AOBS Honorees
The AOBS has honored those who have achieved distinction in the Iron Game in four categories: AOBS Vic Boff Highest Achievement, Special Guest, Hall of Fame and Carry-On. They are listed on this page and their grand achievements are memorialized in separate pages devoted to these respective categories.
AOBS Highest
Achievement (Vic Boff) Award Recipients
From its outset,
one of the missions of the AOBS has been to recognize and remember the (sometimes
forgotten by many) 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
founder Vic Boff’s enormous contribution to the organization). In that same year, Vic Boff received
the award, posthumously.
In the 25 year history of the AOBS, a total of 63 immortals of the Iron Game have received the organization's highest achievement award. They were (in alphabetical order - they are presented chronologically in a later section):
Joe Abbenda Paul Anderson Jules Bacon Doris Barrilleaux Clarence Bass Al Berger
Issac Berger Vic Boff Jim Bradford Frank Capsouras Pat Casey Bill Clark Gary Cleveland
Dave Draper Joe Dube Carla Dunlap Marvin Eder George Eiferman Clyde Emrich Slim Farman
Bob Gajda Dr. James George Dr. Peter George Bert Goodrich John Grimek Kenny Hall
Gene Jantzen Harry Johnson Ed Jubinville Mike Karchut Russ Knipp Tommy Kono
Ron Lacey Red Lerille Fred Lowe Johnny Mandel Dave Mayor Jim Murray Al Oerter
George Paine Reg Park Bill Pearl Joe Pitman Joe Puleo Mabel Rader Peary Rader
Terry Robinson Steve Reeves Don Reinhoudt Dennis Rogers Rudy Sablo Bruno Sammartino
Elmo Santiago Hy Schaeffer Norb Schemansky Bill Seno Dave Sheppard Dick "Smitty" Smith
Frank Spellman Milo Steinborn Leo Stern Pudgy Stockton Frank Stranahan Dennis Tinerino
Jan Todd Terry Todd Chuck Vinci David Webster Malcolm Whyatt Bruce Wilhelm Chet Yorton
The chronology of the Highest Achievement Awards is presented below. It should be remembered that the first 3 dinners, held between 1982 and 1985, were events to honor Sig Klein - one of the most noteworthy contributors to the Iron Game in its long history.
May 10, 1986
John Grimek
(received our
Association's First Highest
Achievement Award)
May 23, 1987
Bert Goodrich
Milo Steinborn
Johnny Mandel
Oct. l, 1988
Steve Reeves
Peary & Mabel Rader
Oct. 7, 1989
Pete George
Marvin Eder
Ed Jubinville
Jules Bacon
Sep. 22, 1990
Tommy Kono
Reg Park
Frank Stranahan
Rudy Sablo
Sep 28, 1991
George Eiferman
Gene Jantzen
Pudgy Stockton
Feb 29, 1992
Paul Anderson
(at the US. Power &
Strength Symposium,
Orlando, Florida)
Sep 26, 1992
Dr. Jan Todd
Dr. Terry Todd
Ike Berger
Oct. 23, 1993
Terry Robinson
David Webster
Charles Vinci
Oct 8, 1994
Bill Pearl
Dave Sheppard
Leo Stern
Oct 7, 1995
Joe Abbenda
AI Berger
Dr, Hy Schaeffer
Oct. 5, 1996
Norb Schemansky
George Paine
Malcolm Whyatt
Sep 27, 1997
Dave Mayor
Frank Spellman
Bill Clark
Oct 17, 1998
Joe Pitman
Ron Lacy
Slim “The Hammerman”
Farman
Oct 23, 1999
Jim Bradford
Harry Johnson
Oct 14, 2000
Bruno Sammartino
Joe Dube
Jim Murray
Oct 6,
2001/ (postponed to Jun 2002)
Al Oerter
Joe Puleo
Kenny Hall
Jun 28, 2003
Vic Boff
Clarence Bass
Clyde Emrich
Jun 12, 2004
Doris Barrilleaux
Gary Cleveland
Dr James George
Elmo Santiago
Jun 11, 2005
Pat Casey
Red Lerille
Don Reinhoudt
Jun 3, 2006
Russ Knipp
Dick “Smitty” Smith
Dennis Tinerino
Jun 9, 2007
Dave Draper
Mike Karchut
June 7, 2008
All of our previous honorees who were invited back for an encore, to commemorate our 25th Reunion - no new honorees were named
June 13, 2009
Carla Dunlap
Bill Seno
Bruce Wilhelm
October 23, 2010
Fred Lowe
Dennis Rogers
Chet Yorton
September17, 2011
Frank Capsouras
Bob Gajda
Special Guest Honor Awards
From time to time, the AOBS presents special awards to recognize outstanding achievement in, and outstanding contributions to, the Iron Game. The following people have been so recognized by the AOBS as "Special Guest Honor Award" winners.
October 1, 1988
September 22, 1990
September 28, 1991
October 10, 1993
June 12, 2004
October 23, 2010
AOBS Memorial Hall of Fame
June 11, 2005
Bob Hoffman
June 3, 2006
Joe Greenstein “The
Mighty Atom”
June 9, 2007
John Henry Davis
September 17, 2011
Eugen Sandow
"Carry On" Award
Oct 17, 1998
Jim Sanders
Mike D’Angelo
Steve Sadicario
Jun 26, 2003
Ann Boff
Joe Marino
June 9, 2007
Artie Drechsler
June 13, 2009
JoAnne Drechsler