1964 IFBB Mr. America Harold Poole was born on December 25, 1943, in Louisville, KY. Though he was quarterback on his football team at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, placed fourth in the state high school wrestling championships, ran 440 yards in 50 seconds and put the 12 pound shot 55 feet, he became interested in bodybuilding. So interested, in fact, that in 1960 at the age of 16, Poole became the youngest competitor in the AAU Mr. America contest where he placed a respectable 18th out of 25 contestants. During the next year he improved greatly, and at only 17 went from 18th to 4th in the 1961 AAU Mr. America contest. At the age of 18 he placed second in the 1962 AAU Mr. America while winning the Most Muscular award. Despite losing a close contest to Joe Abbenda in the 1963 AAU Mr, America, it was understandable since Abbenda had placed above Poole in the previous two AAU Mr. America contests. The major muscle magazines of the day had no problem with this outcome and Poole appeared happy with the outcome based on pictures of the contest after the awards were given.
With Abbenda unable to compete again, Poole was the sure favorite to win the 1963 AAU Mr. America contest. When the awards for the 1963 AAU Mr. America were given, Poole would again win the Most Muscular award but finish second to Vern Weaver whom he had had beaten in placement the year before. Two weeks later insult would turn to injury as Poole, still being only 19 years of age, entered the AAU Teenage Mr. America contest and placed second to Jerry Daniels. This is incredibly hard to fathom that Poole was good enough to place second two years in a row against the top amateurs in the AAU Mr. America contest but could not win the teenage version of it.
Many have theorized that the AAU was a racist organization and was against having a black Mr. America at the time. Racism would be difficult to prove as they had allowed black competitors in the contest since the early 1940s at a time when black athletes could not compete in most sports organizations. It should be noted that the AAU Mr. America contest was not judged primarily on muscularity (as Poole won the Most Muscular award two years in a row but finished second each year). Education, personality, and character were also judged to determine who would represent America best. Poole had a speech impediment which caused him to stutter. Many believe this issue held him back from winning the Mr. America contest with the AAU. Poole was aware this was an issue that held him back from winning the 1962 contest and attended a special speech school for a year to help him before the 1963 contest.
Believing he could not win an AAU Mr. America contest, Poole defected to the up and coming IFBB and quickly defeated Larry Scott in the 1963 IFBB Mr. Universe contest while still a teenager at 19 years old. The following year he won the 1964 IFBB Mr. America contest over Chet Yorton, Don Howorth, and Freddy Ortiz amongst others.
In his coverage of the 1964 IFBB Mr. America in the February 1965 edition of Muscle Builder Bud Parker made a statement that described the iron brotherhood that I often talk about: “We bodybuilders are a funny breed. We don't care what color a man is what religion or nationality he is. If he's a bodybuilder, we like him. Everywhere throughout the world tension is released and enemies become pals when bodybuilding is the meeting place.” The difference, though, is that the AAU Mr. America was not just a muscle contest, but a contest to find the best built male who had some athletic history and also would present himself well in interviews to the general public, whereas the IFBB Mr. America was purely a muscle contest.
The 1964 IFBB Mr. America results demonstrate the rise in the quality of competition with men that would eventually win Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles in the future:
Tall
1 Harold Poole
2 Chester Yorton
3 Don Howorth
Medium
1 Hugo Labra
2 Dominick Juliano
3 Nick Perrotti
Short
1 Freddy Ortiz
2 Joe Nista
3 Johnny Maldonado
Poole’s long 22 year competitive history:
1960 Junior Mr. Indianapolis Winner
Mr America - AAU, 18th
Mr Mid-America - AAU, Most Muscular, 2nd
1961 Mr America - AAU, 4th
Junior Mr America - AAU, Central Overall Winner
1962 Mr America - AAU, 2nd
Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
Mr North America - AAU, Winner
1963 Mr America - AAU, 2nd
Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
Teen Mr America - AAU, 2nd
Universe - IFBB, Overall Winner
Universe - IFBB, Tall, 1st
1964 Mr America - IFBB, Overall Winner
Mr America - IFBB, Tall, 1st
1965 Olympia - IFBB, 2nd
1966 Olympia - IFBB, 2nd
1967 Pro Mr America - WBBG, Winner
Olympia - IFBB, 3rd
1968 Pro Mr America - WBBG, Winner
1971 Mr USA - IFBB, Tall, 1st
1972 Mr World - IFBB, Tall, 3rd
1979 Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, Did not place
1980 Night of Champions - IFBB, 11th
1981 Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, 9th
Grand Prix California - IFBB, Did not place
Grand Prix New England - IFBB, 9th
Night of Champions - IFBB, 6th
1982 World Pro Championships - IFBB, 9th
Night of Champions - IFBB, Did not place.
Poole had been an active businessman operating a gym and discothèque. He was also a bodyguard for fashion model Twiggy travelling across North & South America as well as the UK.
Yet after not placing in the 1982 Night of Champions Poole retired from bodybuilding and replaced the limelight of the bodybuilding stage with a new career and athletic pursuits. These included personal training, Taekwondo instructing, and professional wrestling, just to name a few.
Harold later moved to Florida where he continued with his active lifestyle consisting of weight training, coaching others, and playing sports.
Suffering from ill health in his later years, Harold Poole would die on August 7, 2014, in New York City,
