
Ron Teufel
Tom Platz
Don Peterson
Andreas Cahling
Ron Neff
Robert Jodkiewicz
William Register
Bob May
Lawrence S Gordon
Dominick DiBetta
Donald Dawson
Medium Class
Dave Johns
C F Smith
Douglas Beaver
Larry M Gordon
Pat Ruelle
Charles Amato
Dominick Coroniti
Robert Reis
Lance Dreher
Nathan LeBlanc
Victor Seipke
Alan Katoa
Alex McNeil
Bill Chapoton
Tom James
Benny Crawford
Samuel Sanchez
James Pittman
Tall Class
Manuel Perry
Clinton Beyerle
Pete Grymkowski
Dave Rogers
David DuPree
Saladin Ibn El-Amin
Floyd Odom
Dennis Holmes
Louie Perrotta
1977 Mr America Winners
& Runners-up
Dave Johns
Manuel Perry
Ron Teufel
Subdivision Awards
Best Abdominals - Teufel
Best Arms - Perry
Best Back - Johns
Best Chest - Johns
Best Legs - Platz
Best Poser - Perry
Most Muscular - Dave Johns
The Grand Marshal of the parade was Bert Goodrich, and he was followed by another car with Dan Lurie and his wife, then a Santa Monica official followed.
The parade continues for well over two hours and terminated at the Santa Monica Auditorium where the prejudging was scheduled. By this time the doors of the auditorium were already opened and much of the crowd who came to see the prejudging was already in their seats.
The place was filled to near capacity and it took about three hours to complete the prejudging. It was a fine performance, however, and it was quite obvious that those who attended appreciated the efforts of the men who were being judged.
The stage was huge and although the lights were specially set, they were not as good as expected. Many of the contestants moved too far front and got into too much shadow, although the two lower lights did silhouette the body somewhat to give a fine outline. Not all the poses, of course, were suited to this type of lighting, though occasionally one of the posers struck a compatible pose and he looked especially impressive.
Yet the overall effect was often lost because of the lighting. I mention this only because a number of people discussed the lighting with me, thinking I had something to do with it. A few didn't mince words either, and when they found I had nothing to do with it, then they became even more expressive.
On the whole, however, the idea for the evening performance was excellent! The same type of lighting was used but this time there were three men on stage at a time - one was in the spotlight and the other two remained ready in the darkened areas.
As soon as one man completed his poses, the lights were doused over him and an introduction was given to the man who was waiting for the spotlight to hit him...and best of all, an orchestra was on stage playing accompaniment as the man posed. A lot of credit must be given to the director because he tried to set his tempo to the way the man posed and sometimes he had it down so well that it seemed as if they had practiced for a long time in order to perfect it. Yet, it was all done on the spur of the moment!
The evening performance started on time and played to a full house, 3500-plus...there were very few (if any) empty seats in the auditorium that night.
The thirty-odd contestants were all presented on stage and then, they were brought out individually although, as we said, there were always three men on stage at all times. This contributed to things running so smoothly and there was never much of a lull.
At one point a break was given, however, and the handbalancing team of David and Goliath was presented. These two have had a very impressive handbalancing act for years but in this case the lighting was not what was expected and the effect they presented was not as dramatic as usual. Moreover, they were not accustomed to the stage and Goliath, the bottom man, wasn't as secure and stable as he has been in the past. Nevertheless, the exhibition proved to be a big success with the crowd.
Unfortunately, however, there was one sore spot in the event. Serge Nubret who made the trip from Paris as a guest poser was not permitted to pose. The Pro Mr. Universe titleholder appeared to be in hard, muscular condition and was prepared to present his posing routine...but at the last minute was barred from doing so. At the AAU/IFBB meeting the next day certain facts were brought to light about Nubret doing an expose about the IFBB. So, it was clear to all who wondered why Nubret did not appear and when the meeting was over, Nubret filled everyone in as to why he thinks he was barred. But knowing how the IFBB operates, it figures!
Getting back to the contest itself, however. The MC did a fine job throughout the evening but in his haste to introduce Mae West he forgot to announce the winner. He only called the third place and second place men up but most people correctly concluded that the winner was Dave Johns.
He also failed to announce who won the Most Muscular and the subdivisions...but I can understand his position. As Mae entered she got a big hand, and since he was trying to give her a complimentary introduction, his mind forgot the details.
Yet, because of Mae West, Dave Johns' picture got worldwide coverage. We salute you Dave Johns and we hope you wear the crown well!
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1978 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Tony Pearson
Tall
1 Manuel Perry
2 Clint Beyerle
3 Gary Leonard
4 Rod Koontz
5 Frank Wainwright
6 William Nuckols
7 John Aldrich
8 Louie Perotta
Medium
1 Tony Pearson
2 Larry Jackson (1)
3 Richard Baldwin
4 Lawrence Gordon (1)
5 Robert Reis
6 Ray Mentzer
7 Ron Magnum
8 Ron McBeath
9 Eddie Love
10 C F Smith
11 Donald Ausmus
12 Douglas Beaver
13 Fred Shandor
14 Sam Sanchez
15 Charles Thomas
16 Robert Klez
17 Keith Kephart
18 Gary Goss
19 James Nelson
20 Ronald Buchanan
Short
1 Ron Teufel
2 Tom Platz
3 Carlos Rodriguez
4 Anthony Pandolfo
5 John Iacobelli
6 James Seitzer
7 David Mastorakis
8 Sammie Willis
9 Mike Arnold
10 Robert Jodkiewicz
11 Lionel Gaubert
12 James Gaubert
13 John Ruehlman
14 Ron Barrett
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Muscular Development, Vol 15, No 6, Page 30, December 1978
1978 MR. AMERICA CONTEST
Cincinati, Ohio
September 2, 1978
Reported by Jan Dellinger
ON SATURDAY evening, September the 2nd, bodybuilding aficionados from across the United States jammed into the majestic Cincinnati Music Hall auditorium to witness the main event in the realm of muscledom...the crowning of a new Mr. America.
As usual, this prestigious happening provided plenty of excitement and a few surprises. According to pre-contest gossip, most of those in attendance felt that it would be basically a one, or possibly, two-man competition. However, one of the most enticing features about bodybuilding is its unpredictability and it was evident on this occasion.
Placings in
Each Height Category
Results by Dave Sauer
Short Group
Ron Teufel
Tom Platz
Carlos Rodriguez
Tony Pandolfo
John Iacobelli
James Seitzer
Dave Mastorakis
Sammie Willis
Mike Arnold
Robert Jodkiewicz
Lionel Gaubert
James Gaubert
John Ruehlman
Ron Barrett
Medium Group
Tony Pearson
Larry Jackson
Richard Baldwin
Larry Gordon
Robert Reis
Ray Mentzer
Ron Mangum
Ron McBeath
Eddie Love
C. F. Smith
Don Ausmus
Doug Beaver
Fred Shandor
Sam Sanchez
Charles Thomas
Robert Klez
Keith Kephart
Gary Goss
James Nelson
Ron Buchanan
Tall Group
Manuel Perry
Clinton Beyerle
Gary Leonard
Rod Koontz
Frank Wainwright
William Nuckols
John Aldrich
Lou Perrotta
Subdivisions
Mr. America
Tony Pearson
Most Muscular Man
Tony Pearson
Best Abdominals
Ron Teufel
Best Arms
Manuel Perry
Best Back
Larry Jackson
Best Chest
Larry Jackson
Best Legs
Tom Platz
Best Poser
Tony Pearson
Mr. America
Pose-down Results
Tony Pearson
Four 1st place votes
(Graham, Kuehn,
Miller & Wulff)
Ron Teufel
Two 1st place votes
(Manion & Mese)
Manuel Perry
One 1st place vote
(Hudson)
Judges:
Mike Graham,
Byron Hudson, Kent
Kuehn, Jim Manion,
John Mese, Rod
Miller, Harry Wulff
The proceedings got underway with a resounding bang as the legendary Bill Pearl commemorated the 25th anniversary of his 1953 Mr. America victory by staging an absolutely phenomenal posing display. This was a rare treat, indeed, for it afforded comparative newcomers-like this reporter-and long-time followers of the bodybuilding game an opportunity to watch the famed Pearl physique in action...and believe me, at the age of 48, he's still got it.
Needless to say, the crowd was definitely responsive to Pearl's efforts. In fact, each new pose generated more enthusiasm than the one before it. When he concluded, the audience showed its appreciation with a thunderous standing ovation.
Being the "class guy" that he is, Pearl reciprocated by addressing the zealous throng, expressing his fondness for bodybuilding and thanking fans everywhere for their loyal support.
The festivities' upbeat tempo heightened even more as the short class competitors for the Mr. America diadem filed out on stage. As one scrutinized this fine group of athletes, it was obvious that the judges had their work cut out for them. Naturally, the "smart money" was on Ron Teufel because he won this class and finished third overall at last year's Mr. A contest. Plus he had quite a streak going for himself this year, taking such highly regarded titles as Mr. USA and Mr. California. The latter award is a particularly good omen, for in recent years winners of this contest have used it as a stepping stone to the Mr. America crown. However, as we shall soon see, it was not to be in Ron's case.
Keeping the pressure on Teufel in the short division were such men as Tom "Mr. Legs" Platz, Sammie Willis, the fast-rising Gaubert brothers, Lionel and James, the current Jr. Mr. California, Robert Jodkiewicz, Tony Pandolfo and Dave Mastorakis.
When it was all said and done, Ron Teufel prevailed, with Platz coming second and Carlos Rodriguez, a newcomer to AAU Mr. America competition, taking third.
Talk about a star-studded lineup...get a load of some of the big names that vied for the top spot in the medium height division...C. F. Smith, Ray Mentzer, Florida physique sensation, Richard Baldwin, Doug "the Bear" Beaver-who was third in this class last year- Larry Jackson, winner of the tall class at the Mr. California contest, Tony Pearson, current Jr. Mr. America and Jr. Mr. USA, Robert Reis and Eddie Love.
Here again, the panel of judges had some tough choices to make. But, after considerable deliberation, they had Pearson in first, Jackson second and Baldwin in third.
For the second year in a row, two Californians, Manuel Perry and Clint Beyerle, finished one-two in the tall man competition. After watching these men pose, many observers thought Beyerle may have a chance of upsetting Perry, due to the fact that the latter appeared a bit too smooth. However, the judges did not concur with their opinion.
Third place went to another fast-rising physique-man who was making his first bid for the Mr. A title, Gary Leonard. Rounding out the field in this class was Rod Koontz, a bodybuilder / powerlifter who possesses a rugged build, John Aldrich, 1978 Mr. Iowa, Frank Wainwright, current Mr. PA, Bill Nuckols and Lou Perrotta.
After the tall class had been decided, the moment of truth had arrived. The individual height class winners Teufel, Pearson and Perry were summoned to the stage to give everyone one last look before the final decision was made.
Then everything quieted down and the announcer asked for the envelope containing the name of the winner. As the entire auditorium sat with bated breath, the suspense mounted rapidly. Finally, the announcer declared Tony Pearson 1978 Mr. America.
For some unknown reason, no mention was made as to who was the runner-up and third-place man overall. While there may be a logical explanation for neglecting these awards, it seems to me that the bodybuilding fans who shelled out their hard-earned dollars to see this event were shortchanged to a degree.
Nevertheless, as is often the case, the verdict created quite a bit of controversy among the spectators. Many of the Teufel and Perry rooters reacted vehemently against the decision, claiming that the winner's incomplete calf development impaired his symmetry.
Looking at it objectively, though, many of the experts felt that Teufel appeared slightly overtrained. Reportedly, Ron had reduced his food intake drastically the last couple of days prior to the contest so as to shed a little unwanted bulk and enhance his muscularity which he did. However, he may have overdone it a bit and therefore, their criticism may have been valid.
As far as Manuel Perry is concerned, I have already covered the reason which more than likely led to his downfall. However, in all fairness, I should add that his physique exhibited a great deal of massiveness, particularly his arms.
On the other hand, Pearson partisans maintained that their man had a good combination of size and exceptional muscularity and also had a hot streak of his own, copping the Jr. Mr. America and Jr. Mr. USA titles this year. This, in their mind, made him more than deserving.
Bear in mind too that four of the seven judges gave Pearson first-place votes while Teufel and Perry only got two and one first-place votes respectively.
In addition to winning the Mr. America title, Tony Pearson also corralled two of the sought-after subdivision awards: Most Muscular Man and Best Poser. Other subdivision winners were:
Best Abdominals-Ron Teufel
Best Arms-Manuel Perry
Best Back-Larry Jackson
Best Chest-Larry Jackson
Best Legs-Tom Platz
In closing, I'd like to extend my congratulations to the organizers of the contest in Cincinnati and to those men whose task it was to select this year's Mr. America. * *
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1979 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Ray Mentzer
Tall
1 Gary Leonard
2 Dave Rogers
3 Clint Beyerle
4 John Kemper
5 Rod Koontz
6 John Brown
7 Caesar Juliani
8 Frank Calta
9 Robert Jordan
10 Gregory Comeaux
11 Patrick Hayes
12 Douglas Williams
13 Paul Montminy
14 Doug Nagy
15 James Buckley
16 Mark Brazen
Medium
1 Ray Mentzer
2 Greg DeFerro
3 Joe Means
4 Les Galvin
5 Mario Nieves
6 Billy Arlen
7 Stephen Sepaniak
8 Richard Baldwin
9 Robert Reis
10 Jesse Gautreaux
11 Gary Goss
12 Ron Magnum
13 Casey Schneider
14 James Allen (2)
15 Tom Alaimo
16 Sam Sanchez
17 Michael Farley
18 Fred Shandor
19 John Mazos
Short
1 Ron Teufel
2 James Seitzer
3 Robert Jodkiewicz
4 Ernie Santiago
5 Anthony Pandolfo
6 Don Peterson
7 David Campbell (1)
8 James Gaubert
9 James Underwood
10 Lionel Gaubert
11 Ken Passariello
12 Wesley Brown
13 Steve Gross
14 John Ruehlman
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Muscular Development, Vol 16, No 6, Page 28, December 1979
MR. AMERICA CONTEST REPORT
By the Editor
still to be typed in
Mr America
Class A
Ron Teufel
Jim Seitzer
Bob Jodkiewicz
Ernest Santiago
Tony Pandolfo
Don Peterson
David Campbell
David Mastorakis
James Gaubert
James Underwood
Lionel Gaubert
Wesley Brown
Steve Gross
John Ruehlman
Class B
Ray Mentzer
Greg Deferro
Joe Means
Les Galvin
Mario Nieves
Bill Arlen
Stephen Sepaniak
Richard Baldwin
Robert Reis
Jessie Gautreaux
Gary Goss
Ron Mangum
Casey Schneider
James Allen
Alex McNeil
Tommy Alaimo
Sam Sanchez
Micheal Farley
Fred Shandor
John Mazo
Class C
Gary Leonard
Dave Rogers
Clinton Beyerle
John Kemper
Rod Koontz
John Brown
Caesar Juliani
Frank Calta
Bob Jordan
Gregory Comeaux
Patrick Hayes
Douglas Williams
Frank Wainwright
Paul Montminy
Douglas Nagy
James Buckery
Mark Brazen
Subdivision Winners
Best Abdominals
Ron Teufel
Best Arms
Gary Leonard
Best Back
Ray Mentzer
Best Legs
Ray Mentzer
Best Chest
Don Pederson
Best Poser
John Brown
Most Muscular
Greg Deferro
PHOTO CAPTIONS
- Mr. America for 1979 is Ray Mentzer from Ephrata, Phennsylvania, but now living in California. Ray also won trophies for Best Legs and Best Back plus his height division. His size and musularity made the difference.
- Doc Neely (left) and Jim Manion, Physique Chairman, congratulate Ray on his Mr. America vicotry. Doc Neely and his staff dis a fine job on the contest.
- Greg Defarro won Most Muscular.
- Ron Teufel won his height class (short) and took the Best Abdominal trophy. He looked very musuclar in the contest.
- Gary Leonard was one of the favorites. he won his height class (tall) and the Best Arms trophy.
- A view of some of the Class-A contestants in the lineup. The massiveness of the lettering AMERICA in the background make the setting even more dramatic.
- Dave Rogers placed second in his class division and looked heavier and mroe muscular than when he appeared on our cover in 1978, the October edition.
- The top contestants in the tall class lineup. Extreme right is John Brown whose posing routien was nicely done. He got the Best Poser award...and deserved it.
- Jim Seltzer placed 2nd to Ron Teufel. He was among those favored in the short class.
- Bob Jodkiewicz, short class, placed 3rd.
- Joe Means was back on the scene. He picked up a 3rd.
- Clint Beyerle also placed 3rd in Class-C.
- The top men in the medium height class. From left: Dick Baldwin, Mario Nieves, Greg Deferro, Ray Mentzer and Joe Means. All potential winners.
- Two well-built contestants; Bill Arlen (left) and Les Galvin.
- A fine pose of Richard Baldwin.
- Mario Nieves displays a great physique.
- Another impressive musular pose of the winner, Ray Mentzer.
- Mr. America waves his hands in a victorious gesture while the huge throng that packed the auditorium that night applauded vociferously. Unidentified young lady and fellow (on right) gave out trophies. The massive lettering can be appreciated in this photo by Denie.
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1980 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Gary Leonard
HeavyWeight
1 Gary Leonard
2 Greg DeFerro
3 Lance Dreher
4 John Kemper
5 Billy Arlen
6 John Brown
7 Ray Wilson
8 Rufus Howard
9 Marlon Darton
10 Stephen Sepaniak
11 Robert Reis
12 Dave Rogers
Light-HeavyWeight
1 Bronston Austin
2 Ron Teufel
3 Ernie Santiago
4 Charles Glass
5 James Seitzer
6 Robert Jodkiewicz
7 Paul Love
8 Larry Jackson (1)
9 Raymond Gingo
10 Patrick Hayes
11 Jesse Gautreaux
12 George Palmiero
MiddleWeight
1 Richard Baldwin
2 Bill Register
3 Casey Schneider
4 Mike Torchia
5 Derek Prescod
6 Charles Colson
7 Anthony Pandolfo
8 Ed Holmes
9 Earl Herndon
10 Philip Cianciolo
11 James Gaubert
12 David Campbell (1)
LightWeight
1 Ken Passariello
2 John Burkholder
3 Joe Distinti
4 Larry Manuel
5 Paul Daniels
6 Joe Adams
7 John Manoogian
8 Lionel Gaubert
9 Robert DePalma
10 Cornell Maye
11 Dean Tornabene
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1981 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Tim Belknap
HeavyWeight
1 Lance Dreher
2 Robert Reis
3 Donald Ausmus
4 Robert Coburn
5 Jerry McCall
6 Marlon Darton
7 Ron McBeath
8 Jeff Everson
9 Daniel Franklin
10 Mike Quinn
Light-HeavyWeight
1 Tim Belknap
2 Rory Leidelmeyer
3 Billy Arlen
4 Bronston Austin
5 Charles Glass
6 Ernie Santiago
7 Jesse Gautreaux
8 Alan Katoa
9 Paul Love
10 Raymond Gingo
MiddleWeight
1 James Youngblood
2 Ellis Evans
3 Charles Colson
4 Bill Register
5 Pat Neve
6 James Gaubert
7 Robert Jodkiewicz
8 Anthony Pandolfo
9 Casey Schneider
10 Greg Silha
LightWeight
1 Ken Passariello
2 Cliff Koons
3 Jose Guzman
4 Steve Davis (2)
5 Dean Tornabene
6 Paul Daniels
7 Larry Manuel
8 Don Andersen
9 Joe Distinti
10 Dan Carpenter
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1982 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Rufus Howard
Tall
1 Rufus Howard
2 Marty Vranicar
3 Craig Cole
4 Thomas Willert
5 Tim Bell
6 William Busby
7 Don Higgs
8 Brian Knott
9 Garland Donoho
10 Dennis Desmarais
11 Alfred Coleman
12 Joe Ceraolo
13 Arthur Herbert
Medium-Tall
1 Phil Rohde
2 Ron Hensley
3 Tim Smalley
4 John McClay
5 Charles Rogers
6 David Brown (1)
7 Robert Klez
8 John Harms
9 Jack Farneti
10 Louie Perotta
11 Frank Celentano
Medium
1 Jesse Gautreaux
2 Abe Cuesta
3 Joe Bucci
4 Tim Young
5 Richard Warfield
6 Michael Farley
7 Tommy Lamparski
8 John Robinson
9 Sam Sanchez
10 Guy Siegel
11 David Spring
12 Reggie Austin
13 Jim Ganley
14 Bob Todt
Short
1 Mike Sable
2 Larry Bernstein
3 Al Disiena
4 Wayne Martin
5 Leon Brown
6 Peter Erskine
7 Gene Lumumba
8 Dennis Wood
9 Isaac Cook
10 Tony Kingsbury
11 Martin Joyce
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1983 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Jeff King
Tall
1 Marty Vranicar
2 Steve Cavanaugh
3 Jeff Monson
4 Sam Pasco
5 Craig Cole
6 Theodore Robinson
7 Louie Perotta
8 Tom Koteki
Medium-Tall
1 Jeff King
2 Phil Rohde
3 Rich Poston
4 Billy Arlen
5 Doug Brignole
6 Michael McKinley
7 Craig Harris
8 Steve Bohnstedt
9 Peter Moen
10 Gary Hines
11 Tim Smalley
12 David Brown (1)
13 Robert Richardson
14 Steve Brown (1)
15 Ken Clenin
16 David Kruck
17 James Bucci
Medium
1 Jesse Gautreaux
2 Robert Reis
3 J J Marsh
4 Abe Cuesta
5 Gerald Riley
6 Rick Sampson
7 Richard Warfield
8 Rick Wilkins
9 Tim Smith (1)
10 Markam Wheatley
11 Tim Young
12 James Johnson (1)
13 Fred Donaldson
14 Alex McNeil
Short
1 Larry Bernstein
2 William Hatcher
3 Allen Kirsch
4 Robert Jodkiewicz
5 Philip Outlaw
6 Preston Duffield
7 Dennis Wood
8 Wayne Martin
9 Gunns Hulett
10 Robert Iadevaia
11 Dennis Stacy
12 Ivor Butcher
13 Don Shubert
14 Doug Nassif
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1984 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Joe Meeko
Tall
1 Arthur Prince
2 James Monson
3 Tim Bell
4 Jeff Monson
5 Tim Smolinski
6 Ron Thrash
7 Craig Cole
8 Ric Dittmar
9 Sam Pasco
10 Antonio Lopes
Medium-Tall
1 Rich Poston
2 Craig Heber
3 Carl Meisenhelder
4 John Moore (1)
5 Phil Rohde
6 Dave Dupre (2)
7 Roland Jehl
8 Greg Tefft
9 Paul Druash
10 Danny Wingham
Medium
1 Joe Meeko
2 Abe Cuesta
3 Mike Quinn
4 Richard Roy
5 John Gust
6 Raymond York
7 Robert Reis
8 Tommy Lamparski
9 Randy Holman
10 Gerald Riley
Short
1 Joe Gomes
2 Quincy Roberts
3 Cliff Koons
4 Allen Kirsch
5 Glenn Knerr
6 Wayne Martin
7 Doug Larrison
8 Francis Volpe
9 Vince Comerford
10 Tony Bordon
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1985 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Michael Antorino
Tall
1 Marlon Darton
2 Jeff Primm
3 Phil Demski
4 Jeff Monson
5 Johnny Howie
6 George Morrissey
7 Cole Light
8 Pat Boldue
9 Tim Bell
10 Craig Cole
Medium-Tall
1 Michael Antorino
2 Peter Moen
3 John Larrieu
4 John Moore (1)
5 Richard Salke
6 Will Willis
7 Greg Tefft
8 Peter LaReau
9 Chuck Waldron
10 Ron Thrash
Medium
1 Jesse Gautreaux
2 Abe Cuesta
3 Steven Strunk
4 Richard Roy
5 Sam Parente
6 John Basilone
7 Robert Reis
8 Phil Peters (1)
9 Tom Cario
10 William Soligny
Short
1 Victor Terra
2 Quincy Roberts
3 Jerry Scalesse
4 Joe Gomes
5 Mark Devone
6 Bryan McCluskey
7 Cliff Koons
8 Don Ditta
9 Glenn Knerr
10 Doug Larrison
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1986 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Glenn Knerr
Tall
1 Marlon Darton
2 Keith Whitley
3 David McGee
4 Tony Satterfield
5 Jay Burkett
6 Keith Fosler
Medium-Tall
1 Doug Brignole
2 John Larrieu
3 Will Willis
4 Jeff Owens
5 Carl Richards
6 Greg Tefft
7 Ron Coleman
8 Joshua Stroud
9 Greg Ulrich
10 David DePalma
Medium
1 Phil Hill
2 Casey Kucharyk
3 Chuck Sanow
4 Abe Cuesta
5 Greg Long
6 Phil Deters
7 Doug Burns
8 Craig Heber
9 James Pryer
10 Jerry Nipper
Short
1 Glenn Knerr
2 Jerry Scalesse
3 Vince Comerford
4 Jay Harris
5 Greg Oskoian
6 Kurt McLeod
7 Kurt Niver
8 Rich Smulezewski
9 Robert Hart
10 Ron Briggs
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1987 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Richard Barretta
Tall
1 Donald Smith
2 Roger Wright
3 Doug Austin
4 Tony Satterfield
5 Isaiah Kelley
Medium-Tall
1 Marty Vranicar
2 William Norberg
3 Glen Ortega
4 Steve Bohnstedt
5 Braulio Medina
Medium
1 Vince Taylor
2 Chuck Sanow
3 Abe Cuesta
4 Tony Alicia
5 Dave Colangelo
Short
1 Richard Barretta
2 Quincy Roberts
3 Matt DuFresne
4 Moe Roy
5 Kurt Niver
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1988 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner William Norberg
Tall
1 Rory Leidelmeyer
2 Robert Gosch
3 Jim Badra
4 Alex Sicignano
5 Bob Good
Medium-Tall
1 William Norberg
2 Peter LaReau
3 Peter Moen
4 Greg Ladd
5 Braulio Medina
Medium
1 Casey Kucharyk
2 Abe Cuesta
3 Doug Brown
4 Greg Long
5 Brian Silk Sr
Short
1 Bryan McCluskey
2 David Brown (3)
3 Don Lemieux
4 Brian Homka
5 Rod Ketchens
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1989 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Matt DuFresne
Tall
1 Steve Henneberry
2 Jeff Monson
3 Pat Englemen
4 Jay Burkett
5 Tim Bell
Medium-Tall
1 Mick Souza
2 Andrew Sivert
3 Peter LaReau
4 Brian Crull
5 Andy Chillari
Medium
1 Casey Kucharyk
2 Peter Miller
3 Abe Cuesta
4 Bryan Elkins
5 Phil Peters (1)
Short
1 Matt DuFresne photo from this contest
2 Tony Balanay
3 Rod Ketchens
3 Nick Lavitola
5 Jason Goulet
6 Mark Welch
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1990 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Peter Miller
Tall
1 David Barry
2 Peter LaReau
3 Tony Stefanoni
4 Bryan Stewart
5 Tony Satterfield
6 David Trojanski
7 Jeff Monson
8 Glen Ubelhor
Medium-Tall
1 Joe DeAngelis
2 George Johnson
3 Andrew Sivert
4 Harvey H Campbell
Medium
1 Peter Miller
2 Casey Kucharyk
3 Juan Velez
4 Michael Rollins
5 Joey Bastone
6 Phil Peters (1)
7 Bill Scarnaty
8 Ralph Lopez
Short
1 Jim Katsikis
2 Thomas Schramm
3 Rod Ketchens
4 Nick Lavitola
5 Tim Smith (1)
6 Brian Homka
7 Michael Zurowski
8 Francisco Fontanez
9 Randy Jackson (1
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1991 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Joe DeAngelis
Tall
1 Peter LaReau
2 Chuck Waldron
3 Kenneth Andress
4 Michael Lange
Medium-Tall
1 Joe DeAngelis
2 Mick Souza
3 Stephonne Reeves
4 Gary Ciszkowski
5 Doug Brignole
6 David Dulcinella
7 Michael Kovar
8 John Jackman
9 Lenny Griffin
Medium
1 Robert Harrop
2 Joey Bastone
3 Al Reeves
4 Brian Nixon
5 Ray Kuzmak
6 Barry Wassum
7 Phil Sullivan
8 Gary Veneziano
9 John Gaines
Short
1 Ken Weiss
2 Brian Homka
3 Anthony Graziano
4 Israel Oquendo
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1992 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Mike Scarcella
Tall
1 Peter LaReau
2 Chuck Waldron
3 Ray Mileski
4 Gary Pineda
Medium-Tall
1 Joey Bastone
2 Mark Hanlon
3 Mark Camfield
4 Michael Kovar
5 David Griffin (1)
6 Dan Sprinkle
7 David Leon
Medium
1 Mike Scarcella
2 Greg Long
3 Butch Nieves
4 Greg Leighton
5 Walter Lewkowski
6 Rick Gawlas
7 Robert Normile
Short
1 Dale Daniel
2 Anthony Graziano
3 Ron Altamuro
4 Brian Homka
5 Chuck Santoriello
6 Danny Muscelli
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1993 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Billy Nothaft
Tall
1 Alex Sicignano
2 Lee Apperson
3 Robert Meringolo
4 Michael Lange
6 Brian Leith
7 Juan Hamdia
8 David Hendricks
- David Barry
Medium-Tall
1 Genaro Covino
2 Walter White Jr
Medium
1 Billy Nothaft
2 Stephen Oglesby
3 Mark Banter
4 Joey Bastone
5 Dan Kingsley
6 Michael Huber (1)
7 Greg Leighton
8 Timothy Garrett
Short
1 Anthony Graziano
2 Zuhir Gazawneh
3 Philip Ricciardi
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Overall Winner Andrew Sivert
Tall
1 Lee Apperson
2 Robert Gosch
Medium-Tall
1 Andrew Sivert
2 David Griffin (1)
Medium
1 Butch Nieves
2 Paul Daniels
3 Robert Colacino
4 Buddy Dreimann
5 Greg Long
6 Greg Leighton
7 Daniel Smith (2)
8 Albert Strong
Short
1 Thomas Schramm
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1995 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Terence Hairston
HeavyWeight
1 Lee Apperson
2 Marvin Moses
3 Robert Townsend
4 Jeff Monson
5 Mike Giletto
6 Gary Pineda
7 Mariella Asbey
8 Oliver Nicholson
9 Jay Burkett
Light-HeavyWeight
1 Terence Hairston
2 Dan Kingsley
3 Gary Jackson
MiddleWeight
1 Chris Gray
2 Adam Schlecter
3 Steve Kidwell
4 Anthony DeAngelo
5 John Wood Jr
6 Charles Rogers
7 Patrick Edmond
8 Frank Massello
9 Todd Sacco
10 Ray Diaz
LightWeight
1 Thomas Schramm
2 Gerald Hobby
3 Gilberto Garcia
4 Joe Barrett
5 Gerald Steve Green (2)
6 Daryl Guberman
7 Vernon Thompkins
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1996 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Doug Rieser
Overall Winner Jaime Rodriguez
HeavyWeight
1 Doug Rieser
2 Mike Giletto
3 Russell Parker
Light-HeavyWeight
1 Jaime Rodriguez
2 Jimmy David
3 James Eason
4 Gary Jackson
5 Charles Moss
6 Redgie Smallwood
7 Robert Buonincontro
8 John Lancaster
DQ Dean Miller (had been 1st)
MiddleWeight
4 John Puskarich
5 Gary Bobolsky
6 Mike Brooke
7 Will McOrmond
8 David McBride Jr
9 Baraka Nur
10 Craig Dunbar
DQ Rommy Abdallah (had been 2nd)
DQ Charles Durr (had been overall)
DQ Zuhir Gazawneh (had been 3rd)
LightWeight
1 John Gaines
2 Karl Herkert
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1997 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Bill Davey
HeavyWeight
1 Bill Davey
2 Martin Boonzayer
3 James Bivens
4 Mariella Asbey
5 Thomas Conboy
6 Peter Huddleston
Light-HeavyWeight
1 Rick McMillan
2 Gary Jackson
4 Mitchell Weintroub
5 Mark Apple
DQ Constantino Malone
MiddleWeight
1 A K Leinbach
2 Marcus Nichols
3 David Darcangelo
4 Ron Emery
5 Jaime Rodriguez
6 John Gaines
7 Michael Zens
8 James Egan
9 Ken Carlos
LightWeight
1 Robert Mesa
2 Karl Herkert
3 Paul Redmer
5 Waldemar Walker
DQ Thomas Dowling
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1998 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Harvey H Campbell
HeavyWeight
1 Harvey H Campbell
2 Rick McMillan
3 Robert Gilbert
4 Dietrich Horsey
5 Michael Nunn
6 Mitchell Hodge
Light-HeavyWeight
1 James Mack
2 Ronnie Walker (2)
DQ Gary Jackson (had been 1st)
MiddleWeight
1 Christopher Zaino
2 Todd Buchanan
DQ Ron Emery (had been 1st)
LightWeight
1 Mohammad Shiraz
2 Rodney Gaines
3 Gerald Simmons
4 Don Townsend
5 Waldemar Walker
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1999 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Tracey Dorsey
Tall
1 Tommy Jefferson
2 Johnny Franklin
3 Dietrich Horsey
4 Bobby Yarborough
5 Keenan Wilburn
6 Charles Blume
7 Hamilton Church
8 Timothy Hanks
9 Jeffery Virgin
10 Jeffery Washington
11 Darryl Haley
Medium-Tall
1 Curtis Cranfield
2 Samuel Ellis
3 Jerome Brooks
4 David Grogan
5 Roosevelt Askew
6 Kenneth Sanders
Medium
1 Curtis Shorts
2 Steve Hines
3 Rico Cherry
4 Rufus Mitchell
5 David Colvin Jr
6 Gary Walter
7 Mitchell Hodge
8 Petr Speight
9 Rodney Barnes
Short
1 Tracey Dorsey
2 Chris Thomas
3 Edwin White
4 Daniel Moore
5 Richard Miller
6 Michael Pickens
7 David Crawley
8 Cliff Koons
9 Ash Makki
10 Andre Prue
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1993 Mr America - AAU
Overall Winner Billy Nothaft
Tall
1 Alex Sicignano
2 Lee Apperson
3 Robert Meringolo
4 Michael Lange
6 Brian Leith
7 Juan Hamdia
8 David Hendricks
- David Barry
Medium-Tall
1 Genaro Covino
2 Walter White Jr
Medium
1 Billy Nothaft
2 Stephen Oglesby
3 Mark Banter
4 Joey Bastone
5 Dan Kingsley
6 Michael Huber (1)
7 Greg Leighton
8 Timothy Garrett
Short
1 Anthony Graziano
2 Zuhir Gazawneh
3 Philip Ricciardi
TALL CLASS AND MED TALL JERSEY GUYS...BEASTS...both huge esp alex scignano
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https://neckberg.com/every-winner-of-the-mr-america-competition-since-1939/?fbclid=IwAR32mTck34o98H_wCV0yij7NfNRcYmbm4jpwFMR1yILG8DR2y4-S4uU-iP8
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The Mr. America Contest: A Brief Background
A Short History of the Oldest,
Continuous Bodybuilding Contest in the Country
by David Chapman
For bodybuilders, the Mr. America contest was once the Triple Crown, the Indy 500, the Oscars, and the Olympics all rolled into one. Before Mr. Olympia, before Mr. Universe, before Mr. Anything, there was the Mr. America, and young men vied for the glory and honor of winning it with the same single-minded obsession that today's musclemen go after other titles. Sadly, the contest fell on bad days, and it became almost forgotten in the pursuit of other honors in the bodybuilding world. But the venerable competition has managed to survive somehow, and now at long last, new life is being pumped into the contest. Finally, the Mr. A shows every sign of coming back to life bigger and better than ever.
Those athletically talented young men who choose to participate in this year's Mr. America need to know something about how it began and who won it in years gone by. The lucky victor of today's Mr. A should be aware of this competition's lengthy pedigree and its noble list of contestants. The current participants are part of a long line of musclemen that stretches back more than half a century.
Although the Mr. America contest quickly became one of the premier bodybuilding events in the world, it certainly did not start that way. Lots of people had thought up the idea of pitting man against man in a contest of muscles. As far back as 1901, bodybuilding pioneer Eugen Sandow organized the first nationwide competition in Britain, but this was a one-shot deal not an ongoing pursuit of the country's most muscular body. In the U.S., Bernarr Macfadden held a few contests in the early twentieth century to determine "The World's Most Beautiful Man," but his interest in male beauty apparently waned, for he only held a few before they too were discontinued. By the late 1930's many U.S. physique athletes were beginning to call for a competition that would pit the best bodies in the country against one another.
There were a few models for the early organizers to compare themselves to. First, there was the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. This was a beauty and charm contest, but people got to thinking that if the girls could have their competition then why couldn't the guys. Then there was the Europeans; they had been having their own versions of contests for years. The French held annual matches to determine "The Handsomest Athlete in France," and in this competition muscularity was only one aspect of judging. The contestant's hair, eyes, teeth, even the shape of the fingers and toes had a bearing on who won the competition. The Germans, on the other hand, held a contest to determine strength pure and simple. The winner of their competition could have a face like a train wreck and no one would care as long as he could lift something. American organizers decided to take the best from both these precursors, and develop a contest that would be uniquely ours.
The first attempt to gather strong, muscular men from around the country came in December of 1938 when gym manager and promoter, Johnny Hordines, put together a contest to determine "America's Finest Physique." This was held in Gardner's Reducing Salon and Gymnasium in Schenectady, New York. The men were divided into three classes based on height rather than weight, and there were thirty-nine entrants. There was no overall winner, just one victor in each of the height classes, and the physiques were not particularly impressive. It was a pretty amateurish production, but it paved the way for the contests that came afterward.
The next attempt at a national competition was much more polished and successful. It was held in June of 1939 in Amsterdam, New York. Hordines again staged an event that many have called a "Mr. America" contest, although its official title was once more "America's Finest Physique." For the first time there was an overall winner, and since there was no distinction between pro and amateur at this meet, the big victor was professional musclemen, Bert Goodrich.
To make things a little more confusing, about a month later on July 4, 1939 there was another attempt at putting on a national competition. This time it was held after the 1939 Senior National Weightlifting Championships. The entrants had to be amateurs, and they had to participate in the weightlifting contest earlier that day. The victor of this meet was Roland Essmaker. The only reason anyone remembers this minor competition is because it was the first time the Amateur Athletic Union became involved, since all winners had to be members of that organization. No professionals need apply.
So despite many conflicting titles and several simultaneous contests all claiming to have found "America's perfect physique," it wasn't until 1940 that the pieces finally fell into place, and a new competition was born. Since the great New York World's Fair was in full swing, it was considered a good time to hold a bodybuilding competition in the Big Apple. Once again, there was a weightlifting competition and then afterwards, the physique contest. But this time the participation of the AAU was unquestioned, and the name of the affair had been changed to "Mr. America." It was a glittering evening of competition the likes of which no one had ever experienced before.
In addition to the main winner, there were also competitions for best body parts: arms, legs, abdominals, and so on. But at that first Mr. America contest, one man dominated the competition so conclusively that there was virtually no competition. He was John C. Grimek, and his well-deserved victory put the contest on a straight and true trajectory to success. It was said that the only reason anyone else won any of the sub-categories was because Grimek had chosen not to enter them, otherwise he would have swept them as well. That Mr. America victory signalled two things: that bodybuilding was assured a bright future and that Grimek was destined to dominate the sport for many decades to come.
This first Mr. America helped to define certain aspects that were later taken for granted in bodybuilding competitions. In addition to the bodypart awards, there was also a "Most Muscular" category that was used to honor those men whose bulk was considered outrageous or unsymmetrical. One of the drawbacks to the competition was that there were apparently no compulsory rounds of posing, so this often caused some problems. But there were other troubles as well.
In general, the posing at the 1940 Mr. America represented a dilemma for the men because most of them were simply not used to showing off their bodies in front of other people. As one witness described it, a majority of the men "got up on the platform and stood there 'thinking up' a pose, when all of this should have been done weeks ago . . . Many of them would get up there and start a pose and, like a flash, would change it, not knowing just what they were doing." Perhaps part of the reason for the men's reluctance was that there was no music to accompany their routines. A few of the athletes shone brilliantly despite the problems. The most notable exception to this dearth of posing ability, arrived in the person of John Grimek. There seemed to be no end to his talents since he was not only superbly muscular but a graceful poser as well.
By the time the next year's contest had rolled around, there had been more regional championships, and so the 1941 Mr. America was more representative of the country as a whole. The nation's muscle men assembled in Philadelphia for America's most prestigious contest. There was a judging system that was supposed to take most of the subjectivity out of the competition. The judges could award a maximum of five points for muscular development, five for muscular proportions, three for posing, and two for general appearance; this meant that a perfect score would be 15 or a total of 150 from all ten judges. The man who won the overall title picked up a total of 146 points. That man was once again John Grimek. His next closest competitor, Jules Bacon, earned 125. It was, as one astonished witness claimed, "Hardly possible that a man could score so high, that any human could be considered to be so nearly perfect." It looked like no one could ever touch the mighty Grimek.
The problem of Grimek's invincibility was solved by the time the 1942 Mr. A contest took place. Organizers decided to change the rules so that a competitor could only win the contest once, otherwise, they figured Grimek would go on winning the thing indefinitely. Because of this rule, a new name leapt onto the record books: Frank Leight, a former New York policeman, who had built a finely muscled body.
When the 1943 competition arrived, the U.S. was deeply embroiled in World War II. Many of the Mr. America contestants as well as the judges were now in the service, but this did nothing to dampen the men's enthusiasm. The contest was held in Los Angeles this time, and the competition boiled down to a duel between two men: Jules Bacon and Dan Lurie. Both athletes were running neck and neck, but Bacon eventually grabbed top honors. It was reported in the magazines that this was because he was handsomer than Lurie, not necessarily because he was more muscular.
Sheer bulk and muscularity were the most important factors when it came to choosing the 1944 Mr. America. This was fortunate for the winner, Steve Stanko, since he was never good at muscle display. As Bob Hoffman revealed in Strength & Health, "Steve never practices in front of the mirror and only gave a halfhearted display when he was on the platform, but he dwarfed all other men on the platform with his amazing development."
The men were getting bigger and bulkier, and by the time 1945's contest rolled around, muscularity played an important role. This was apparent when Private First Class Clancy Ross bolted out of the Nevada desert and onto the posing dais at the Los Angeles site of the Mr. America competion. Thanks to Ross, the headlines could have read "Unknown Makes Good," reported one magazine. He had been stationed at an Army base near Las Vegas and had trained in virtual secrecy until showing up on the night of the contest much to the consternation of the other participants. Ross succeeded in sweeping aside all his competition and was named Mr. America.
Another virtual unknown nabbed the title in 1946. This time it was a good looking, blond muscleman from the Midwest named Alan Stephan. According to publisher Bob Hoffman, Stephan "makes an ideal Mr. America for he is tall, well proportioned, broad shouldered, deep chested, has a pleasing and impressive muscular contour, and is extremely handsome." He was a perfect proponent of bodybuilding for a postwar population that was destined to take up fitness in ever increasing numbers.
The Mr. America for 1947 was destined to eclipse all the others in fame and fortune. Steve Reeves used his victory in America's most renowned physique contest as a catapult to stardom. Reeves was a California bodybuilder with the face of a matine' idol and the body of Hercules. It was his resemblance to the Greek hero that allowed the young man to branch out into the movies. Thanks to his contest win, he was soon whisked off to Italy where he appeared in a series of Italian gladiator movies. By the end of his cinematic career, Reeves had become the most famous star to come out of the physique world until Schwarzenegger overtook him.
The Mr. America contest of 1948 marked a watershed in its history, and it reflected the transformations that were overtaking the sport. Increasing opportunities for competition began to appear in the bodybuilding world; this simple fact changed everything. One of the reasons the Mr. America contest had attracted so much attention early in his history is that there just wasn't much else out there. Now, starting in 1948, other opportunities for competition were beginning to open up. There were increasing numbers of regional contests as well as international trials such as the Mr. Universe competition where bodybuilders from all over the world could strut their stuff.
An even more important development was the formation of the IFBB as a rival institution to the AAU. Starting in 1946, Joe and Ben Weider had begun to lure serious bodybuilders away from Bob Hoffman and the AAU. The Weiders did not feel that physique athletes were being treated fairly by the other side; Hoffman and his AAU associates were more interested in Olympic lifting, and they tended to push bodybuilding to the background. The Weiders, on the other hand, wanted to run shows where bodybuilding would bask in center stage, no longer playing second fiddle to a weightlifting competition. The tension between the two opposing sides built rapidly, and it would soon break into all-out war.
Fortunately, this situation did not detract from George Eiferman's victory in 1948. Eiferman had come to Southern California from Philadelphia, and when he won the Mr. America, it signaled the start of the shift from East to West. The sport of bodybuilding would gradually move from its center in New York or York, Pennsylvania to sunny L.A.
All through the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, the Mr. America contest continued to attract many of the top names. The winners were primarily young athletes on the way up the bodybuilding ladder, and the Mr. A proved to be an important and welcome rung. Jack Delinger, Roy Hilligenn, Bill Pearl, Dennis Tinerino, Chris Dickerson, and others are only a few of the major physique stars who earned their first major title with the AAU sponsored Mr. A.
Although it was still an important contest, the Mr. America was no longer the only game in town. It continued to attract enough major bodybuilders to remain a coveted prize, however. The IFBB began their own version of the contest called the Professional Mr. America in 1949, but Bob Hoffman made sure that anyone who competed in the rival contest would be unceremoniously drummed out of the AAU forever.
With the advent of modern bodybuilding, however, the line between an amateur and professional athlete became increasingly blurred. So with the money and the prestige gradually accruing to the other side, it was only a matter of time before the Mr. America contest stopped featuring the top athletes in the field.
Even so, the old Mr. A still conjures up powerful emotions and vivid images. Many bodybuilding buffs can rattle off the names and years of their favorite Mr. Americas as if they were World Series or Superbowl victories. So despite the passage of time, there continues to be a magic ring to the name Mr. America, and today it's time to reinstate the glory that once radiated from the title. Even though other contests have supplanted it in size and magnificence, none can surpass the Mr. A when it comes to its long and glorious past. Let's make it shine like new once more!