AAU Mr. America
Encyclopedia
AAU Mr. America was a bodybuilding
competition started by the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU). It was first held on 4 July 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 onwards. The AAU voted to discontinue holding bodybuilding competitions in 1999.
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.
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
competition started by the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU). It was first held on 4 July 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
Joe Weider
Josef E. "Joe" Weider is co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders along with brother Ben Weider and creator of the Mr. Olympia, the Ms. Olympia, and the now-defunct Masters Olympia bodybuilding contests...
and Ben Weider
Ben Weider
Benjamin "Ben" Weider, was the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness along with brother Joe Weider...
started the IFBB
International Federation of BodyBuilders
The International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...
as an alternative to the AAU. They held their opposing contest the IFBB Mr. America
IFBB Mr. America
IFBB Mr. America was a bodybuilding contest organised by the International Federation of BodyBuilders . It was first held in 1949 and in direct competition with the AAU Mr. America...
in 1949 and then from 1959 onwards. The AAU voted to discontinue holding bodybuilding competitions in 1999.
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.
Winners
| Year | Overall Winner |
|---|---|
| 1938 | Bert Goodrich |
| 1939 | Roland Essmaker |
| 1940 | John Grimek John Grimek John Carroll Grimek is recognized as one of the world's greatest bodybuilders and weight lifters of the 1930s and 1940s.Grimek was born on June 17, 1910 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, son of Slovak immigrants George and Maria Grimek.Besides his bodybuilding exploits, in which he was never defeated,... |
| 1941 | John Grimek John Grimek John Carroll Grimek is recognized as one of the world's greatest bodybuilders and weight lifters of the 1930s and 1940s.Grimek was born on June 17, 1910 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, son of Slovak immigrants George and Maria Grimek.Besides his bodybuilding exploits, in which he was never defeated,... |
| 1942 | Frank Leight |
| 1943 | Jules Bacon |
| 1944 | Steve Stanko |
| 1945 | Clarence Ross Clarence Ross Clarence Ross 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. His mother died when he was young, so he grew up in a series of foster homes... |
| 1946 | Alan Stephan |
| 1947 | Steve Reeves Steve Reeves Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:... |
| 1948 | George Eiferman George Eiferman George Eiferman 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 Mr. America competition in 1948 and Mr. Universe in 1962-External links:*... |
| 1949 | Jack Delinger Jack Delinger Jack Delinger is an American professional bodybuilder from Oakland, California. He won the 1949 AAU Mr. America and the 1956 Mr. Universe.-References:... |
| 1950 | John Farbotnik |
| 1951 | Roy Hilligenn |
| 1952 | Jim Parks |
| 1953 | Bill Pearl Bill Pearl William Arnold "Bill" Pearl is an American former bodybuilder during the 1950s and '60s. He won many titles and awards, including winning the Mr. Universe contest five times, and was named "World’s Best-Built Man of the Century." He became an expert trainer and author on bodybuilding.- Biography... |
| 1954 | Dick DuBois |
| 1955 | Steve Klisanin |
| 1956 | Ray Schaefer |
| 1957 | Ron Lacy |
| 1958 | Tom Sansone |
| 1959 | Harry Johnson |
| 1960 | Lloyd Lerille |
| 1961 | Raymond Routledge Raymond Routledge Raymond Routledge was an American amateur and professional bodybuilder. He was crowned AAU Mr. America in 1961. He held the title of Amateur Mr. Universe the same year. He died at the age of 77 in San Bernardino, California.... |
| 1962 | Joe Abbenda Joe Abbenda Joe Abbenda is an American professional bodybuilder of Italian descent, prominent in the early to mid 1960s. He competed in the tall man competitions, and as an amateur won the Teen Mr. America... |
| 1963 | Vern Weaver |
| 1964 | Val Vasilieff (also spelled Vasilef or Vasilief) |
| 1965 | Jerry Daniels |
| 1966 | Bob Gajda |
| 1967 | Dennis Tinerino |
| 1968 | Jim Haislop |
| 1969 | Boyer Coe Boyer Coe Boyer Coe is an American former professional bodybuilder.Coe is the only contestant to achieve a perfect score in the World Bodybuilding Championships... |
| 1970 | Chris Dickerson |
| 1971 | Casey Viator Casey Viator Casey Viator was the youngest ever AAU Mr. America - gaining the title at the age of 19 in 1971.... |
| 1972 | Steve Michalik Steve Michalik Steve Michalik is a bodybuilder most active during the 1970s and 80's. He won a number of titles including the 1971 AAU Mr. USA, the Mr. America in 1972 and the NABBA Mr. Universe in 1975 as well as 22 other titles including the 1971 AAU Mr... |
| 1973 | Jim Morris Jim Morris (bodybuilder) Jim Morris is an openly gay American bodybuilder known for winning competitions over a thirty-year career. Among the titles Morris won are: Mr. USA , Mr. America , Mr. International , and Mr. Olympia Masters Over 60 .Morris, who still trains regularly as of 2011, has been bodybuilding since Sept... |
| 1974 | Ron Thompson |
| 1975 | Dale Adrian |
| 1976 | Kalman Szkalak |
| 1977 | Dave Johns |
| 1978 | Tony Pearson Tony Pearson (bodybuilder) Tony Pearson grew up in St. Louis, Missouri is an American bodybuilding champion. In 1976 at the age of nineteen he moved to California to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder. He headed straight to the "Mecca of Body Building" Venice Beach where he was discovered by Arnold... |
| 1979 | Ray Mentzer Ray Mentzer Ray Mentzer was the brother of Mike Mentzer and winner of the 1979 AAU Mr. America competition. Mike won the rival IFBB Mr America in 1976. Ray also won the 1976 Junior Mr. America and the 1978 IFBB Mr... |
| 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 | Lou La Luz |
| 1990 | Peter Miller |
| 1991 | Joe DeAngelis |
| 1992 | Mike Scarcella |
| 1993 | Billy Nothaft |
| 1994 | Andrew Sivert |
| 1995 | Terence Hairston |
| 1996 | Doug Rieser |
| 1997 | Bill Davey Bill Davey Bill Davey is an American bodybuilder and fitness model. He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in exercise physiology from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. Davey has often been presented in fitness and bodybuilding magazines... |
| 1998 | Harvey H Campbell |
| 1999 | Tracey Dorsey |