AOBS Highest
Achievement (Vic Boff) Award Recipients
From its outset,
one of the missions of the AOBS was to recognize and remember the (sometimes
forgotten) greats of Iron Game history. Hence the founders of the organization
created an award which them named their “AOBS Highest Achievement Award”
(renamed the “AOBS Vic Boff Highest Achievement Award” in 2003, in honor of Vic
Boff’s contribution to the organization). In that same year, Vic Boff received
the award, posthumously.
May 10, 1986
(received our
Association's First Highest
Achievement Award)
May 23, 1987
Oct. l, 1988
Oct. 7, 1989
Sep. 22, 1990
Sep 28, 1991
Feb 29, 1992
(at the US. Power &
Strength Symposium,
Orlando, Florida)
Sep 26, 1992
Oct. 23, 1993
Oct 8, 1994
Oct 7, 1995
Oct. 5, 1996
Sep 27, 1997
Oct 17, 1998
Oct 23, 1999
Oct 14, 2000
Oct 6,
2001/(postponed to Jun 2002)
Jun 28, 2003
June 12, 2004
Jun 11, 2005
Jun 3, 2006
Jun 9, 2007
Jun 13, 2009
October 23, 2010
September 17, 2011
Joe Abbenda
– Joe Abbenda emerged on the
bodybuilding scene in the late 1950’s. He competed as a weightlifter as well as
a bodybuilder, but the latter sport was his focus from day one. After years of
hard work on simple exercises, Joe’s training paid off in a very big way, when
he won the Teenage Mr. America competition in 1959. In 1960, he placed 5
th
in the Mr. America competition, moving up to 2nd place in
1961. The following year proved to be the breakout year for Joe, as he won both
the 1962 Mr. America and amateur NABBA Mr. Universe titles. In1963, he returned
to the NABBA Mr. Universe competition, this time as a professional. He continued
his undefeated streak in taking the 1963 professional title. Shortly thereafter,
Joe enhanced his worldwide reputation when he traveled to South Africa to appear
with Reg Park in a series of exhibitions. Joe went on to become an educator for
many years, coaching young men
and women with regard to the benefits of exercise, particularly weight training.
He then earned a law degree and today is in private practice as an attorney.
Paul Anderson
-
A World and Olympic Champion in
Weightlifting, Paul burst upon the strength scene in late 1952, and in a little
more than a year was rewriting the record books in weightlifting, while almost
single-handedly establishing the squat as the primary assistance exercise for
weightlifters from that point forward (as well as helping to firmly establish
the squat style of lifting as the dominant style thereafter). Known for
squatting weights that were previously unheard of, he was probably the first man
to squat 300 kg., 400 kg. and 500 kg. If there was a single athlete in the 20th
century who earned the right to call himself the undisputed world’s strongest
man, it was Paul Anderson. The Russians called him a wonder of nature and indeed
he was.
Jules
Bacon -
Mr. America in 1947, Jules Bacon was
considered to have one of the most symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing
physiques of his era and beyond. Jules was a key player in the formative years
of the York Barbell Co. Jules also played a key role in the popularization of
food supplements, when he gave Bob Hoffman samples of a unique protein
supplement that Irwin Johnson had developed. Bob tried the protein powder and
pronounced it “the” new thing. It became the greatest financial success in the
York Barbell company’s history and one of the earliest successes in what was to
become the huge food supplement industry.
Doris Barrilleaux -
A true pioneer in women’s bodybuilding,
Doris has often been referred to as “The First Lady of Bodybuilding.” An
outstanding competitor in her own right she, perhaps more than any other person
in the history of the Iron Game, made national and international women’s
physique competition a reality. Even while she was competing, she devoted her
endless energy in organizing and promoting women’s bodybuilding competitions,
wherever and whenever she could, eventually in virtually every state of the
union. Moreover, despite having invested so much of her life’s energy in getting
women’s bodybuilding under way, Doris had the courage to take a stand against
the drugs she believed would ruin the sport she had worked so hard to build. She
walked away from a coveted leadership position with a major bodybuilding
organization as a protest of the movement of drugs into the world of women’s
bodybuilding. However, she did continue her career as one of bodybuilding’s top
photographers and is donating her massive collection of women’s bodybuilding
memorabilia to the Todd-McLean Library.
Clarence
Bass –
After a fine career in weightlifting, Clarence moved into the field of bodybuildingwith a vengeance. In “Past-40” bodybuilding competition, he has won
his height class in both the Mr.America and Mr. USA competitions. In the latter
competition, he has also earned the Most Muscular, Best Abs and Best Legs
awards. But Clarence is probably best known for the instruction and inspiration
he provides to others. It all began with his now classic book “Ripped”.
Espousing the benefits of a healthy diet and proper exercise, Clarence is living
proof that this philosophy works. After his initial book, Clarence has gone on
to produce a series of books and videos that have literally reached many
thousands around the world with his prescription for healthy living and with a
lean and muscular physique.As the photos of now 70 year-old Clarence in his
latest book (“Great Expectations”) show, Clarence remains in phenomenal shape to
this day. Given his example and his prolific communications, his audience will
no doubt continue to grow.
Al Berger -
A Strength & Health coverman in May of
1941, Al Berger was renowned for his physique and strength feats. He was
particularly well known for his gripping and forearm strength. His signature
feats consisted of performing chins hanging from rafters that he pinch-gripped
while performing the chins. Al was able to perform 12 consecutive chins in this
manner, and a single rep with 43 lb. of added weight. He also performed a strict
reverse curl with 165 lb., further demonstrating his arm and grip strength.
Isaac Berger
– Isaac Berger had one of the fastest
rises in weightlifting history. After entering his first weightlifting
competition in 1952, Berger improved so fast that by 1955 he became a National
Champion. Defending his title in 1956, despite an injury, Berger lifted enough
at the 1956 Olympic Trials to earn a berth on the team going to Melbourne. He
moved his training into high gear and shocked the weightlifting world by winning
the Olympic Games as a teenager and breaking the world record in the total at
the same time. He later went on to win both the 1958 and the1962 World
Championships, along with silver medals in both the 1960 an 1964 Olympic Games.
Isaac also set many world records across his illustrious career. The last world
record he earned, at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, in 1964, was a 152.5 kg. C&J.
That record lasted for more than 5 years, becoming one of the longest held world
records in weightlifting history.
Vic Boff -
Long before becoming one of the founders of the AOBS, Vic Boff had
established his reputation in the Iron Game. In his early years he was a
professional level boxer and baseball player, and became deeply involved in the
areas of diet and exercise. A meeting with George Jowett led Vic to a lifelong
commitment to the Iron Game. Early in life, Vic noticed that he loved the cold
weather that others shunned. He eventually became the long term President of the
Iceberg Club – a club dedicated to year round ocean bathing from its home base
in Coney Island. In the 1960’s Vic opened the first of several health food
stores that he would own. His Brooklyn store soon became his flagship and it
attracted Iron Game notables from virtually everywhere. Vic was a well known
writer in the fitness field and a confidant of Bob Hoffman and countless others
in the fitness world. Vic seemed to know everyone in and everything about the
Iron Game. So it was natural for him to become the leader of the AOBS – an
entity that Vic dedicated 20 years of his life to building. We all owe him the
deepest debt of gratitude for his great work.
Jim Bradford
– Jim Bradford has always considered
himself a strongman, more than a weightlifter. He prided himself in being able
to compete with the best weightlifters in the world with limited technique and
one of the strictest pressing forms of any athlete in the world at the time.
Across his career, Jim won 2 US National Championships and earned silver medals
at 4 World Championships, and in both the 1952 and 1960 Olympic Games. In the
latter case, he gave the USSR’s legendary Yuri Vlasov a run for his money. In
addition to being remembered for the lifting he did do, Jim is famous for the
lifting he declined to do. Competing at the World Championships in Milan, in
1951, Jim battled it out with the legendary John Davis, who was defending his
undefeated record at World and Olympic Games that began in 1938. When Davis was
injured during the competition, Bradford refused to take his last C&J attempt,
not wanting to defeat an injured man, or force Davis to take another lift, which
might have injured John further. Bradford’s act has gone down as one of the
greatest displays of sportsmanship in the history of sport.
Frank
Capsouras - Frank made a sudden impression on the national
weightlifting scene when, at the age of 17, he made a 354 lb. C&J to
place second at the 1964 Olympic Trials in the 82.5 kg. bodyweight
category, and to establish a Teenage American record in that lift.
He then went on the win three Teenage National Championships in a
row. Frank continued to improve over the next several years and
moved his bodyweight up to 90 kg. He made a World Record in the C&J
in April of 1969, when he lifted 199 kg. He then went on to win his
first Senior Nationals later that year, and to place sixth in the
World Championships. Moving his bodyweight up once more over the
next several years, he won his second Senior National Championships
in 1972 and earned a spot on the US Olympic Team that he had tried
so hard to make in 1964 and 1968. Frank placed 10th at the Olympic
Games. He earned a bronze medal, overall, at the 1975 Pan American
Games and retired in 1977.
Pat Casey -
Early in his weight training career, Pat
Casey became enamored with pressing exercises and getting big. His favorite
exercise was the bench press, and while others were looking at 500 lb. as being
somewhere near the ultimate lift, Pat announced that he would bench press 600
lb. While many doubted such a lift would ever be made, Pat trained relentlessly
to reach the objective he had promised to the world. He accomplished his long
sought after goal on March 25, 1967, when he officially bench pressed 615.5 lb.
However, in addition to becoming perhaps the best known bench presser in the
world at the time, Pat developed into an exceptional all around lifter, becoming
the first powerlifter to total 2000 lb. officially.
Bill Clark
– In 1959, when some boxers he was training wanted to enter the Missouri
State Weightlifting championships, Bill found there was no such event, so he
decided to run it. The following year he became the chairman of his local AAU
weightlifting committee, a position he retained for approximately 30 years. In
1962, Bill organized postal competitions in the US prison system, a program that
lasted more than 20 years and produced some of the top lifters in the country.
By 1964, Bill cooperated with Jim Witt and Homer Brannum to persuade the AAU to
permit the organization of the first National powerlifting championship. In
1973, Clark was innovating again, asking the AAU to permit him to run the first
National Masters weightlifting competition, which was held by Bill in 1975.
Today more than 60 nations compete in Masters Weightlifting competitions
worldwide. In 1986, Bill worked with Tony Cook of England to form the
International All Around Weightlifting Federation, which continues its
activities today. Without innovators like Bill Clark, the Iron Game would not be
nearly as rich and diverse as it is today.
Gary Cleveland -
Newer members of the Iron Game may
remember Gary Cleveland for the his newsletter, the “Avian Movement Advocate”, a
mixture of Iron Game history, serious weightlifting analysis and pure whimsy.
But Gary was, for a number of years, one of the top weightlifters in the World.
Gary made his international debut at the 1962 World Championships, where he took
5 th
place – outstanding for such a young athlete in his first World
Championship. He placed 5 th
at the Worlds in 1963 and
repeated that placing at the Tokyo Olympic Games. In March of 1965, he made more
weightlifting history by breaking the long standing lightheavyweight American
total record held by Tommy Kono, by lifting a total of 1015 lb.
Dave Draper
– Known during the 1960s as “America’s
Strongest Youth” and the “Blond Bomber”, Dave Draper became an idol to the teens
who followed the sport of bodybuilding in that era. With a physique possessing a
combination of extraordinary size and balance, Dave was soon winning major
titles with regularity. He subsequently reformed his physique, becoming known
for his extraordinary definition. As Dave continued the training that he loved
in his later years, he began to realize that many in the Iron Game were inspired
by his tenacious dedication to training and his unique style of writing about
his personal experiences with training. Today, he operates one of the most
successful web-sites on bodybuilding in the world and is in great demand as a
speaker, both for the motivation his communications impart and for the wisdom
regarding training they contain. Such wisdom could only be gathered by someone
who has been as dedicated and consistent in his training as Dave has been for so
many years.
Joe Dube
– Joe Dube (c) first burst upon the weightlifting scene as a teenager,
becoming the first teenager in history to press 400 pounds. In his twenties, he
continued to gain bodyweight and strength, rising to become a top contender for
the superheavyweight championship of the US, and one of the best lifters in the
world. During his illustrious career, Joe set numerous American and World
records. He won the Pan American Games in 1967 and went on the following year to
win a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, the only American
to medal that year. Inspired by his Olympic experience and convinced he could
defeat the reigning superheavyweight Olympic and World Champion, Leonid
Zhabotinsky (who said the Americans could never beat him), Joe trained with a
vengeance for the 1969 World Championships. His dedication was
rewarded when he handed Zhabotinsky his first defeat since he the Russian won
the Olympic Games in 1964. With his victory, Joe became the last American male
to date to win a world weightlifting championship.
Carla
Dunlap
– Carla Dunlap's athletic
career began with gymnastics and swmming (she was part of the team that won the
1977 Jr. National championships in synchronized swimming). In 1979, she placed
5th in the “Best in the World” physique competition, having never trained
specifically in bodybuilding. She decided to train seriously in 1980, and in
that same year she won the AAU Ms. America competition. In 1981 she won the NPC
Nationals, repeating in 1982. That same year she entered the Ms. Olympia
competition, placing second. Later that year, she won the Pro World
Championships. Carla won the Ms. Olympia competition in 1983, along
with the Caesar’s World Cup (Grand Prix Las Vegas). In 1984 she won the World
Professional Mixed Pairs title with Tony Pearson (they repeated their win in
1988). She then went on to star in the documentary films “Women of Iron”
and “Pumping Iron II – The Women”, which helped to break the barriers between
women and iron. She promoted women's bodybuilding on such shows as Good Morning
America and Regis Philbin, was a regular cast member in "Body Shaping" and
served as a commentator for ESPN.
Marvin Eder -
Marvin Eder was considered one of the
most amazing physique and strength stars of his era. Known initially for his
physique, he earned 3 rd
place at the Mr. America competition at
the tender age of 19. Such a physique on a person so young was considered
virtually impossible heretofore. But as information on Marvin’s training methods
reached the public, it was the strength and endurance he exhibited during his
workouts that became even more legendary than his physique. He bench pressed
more than 500 lb. while weighing under 200 lb. and could perform repetitions in
the press with the then world record in that movement. Perhaps his most amazing
accomplishment was a dip with 434lb. of added weight – a feat that has never
been approached by anyone of any bodyweight since Marvin.
George Eiferman -
George Eiferman was one of
bodybuilding’s best known champions. He won the Mr. America title in 1948.
Amazingly, he came back to win the Mr. Universe title 14 years later, in 1962. A
man of many talents and trades, George performed with Mae West for a number of
years. He appeared in a movie “The Devil’s Sleep”, in 1955. Later in life,
George had a string of health clubs in Las Vegas where the stars, the Las Vegas
visitors and the locals came to get or stay in shape.
Clyde Emrich
–
Clyde is remembered by many as an
Olympian, a 4-time National Weightlifting Champion, a medallist in 2 World
Weightlifting Championships and a World Record Holder in weightlifting. But
after his weightlifting career was over, Clyde, went on to make another great
contribution to the Iron Game and to the spread of the use of weight training in
sport. After providing free weightlifting instruction to some of the most well
known players on the legendary Chicago Bears football team, Clyde was hired by
the Bears to become one of the pioneers of the Strength Coaching field. He
started officially working the team in the in the 1960’s. Although he has gone
on to accept broader duties within the organization, Clyde continues to help out
in the weight room. In the fickle and stressful world of professional sports, a
stay of that length with one team speaks for itself, as does Clyde’s Super Bowl
ring and the training facility the Bears have recently dedicated in Clyde’s
name.
Slim Farman
– Slim Farman worked as a stone cutter
most of his life. Unlike many in that field, he did not regard that profession
solely as a form of skilled labor, but also as a profound challenge to his
physical strength and skill. Wielding his sledge hammers on a daily basis had
given Slim extraordinary strength in his hands, wrists and arms, but it was a
chance meeting with the legendary “Mighty Atom” – Joe Greenstein – that
propelled Slim into a career as a professional strongman and an heir to the
Atom. Apprenticing under the Atom, Slim soon learned and developed his strength
sufficiently to duplicate many of the Atom’s amazing feats, but he coupled those
feats with hammer lifting feats of his own design, welcoming others to try and
duplicate what he could do (which no one ever has). A phenomenal showman, as
well as strongman, Slim has thrilled audiences all over the country with his
feats of strength and his incredibly polished way of presenting them. Slim has
carried on the legacy of the Atom in another important way, by inspiring a new
generation of strongmen to carry on the feats performed by the Atom and to
invent new feats of their own.
Bob
Gajda - Bob took up weight training in HS, in an effort
to improve his performance in other sports. His love of
training grew over the years, as did his muscles. He began to win
local bodybuilding competitions, and by 1965 won the AAU Mr. USA
title. The following year, he won the coveted AAU Mr. America title
and the FICH Mr. Universe title as well. He also became and
accomplished weightlifter. He then went on to establish himself as
an author and inventor. By the 1970s, he had begun to focus on
training others and soon established one of the most respected
sports performance and rehabilitation programs in the country, a
program to which he continues to devote himself until today.
Dr. James George -
During his phenomenal weightlifting
career, Jim won four National Championships and a Pan American Games. He was a
medal winner at four World Championships, won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympic
Games in Melbourne and earned a silver medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
In addition to winning an Olympic medal in 1956, during the competition, Jim set
a world record in the snatch with 303 lb. Only 3 days after he lifted at the
Games, he made a world record in the C&J with a lift of 388 lb.
Dr. Peter George
Bert Goodrich -
Bert Goodrich began training in 1928,
under the guidance of the renowned trainer and historian, David Willoughby. In
1934, he was prevailed over 54 competitors to win “Best Built Man in NY” title.
In 1938, the won the “America’s Best Built Man Competition”, which was later
acknowledged as the first official Mr. America competition. He was a coverman
for a number of magazines, including Strength & Health. He was also famous for
being a Hollywood stunt man, becoming as well known in that field as he was in
the bodybuilding arena and protecting such famous stars as John Wayne and Buster
Crabbe.
John Grimek -
Perhaps no bodybuilder was admired by
his peers more than the great John Grimek. His incomparable strength,
incomparable physique, posing ability, flexibility and charisma combined to make
him arguably the greatest all around Iron Game competitor in history. John first
earned fame as a weightlifter, winning the US Nationals in 1936 and earning a
spot on the 1936 Olympic Team. But by the late 1930s, he began to focus more on
physique development. When he appeared in the 1940 Mr. America competition, his
physique was considered the most outstanding by far. When he repeated his Mr.
America victory again in 1941, by a wide margin, officials decided that no one
would ever beat him, so they declared that no one would be allowed to win the
Mr. America title more than once. In 1948 John won the NAABA Mr. Universe
competition. He retired undefeated after winning the inaugural Mr. USA
competition in 1949, becoming a prolific writer on the Iron Game, and an
inspiration to generations of strength athletes, in the US and throughout the
world.
Kenny Hall -
Kenny Hall emigrated to the US from his
native Barbados having already won the Mr. Barbados title. He became Mr. New
York State in 1962. But Hall was not as successful on a national level (placing
10 th
in the Mr. America competition the same
year). Many have argued persuasively that Kenny, along with other physique
competitors of color, such as George Paine, Arthur Harris, Elmo Santiago and
Harold Poole, never placed as high as they should have because of the prejudices
of certain judges. However, Kenny persevered, winning such titles as Mr.
Universe over-40 and Pro Mr. America over-50, all while being lifetime drug
free.
Gene Jantzen -
Gene Jantzen’s outstanding physique
enabled him to be chosen as the Strength & Health coverman in the June 1941
issue of that magazine (an honor he was to be afforded twice more in his
career). Jantzen went on to become the owner and manager of a resort, a
corrective therapist, sculptor and published poet. A chance sighting of a mail
order exercise course launched Jantzen’s training. In 1944, he placed third in
the Mr. America competition and in 1947 won the “Finest Physique in America”
title, an award conferred by Bernarr MacFadden’s Physical Culture magazine, one
of the leading publications of the day.
Harry Johnson -
Harry Johnson was one of the most
persistent competitors ever to win the Mr. America title. Harry began
bodybuilding during the 1940’s and placed 16th in the 1952 Mr.
America competition, after years of training. In 1953 he moved up to 14th
place. In 1954 he placed 5th and earned that placing again in 1955.
In 1956 he placed 6th in the same competition, although he did win
the short division of the Mr. Universe competition that year. In 1957, he moved
up to 3rd place at the Mr. A. In 1959, the title he had worked so
long and hard to attain became his, when he was named Mr. America. At that time
he was the oldest man ever to win that competition. While operating his long
running gym, Harry trained for and won the 1966 Masters Mr. America title.
Ed Jubinville -
Ed Jubinville made many contributions to
the Iron Game, but he was perhaps most famous for his abilities in the art of
muscle control. At a time when muscle control had become a dying art, Ed
mastered that skill and thrilled audiences around the world with this physique
and ability to control the muscles that made it up. In addition to his
performing skills, Ed manufactured some of finest gym equipment of his day. He
was also a stalwart meet promoter in the New England area for decades, his shows
drawing huge crowds to see displays of many legends of the Iron Game.
Mike Karchut
– One of the most outstanding lifters in
the US during the late 1960s and through the 1970’s, Mike Karchut was renowned
for his outstanding technique and dedication to the sport of weightlifting.
Across a career that spanned more than 25 years, Mike amassed 8 National
Championship titles, broke 10 American Records and was a member of 3 US Olympic
teams. His international accomplishments included a Gold Medal at the Pan
American Games and a total of 4 bronze medals at 3 World Championships. He also
has the distinction of competing in more consecutive National Championships in
US weightlifting history – 25. Mike was always one of the most popular lifters
in the US, not only because of the wonderful style with which he lifted, but for
the deep and sincere encouragement he provided to so many lifters of his day and
in the years that followed, by his example and by his willingness to help anyone
who has a sincere desire to improve his or her weightlifting performance.
Russ Knipp -
Russ Knipp was started in the sport of
weightlifting at the tender age of 6, by a father who was a powerful lifter.
Knipp made his first major mark on the international weightlifting scene on July
23, 1966, when he pressed a World Record of 152.5 kg (336 lb) at a bodyweight of
165 lb. He went on to make three more World Records in that lift. But Russ was
an exceptional all around lifter as well, having been the first middleweight
(165 lb.) US lifter to total 1000 lbs. on the three lifts. Across his
outstanding career, Russ won 3 National Championships, a Pan American Games and
Gold medals in the press at 2 World Championships.
Tommy Kono –
If being a sickly and underweight child
did not make Tommy Kono’s early years difficult enough, being interred with his
family at the Tule Lake detention camp during WWII (for no other reason than
their Japanese ancestry) raised the bar. But during his interment, Tommy took up
weight training and thereby started one of the greatest careers in world
weightlifting history. A winner of 6 World Championships, 2 Olympic Games
(winner of a silver medal in a 3
rd), holder of 26 World Records
is 4 bodyweight categories, Tommy is on anyone’s short list of the greatest
lifters of all time (he has been officially recognized by the International
Weightlifting Federation as one of the greatest lifters of all time). As if his
record as athlete were not sufficient to preserve his name in weightlifting
history, Tommy is perhaps the only coach ever to have coached Olympic Teams from
3 different countries (Germany, Mexico and the US). More recently, he has
authored the classic book – “Weightlifting – Olympic-style”.
Ron Lacy -
During his successful career in college football, under the legendary
Bear Bryant, Ron discovered his ability with the weights, when he pressed
bodyweight (170 lb.) the first time he tried it. That marked the beginning of
his career in weight training. Over the next 7 years, Ron slowly worked his way
up to bodybuilding stardom, placing 3
rd in the Mr. California
competition in 1954, 10th in the Mr. America contest in 1955, 2nd
in 1956 and finally winning the crown in 1957. That same year he won his height
division at the NABBA Mr. Universe. After winning his title, Ron continued to
train, and to train others, for the rest of his days.
Red Lerille
– While he had successfully competed in
a number of high level bodybuilding competitions by the time he entered the Mr.
America contest in 1960, Red Lerille was far from the favorite. Nevertheless, he
prevailed over more experienced competitors to win that coveted title. Upon
returning home, Red immediately set about achieving the second of his boyhood
goals (winning the Mr. America competition had been the first). That second goal
was to build a gym where people who were seeking health and strength could
gather together to build their bodies. Red has succeeded beyond even his own
imagination. Through his relentless work over a span of more than 40 years, Red
has built the largest health club in the Southeast, and one of the largest in
the world. Today that club includes more than 200,000 square feet of fantastic
space that accommodates the fitness and recreational desires of countless
members of his community. So outstanding have been Red’s achievements that he is
recognized as one of the legends of the fitness industry.
Fred
Lowe - An eight time National Weightlifting Champion and three time
Olympian (1968, 1972 and 1976), Fred was the first American to C&J more than
400lbs. as a middleweight (165 lb.). An eight time World Masters Champion, Fred
has had perhaps the longest career in open national competition is US
weightlifting history, having competed in the American Open Championships in
2010 at the age of 63 while having made his debut on the national weightlifting
scene in 1966, at the Teenage Nationals. He won his first Senior National Championship
in 1969 and his last in, 1981, taking a bronze medal at the Senior Nationals in 1997.
Johnny Mandel -
One of the AOBS’s founders, Johnny
Mandel served as Chairman of the AOBS for many years, until his death in 2006. A
Detective with the NYPD for 20 years, he was the President Emeritus of the
Retired Detectives Association and operated one of most successful private
investigation companies in the NY area for many years. In addition to his
involvement in the Iron Game, Mandel was a top-flight wrestler, who served as
the coach of the United States Olympic Team for the 1960 Games in Rome, Italy.
Dave Mayor -
Dave Mayor became widely known for
developing arms that measured more than 19 inches in the 1930’s, at that time
perhaps the largest muscular arms ever developed. He put those arms to good use
by earning a spot on the 1936 US Olympic Team in weightlifting and went on to
win the US National Championships in weightlifting the following year. Dave
later became a professional wrestler and a Regional Director for York Barbell
Co. He helped to develop the initial strength training program of the Dallas
Cowboys (believed to be one of the earliest ever in professional football) and
trained the Vesper Board club for the 1964 Olympic Games.
Jim Murray -
Jim Murray has been a powerful advocate
for weight training for many decades. A lifelong friend of bodybuilding promoter
Jim Lorimer (producer of the annual Arnold Sports Festival), the two Jim’s began
training together in their early teens, cementing their lifelong commitment to
the weights after seeing John Grimek pose in the early 1940s. Jim went on to
become a prolific writer on the Iron Game, co-authoring the pioneering “Weight
Training in Athletics”. Murray became widely known in the Iron Game when he went
to work as the Managing Editor of the Strength & Health magazine, sharing an
office with the great John Grimek.
Al
Oerter -
Having set multiple world records with
the discus, Al Oerter was perhaps best known forbecoming the first athlete in
Olympic history to win 4 gold medals in separate Olympic Games. Although he
never entered any Olympic Games as the favorite (there was always someone else
who held the world record going into the Games) Al won the discus events at the
Olympic Games in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968, after which he retired. He made a
comeback in 1980 in an effort to earn a spot on the ill fated US Team that was
to boycott the Games in 1980. He continued his training through 1984 and just
missed earning a spot on that year’s team. Al always credited weight training as
a major factor in his success in athletics.
George Paine -
George Paine was considered by many to
be the “uncrowned Mr. America” (many believe a black athlete would simply not be
awarded the Mr. America title in his era). After emigrating to the US from his
native Cuba, George racked up a slew of victories beginning with the Mr. New
York Metropolitan in 1949. He was Mr. NY State in 1950 and Mr. Eastern America,
and Jr. Mr. America in 1951. However, at the Mr. America competition later that
year, he placed 3rd. He was 3rd again in 1952. Then he
placed 4th in 1953 and 1954, while winning the Most Muscular part of
the
Reg Park -
Reg Park first attained bodybuilding fame with a victory at the Mr.
Britain competition in 1949. He placed second in the Mr. Universe competition in
1950 and the following year won the NAABA Mr. Universe title. After starting
successful publishing and weight training equipment businesses in England, Reg
moved to South Africa and opened a gym in 1958. That same year, he returned to
the Mr. Universe stage and won a second time. He repeated that trick in 1965, to
become the first bodybuilder ever to win 3 such titles. In addition to having a
truly Herculean physique, Reg was incredibly strong. He was the second man in
the world to bench press 500 lb. officially. His rugged physique and good looks
were not overlooked by the film business, which gave him starring roles in 5
movies, built around Hercules or similar legends.
Bill Pearl -
Bill Pearl surprised many by winning the
Mr. America competition in 1953 but he cemented his bodybuilding reputation by
winning the Mr. Universe title and the Mr. USA title in 1956. He appeared in the
Mr. Universe competition 3 more times, winning each time (in 1961, 1967 and
1971). Bill ran a very successful gym in Southern California for a number of
years, but then turned to writing and publishing. His “Key’s to the Inner
Universe”, a massive tome that demonstrated the performance of almost every
weight training exercise imaginable with the equipment available at the time, it
became an instant classic that was sold to hundreds of thousands of grateful
readers over the years. Bill’s subsequent books have also been very successful
and his upcoming work on the history of the Iron Game is eagerly awaited by
Bill’s fans.
Joe Pitman
– Joe Pitman had one of the greatest strings of National Weightlifting
Championship victories in the history of the United States. Across his
tremendous career, Joe won a total of 11 National Championships (the only
lifters in US weightlifting history who won more were Tony Terlazzo – 13 and
John Davis – 12). Joe was very successful on the international scene as well,
winning gold medals at the inaugural Pan American Games in 1951, and then again
at the 1955 Pan American Games. At the World Championships, Joe earned silver
medals in both 1949 and 1951. Perhaps Joe’s greatest year came in 1950 where,
after defeating Tommy Kono and Dave Sheppard in a colossal battle at the US
National Championships, he went on to win the Gold Medal at the World
Championships in Paris. His total of 352.5 kg. that day equaled to winning
totals made by Shams of Egypt the year before and Pete George of the US in 1947.
After retiring from weightlifting, Joe made his career as a teacher, educating
America’s youth.
Joe Puleo
– Joe Puleo emerged on the weightlifting scene as a teenage phenomenon,
breaking “teenage” American and World records. He also won the first of his 5
National Championships in 1962, while he was still a teenager. A year later, he
established himself as one of the top lifters in the world, by winning the Pan
American Games (which he did again in 1967), along with taking second in the
“Little Olympics” (a hastily arranged substitute for the World Championships
that had been cancelled that year). Joe retired from competition in 1970 to
pursue a very successful career as an attorney. However, in 1979, he decided to
make a comeback in an effort to earn a spot on the 1980 US Olympic Team. Joe’s
effort was successful, when he earned that team spot at the 1980 Olympic Trials
in Philadelphia. Although the US boycotted the Olympics that year, Joe was
invited to compete in substitute championship held in China. By competing in
China, Joe became the US athlete with the longest international career in US
weightlifting history.
Mabel Rader -
Mabel married Peary Rader (see below)
early in their careers and became his partner in building the publishing and
equipment empires that Peary led. She made her own legend by becoming the first
female AAU National Referee of weightlifting and bodybuilding in the history of
the US and then becoming a powerful advocate for Women’s weightlifting. She
worked tirelessly during the late 1970’s to establish national recognition by
the AAU for Women’s Weightlifting. She became Chair of a special Women’s
Committee and in 1980 requested that a Women’s National Championship be
organized. Her request was approved by the AAU and the first Wormen’s Nationals
in weightlifting was held in 1981. Mabel published the first newsletter for
Women’s Weightlifting, which became a beacon for the women’s weightlifting
movement worldwide.
Peary Rader -
Peary was for more than 50 years the
publisher of Iron Man Magazine (as well as the shorter lived “Lifting News”).
Iron Man was revered as an independent voice in the Iron Game. While the
incredibly successful publications created by Bob Hoffman and Joe Weider spread
the word about weight training throughout the nation and the world, they were
perceived by many as close reflections of the views of those men. In contrast,
much of Peary’s support came from a broad range independents who sold equipment
or supplements and/or wrote for Peary’s publications. Peary’s integrity and
independence made him a highly respected name in the Iron Game.
Steve Reeves -
Perhaps no name in the history of
bodybuilding was more synonymous with the legendary “Hercules” than Steve
Reeves. After winning the Mr. America title in 1947, Mr. World in 1948 and Mr.
Universe in 1950, Reeves’ classic physique, good looks and drive propelled him
to a very successful acting career in the films. While he starred in a number of
successful films, Reeves is perhaps best remembered for his depiction of the
mythical Hercules in a series of films he made in the 1950’s. Millions who saw
his image on the silver screen became imbued with the desire to develop their
own physique and strength, so that they could emulate their screen hero.
Don Reinhoudt
– Don Reinhoudt didn’t begin to lift
weights until he was 18, and he wasn’t particularly strong when he first touched
the iron. During his college years, Don focused primarily on upper body
exercises yet gained more than 40 pounds of muscular bodyweight. After
graduating from college in 1968, Don entered his first powerlifting competition.
By 1972, he had improved enough to place 3
rd
in the World Championships, with a total
of 2150 lb. He won that championship in 1973 and in the ensuing years added more
world championship titles and many world records to his list of accomplishments.
Later Don became one of the top performers in the World at the World’s Strongest
Man competitions. But Don is perhaps best remembered for the incredible 2420 lb.
total he amassed in 1975. It is a total that many believe has never been beaten
with the same equipment and rules as the ones that prevailed in Don’s day.
Terry Robinson
- A recipient of the AOBS’s highest
honor in 1993, former Mr. NY State and Mr.America contender Terry Robinson has
earned the title “trainer to the stars” many times over. In addition to his long
association with Mario Lanza, as Mario’s trainer and adviser (and the godfather
who helped to raise Mario’s children when the star and his wife died within
months of each other in their 30s), Terry has worked with the biggest stars in
Hollywood for years, from Anthony Hopkins to John Ritter. A writer, artist and
true renaissance man, and now more than 90 years of age, Terry is the trainer of
the trainers and a manager with Sports Club LA – one of the largest and most
prestigious health clubs in the US. Terry has said, “I look at the body as a
miracle, and I take care of it by staying healthy and fit.” In the vast list of
his accomplishments Terry is perhaps proudest of his work as a physical
therapist, through which he has helped to make the disabled “able-disabled” and
the handicapped “handicapable”.
Dennis
Rogers - A diminutive weakling as a young boy, Dennis took up
weight training and experienced a transformation. His improvements in size and
strength led him to explore a wide variety of strength testing feats. He
excelled in arm wrestling, winning national and world titles in that sport. He
then became interested in old time strongman feats, encouraged by Vic Boff and
Slim "The Hammerman" Farman, he built his strength, along with a portfolio of
strength feats, to the point where he has become the most widely viewed strength
performer in the world today. When he is not performing, he is helping young
people develop their physical strength and character through faith based and
other initiatives that Dennis has dedicated himself to.
Rudy Sablo -
Rudy Sablo fell in love with the sport
of weightlifting in his teens and soon developed into a national level
competitor. However, Rudy was to became best known as an official and
administrator. In the early 1960’s, he became the Chairman of the AAU National
Weightlifting Committee, rewriting the organization’s rulebook and procedures to
assure the sport’s smooth administration. He ran the NYC AAU office for more
than 20 years, after retiring from the NYC Fire Dept. He served on the USOC
Executive Board for many years and was recognized by the USOC, IOC and the IWF
for his lifetime contributions to international sport.
Bruno Sammartino
– Bruno was the longest reigning world
champion in the history of the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He held the
world heavyweight championship during two separate reigns as champion (a total
of 11 years). He appeared as a headliner in Madison Square Garden more than 200
times. Bruno received the AOBS’s highest honor in 2000, for his achievements in
the wrestling and strength worlds. Besides being a professional wrestler, Bruno,
was a strongman capable of world class feats. He has always attributed much of
the success he achieved in his fabulous wrestling career to weight training and
other forms of exercise. Sammartino grew up in post-WWII Italy, where food was
scarce. When he came to the US, he was a sickly and undersized young man. Weight
training and healthy living built him into the Hercules who dominated the
professional wrestling world for so many years. He is another living example of
the power of dedicated training to generate a Herculean transformation.
Elmo Santiago -
Introduced to weight training by a
friend in his Bronx neighborhood, Elmo Santiago soon became a devoted
bodybuilder. In 1952, he became Mr. New York Metropolitan. In 1953 he was 2nd
in the Mr. North America competition and third in Mr. YMCA. In 1954 he was 2nd
in the Mr. Eastern America competition and he won the Mr. New York City title in
1958. In 1959 he won the Jr. Mr. America title and placed 6th in the
Mr. America competition. In 1960 he won Mr. North America. The following year he
traveled to London and placed third in his class in the NABBA Mr. Universe. In
1965, Elmo returned to London and finally won the NABBA Mr. Universe title.
Hy Schaeffer -
Dr. Hy Schaeffer was one of the top
weightlifters in the United States in the early 1940’s, winning the Jr.
Nationals in 1942. Later in his career he opened a gym in Brooklyn where he was
instrumental in developing a number of top lifters, including Olympic Champion
and World Recordholder, Isaac Berger. Dr. Schaeffer was also a doctor of
chiropractic to whom many athletes turned when they had injuries that were
hampering their athletic careers.
Norb Schemansky -
Norb Schemansky is considered one of the
all-time greats of weightlifting history. He won the 1946 Jr. Nationals and the
following year placed second in the Nationals and then at the 1947 World
Championships. He earned a sliver medal at the 1948 Olympic Games. In 1951, Norb
won the Nationals for the first time, in the newly created 198 ¾ lb. bodyweight
category and then went on to win the World Championships the same year. He
earned an Olympic gold in 1952, making world records in the snatch, C&J and
total. He won the World’s again in 1953, and moved up to heavyweight in 1954 for
still another victory and a new slew of world records. Then Norb twice injured
his back and required two major back surgeries that were expected to end his
career. But he battled back and won a bronze medal at the 1960 Olympic Games,
set world records in 1962 and placed 2nd at the Worlds Championships,
after a controversial call by the referees at the Worlds that may have cost him
the title. At the 1964 Olympics, at the age of 40, Norb garnered another Olympic
medal, becoming the first weightlifter ever to win 4 Olympic medals
Bill
Seno
– Bill Seno
excelled in powerlifting, bodybuilding and Olympic-style lifting. He won the
Mid-Western Section of the Jr. National Weightlifting Championships in 1962. As
a bodybuilder, Bill placed 5th in four Mr. America competitions
between 1962 and 1973, winning the Most Muscular Man part of that competition on
1964, where he placed 4th overall. He was also a coverman for Health
& Strength, Iron Man and Muscular Development magazines. In, powerlifting, he
won the first official AAU National Powerlifting Championship in the 198 lb.
in 1965. After a period of relative inactivity on
the competitive powerlifting stage, he won the 220 lb. bodyweight category at the 1972 Nationlas with a record 1805 lb. total. Later that year, he won the 1973 World
Powerlifting Championships with a total of 1840 lb. His bench press, deadlift
and total were all world records. In 1981, lifting in the 242 lb.
bodyweight category, Bill made a lifetime record of 2040 the total. He also
bench pressed a record 578 lb.. Many believe that record has never truly been
broken by a man of the same bodyweight and same equipment that Bill used (which
is to say a T-shirt).
Dave Sheppard -
Dave Sheppard earned medals in 4 World
Championships and the 1956 Olympic Games, established world records in all of
the lifts and was one of the pioneers of the squat style of lifting. At the 1954
World Championships, he was credited by many as having made the most courageous
attempt in weightlifting history. Asked to lift in the 90 kg. bodyweight
category because the US already had another lifter in the 82.5 kg. category
(Tommy Kono) Sheppard’s bodyweight was barely over 82.5 kg. during his
competition. In an effort to win, he jumped to 187.5 kg. after his first attempt
at 167.5 kg. in the C&J, a weight was 17.5 kg. over the World Record in Dave’s
true (82.5 kg.) bodyweight division and heavier than any weight ever attempted
by a heavyweight at any prior World Championship. Dave actually shouldered the
weight but could not fully rise from the squat position.
Dick “Smitty” Smith
- Smitty made his first trip to York PA
in the late 1930s, to purchase a set of weights. It was a journey that was to
change his life. During the ensuing years, he began to travel to York with ever
greater frequency, eventually relocating there and becoming employed by the York
Barbell Co. An astute observer of the Iron Game, Smitty soon began to assist
lifters like Bill March and Bob Bednarski in their training and competitions. He
could be seen behind the scenes, and in the background on the stage, in nearly
any photo of York’s top lifters during the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. World
Champion, Joe Dube, and Olympic silver medallist, Lee James, both give Smitty a
great deal of the credit for their international successes. And there are
countless others who will always thank Smitty for his coaching on and off the
platform. He still trains many people today and conducts tours of the York
Barbell Company’s Museum. The museum’s visitors couldn’t hope for a better
guide.
Frank Spellman
– At the age of 85, Frank Spellman is
the oldest living Olympic Weightlifting Champion in the USA. After becoming a
successful weightlifter in the early 1940’s, Frank served for three years in the
military in WWII. When he was discharged at the end of 1945, Frank moved to what
was then the weightlifting “capital” of the US, York, PA. The following year he
won his first National Championship and earned a bronze medal at the first
postwar World Championship in Paris. He trained even harder the following year
and was rewarded with the silver medal at the 1947 World Championships. He
resolved to dedicate himself even further to improving his weightlifting
performances and, in 1948, Frank’s persistence paid off. After winning the US
National Championship, he won the coveted gold medal at the 1948 Olympic Games
in London. He came back to win one more Nationals in 1961. Frank still trains
today and is in terrific shape, a shining inspiration to the champions who have
followed him.
Milo Steinborn -
Milo Steinborn became the National
Weightlifting Champion of his native Germany in 1920. He is believed to be the
first man to officially exceed 500 lb. in the squat. His world record in the
squat of 553 lb. lasted for decades. What makes Steinborn’s squatting exploits
even more remarkable was that they were performed without a rack. Milo would
generally simply load his barbell to the desired weight, stand it on end, tip it
onto his shoulders and squat! On the pro wrestling circuit for more than 25
years, Steinborn became a very successful promoter after he retired from the
mat. He settled in Orlando, FL, where his Orange St. Gym became a local fixture.
Leo Stern -
Leo Stern began his nearly lifelong
career in the Iron Game as a weightlifter. However, after seeing the phenomenal
physique of the great John Grimek, in the early 1940’s, he developed a passion
for bodybuilding as well. After serving as a physical instructor during WWII, he
took up serious training again and won the Mr. California title in 1946. He
placed 3 rd
in the Mr. America competition the same
year. Leo is widely known for his physique photos of the great Bill Pearl and
countless others (and as Bill’s trainer in his early years). He produced top
level weightlifting teams for much of his career as well, including at least one
national champion, Bill Lowrance. Leo and his wife Bettye ran very successful
health studios for many years.
Pudgy Stockton -
Abbye Stockton was a dominant figure in
women’s physical culture, excelling in the physique world, as a weightlifter, as
a gymnast and as an acrobat. Variously referred to as “The First Lady of Iron”,
America’s Barbelle” and “The Queen of Muscle Beach”, she could be seen gracing
the covers and pages of magazines of physical culture for decades. So amazing
was her physique (especially for her era), that a one-piece bathing suit could
not be used to display it adequately (her mother made her early two piece
suits). She and husband Les, were among the pioneers who made “Muscle Beach” a
legend and organized perhaps the first AAU sanctioned weightlifting competition
form women in 1947 (which Pudgy easily won).
Frank Stranahan -
As a teenager, Frank excelled at both
golf and football. Frank discovered early on that weight training could help him
gain weight and vastly improve his strength. Such training was rare among
football players and unheard of for golfers at that time. Although his father
tried to talk him out of weight training, Frank persisted and became one of the
most outstanding lifters in the US at that time. But golf is where Frank truly
achieved amazing results. He won more than 70 amateur championships between 1936
and 1954, including 7 national championships and the 1948 and 1950 British
Amateur championships.
Dennis Tinerino -
Dennis Tinerino had one of the great
physiques of the 1960’s through 1980’s. He won the Jr. Mr. USA and Teenage Mr.
America titles in 1965 and Mr. USA in 1966. He won the Jr. and Sr. Mr. America
titles in 1967 and the NABBA amateur Mr. Universe title in 1968. He came back to
with the Pro Mr. Universe title in 1981. This multi-time coverman for Strength &
Health not only had a fabulous physique, but he was an accomplished athlete as
well. He had little trouble earning his athletic points for the AAU Mr. American
competition, as he became an outstanding Weightlifter after pending only a short
time in the sport.
Jan Todd
(r.) - One of the pioneers of Women’s Powerlifting, after winning
her bodyweight divisions in the first women’s national powerlifting event in
1977 (Joe Zarella’s All American Women’s Open) and the first Women’s World
Powerlifting Championship, Jan Todd continued to write the powerlifting record
books. Her records included her highest lifts in the heavyweight
division of a 545 lb. squat and a 479 lb. deadlift. She and her husband Terry
(see below) established the Todd-McLean Library (now the Stark Center), which
houses the largest collection of Physical Culture publications in the world.
Terry Todd
(l.) - Terry Todd began his career as a weightlifter, winning the
Jr. Nationals in 1963. Shortly thereafter he devoted his energies to
powerlifting and won the first AAU National Championships in Powerlifting in
1965. A former editor for Strength & Health Magazine, Terry authored 5 books in
the area of weight training, has been a TV commentator for a wide variety of
strength events and has had countless articles published in magazines like
Sports Illustrated. He and his wife Jan, developed the
largest collection of physical culture publications in the world (see above).
Chuck Vinci
-
Two-time Olympic champion Chuck Vinci
was one of the most successful lifters in US weightlifting history and one of
the most hard working. His training endurance was legendary, displayed through
such feats as training 8 hours straight, or making a world record in the C&J on
his 10 th
competitive attempt. Across his competitive career, Chuck won 7 National
Championships and 2 Pan American Games. He also set multiple world records in
the snatch, C&J and total. He had
David Webster -
Founder of the International Highland
Games Federation, Dave Webster has been involved in virtually all facets of the
Iron Game for many decades. A prolific author on the history of strength and
training methods, Webster has been active as a coach and administrator. He was
Director of Weightlifting at he Commonwealth Games (later Chief of Mission for
the entire Commonwealth Games). He has been an official for the International
Weightlifting Federation and a consultant to the organizers of at least one
Olympic Games. In recognition for his lifelong contributions to the sport, Dave
was honored with the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Malcolm Whyatt
– Malcolm Whyatt (r) is known worldwide as a physical
culture historian, researcher and writer.He was formerly the publisher of Health
& Strength Magazine, the oldest continuously published Iron Game magazine in the
world (founded in 1898). Malcolm has also been recognized as a historian for
NABBA. Whyatt was an intimate friend of Oscar Heidenstam, Mr. Britain in 1938,
Mr. Europe in 1939. Oscar served the NABBA in various posts, including secretary
and president between 1956 and his death in 1991, so became one of the most
revered administrators in the world. When Oscar died, Malcolm founded the Oscar
Heidenstam Foundation in Heidenstam’s honor, with it’s associated Hall of Fame
and annual awards dinner (a British counterpart to the AOBS dinner) that
attracted the greatest names of the Physical Culture worldwide to its grand
evenings, the last of which occurred on March 15th of 2008.
Bruce
Wilhelm
– Bruce Wilhelm
has excelled in virtually every strength sport. In wrestling, he was the
bronze medalist at the 1965 AAU Nationals in Freestyle Wrestling, and 4th
in the Greco Roman Championships the following year. He was ranked in the top 10
in the US in the shot in 1967 and in 1969 through 1973. His personal best with
the shot of 66’ ¼”, performed in 1972, still ranked him 251 all-time
worldwide in 2009. He won the 1975 and 1976 US Nationals in Olympic-style weightlifting
and placed 5th overall at the Olympics, winning a silver medal in the
snatch competition of the World Championships held simultaneously with the
Games. He went on to become the first American in history to snatch 400 lb. In
1977, he won the inaugural World’s Strongest Man competition and he successfully
defended his title the following year. Bruce was ABC’s color commentator
for weightlifting for Wide World of Sports and became a prolific writer on
the Iron Game, having published countless magazine articles and written books on Pat
Casey and Ken Patera.
Chet
Yorton - Chet discovered weight training after suffering two broken
legs and other severe injuries in an automobile accident that he had as a
teenager. He went on to win numerous bodybuilding titles, including the
prestigious IFBB Mr. America and NABBA Mr. Universe titles in 1966. Always an advocate of natural
bodybuilding, he had a successful career as a gym owner, as well as a number of
movie roles. Chet pioneered a natural bodybuilding magazine and some of the
first natural bodybuilding competitions. He has been "rediscovered" by
bodybuilding fans worldwide in recent years, who see him as living proof that a
continuous dedication to natural bodybuilding enables one to remain in
tremendous condition throughout ones life (as the picture to the right
demonstrates - it shows Chet in 2010, at the age of 71!