Joe Roark's IronHistoryArchives.com
The HUGE library of Iron History compiled by Joe Roark.
Welcome to Iron History with Joe Roark!
Joe Roark has been studying the iron game since 1957, and by 1970 began a systematic gathering of information on index cards. By the time his first computer was acquired, there were several hundred thousand references to be typed into it.
For a few years he published his own newsletter called MuscleSearch: The Roark Report. By 1992 he was appointed as the IFBB Men's Bodybuilding Historian, and began writing about history for FLEX in his column Factoids. For ten years he contributed to Iron Game History from the U of Texas at Austin. Recently he also began writing All Our Yesterdays for FLEX.
His passion has always been the period between 1880 and 1920, with particular emphasis on the oldtime strongmen of that era. Joe will be offering bits of history for Cyberpump once per week, and the text will be relevant to the dates of the calendar for those events of yesteryear relevant to the coming week.
In this column, readers will also be able to ask Joe questions or comment on his posts. Note: The comments are solely for interaction between Joe and the readers only -- not reader to reader.
7/29/05: George R. Weaver Letter to Joe Roark (3 of 3)
Thursday, July 28, 2005
This week we conclude the seven page letter from George R. Weaver to Joe
Roark of April 4, 1988.
Posted by TheEditor @ 08:21 PM CST
7/22/05: George Weaver Letter to Joe (cont.)
Thursday, July 21, 2005
This week we continue the letter written by George Weaver to Joe Roark.
Posted by TheEditor @ 09:44 PM CST
07/15/05: George R. Weaver
Thursday, July 14, 2005
George R. Weaver, wassometimes accused of using Willoughby's data to enhance his own writing- a charge which he freely acknowledged was true. He admired Willoughby's efforts but also had his own thoughts to offer- as he did on occasion in the old magazines of our field. His final book, The Enrichment of Life, is a text you may find interesting.
For the next few weeks we will present some pages of letters George wrote to me- some of it on topic, some not. He fancied himself a sexologist and was interested in many things. Some of it concerned
iron history.
Posted by TheEditor @ 09:10 PM CST
7/8/05: AAU Mr. America Winners: Those Gone and Those Living
Thursday, July 7, 2005
AAU Mr. America list compiled by Joe Roark
Winners of AAU Mr. America, now deceased. Compiled by Joe Roark
Won: Name:
1939 Roland Essmaker born Mar 24, 1916 died Oct 03, 2002 age 861940/1941 John Grimek born Jun 17, 1910 died Nov 20, 1998 age 88
1942 Frank Leight born Apr 21, 1912 died Nov 27, 1990 age 78
1944 Steve Stanko born 1918 died Dec 31, 1978 age 60?
1947 Steve Reeves born Jan 21, 1926 died May 01, 2000 age 74
1948 George Eiferman born Nov 03, 1925 died Feb 12, 2002 age 76
1949 Jack Delinger born Jun 22, 1926 died Dec 28, 1992 age 66
1950 John Farbotnik born May 20, 1925 died Mar 23, 1998 age 72
1955 Steve Klisanin born 1929 died May ??, 2005 age 75/76?
1957 Ron Lacy born Aug 19, 1929 died Jun 17, 2005 age 75
1958 Tom Sansone born Oct 20, 1935 died Oct 16, 1974 age 38
1963 Vern Weaver born 1937 died Jul 25, 1993 age 56/57?
1974 Ron Thompson born Dec 26, 1943 died Nov 10, 2003 age 59
1977 Dave Johns born 1948 died 1986 age 38
1979 Ray Mentzer born Aug 02, 1953 died Jun 12, 2001 age 47
15 winners have died from 1939 to 2005 at an average age of 65.8, and when Mentzer and Johns are excluded the average age of the other 13 men at death was 69.5.
ConAAU.txt
w means weight classes; h means height
�age now� means as of July 8, 2005
AAU Mr. America winners: birth: death:
h 1. 1939 Roland Essmaker Mar 24, 1916 Oct 03, 2002 age 86
w 2. 1940 John Grimek Jun 17, 1910 Nov 20, 1998 age 88
w 3. 1941 John Grimek
w. 4. 1942 Frank Leight Apr 21, 1912 Nov 27, 1990 age 78
w 5. 1943 Jukes Bacon Jul 08, 1917 his 88th birthday
w 6. 1944 Steve Stanko 1918 Dec 31, 1978 age
w 7. 1945 Clarence Ross Oct 26, 1923 age now 81
w 8. 1946 Alan Stephan Apr 25, 1924 age now 81
w 9. 1947 Steve Reeves Jan 21, 1926 May 01, 2000 age 74
w 10. 1948 George Eiferman Nov 03, 1925 Feb 12, 2002 age 76
w 11. 1949 Jack Delinger Jun 22, 1926 Dec 28, 1992 age 66
w 12. 1950 John Farbotnik May 20, 1925 Mar 23, 1998 age 72
w 13. 1951 Roy Hilligenn Nov 15, 1922 age now 82
w 14. 1952 Jim Park Dec 08, 1927 age now 77
w 15. 1953 Bill Pearl Oct 31, 1930 age now 74
w 16. 1954 Dick DuBois Mar 04, 1933 age now 72
w 17. 1955 Steve Klisanin 1929 May ??, 2005 age 75/76?
w 18. 1956 Ray Schaefer Feb 28, 1933 age now 72
w 19. 1957 Ron Lacy Aug 19, 1929 Jun 17, 2005 age 75
w 20. 1958 Tom Sansone Oct 20, 1935 Oct 16, 1974 age 38
w 21. 1959 Harry Johnson Nov 26, 1923 age now 81
w 22. 1960 Lloyd Lerille Jun 09, 1936 age now 69
w 23. 1961 Ray Routledge Oct 09, 1931 age now 73
w 24. 1962 Joe Abbenda Jul 04, 1939 age now 66
w 25. 1963 Vern Weaver 1937 Jul 25, 1993 age 56/57?
w 26. 1964 Val Vasilieff
w 27. 1965 Jerry Daniels
w 28. 1966 Bob Gajda Sep 13, 1940 age now 64
w 29. 1967 Dennis Tinerino Dec 23, 1943 age now 61
w 30. 1968 James Haislop
w 31. 1969 Boyer Coe Aug 18, 1946 age now 58
w 32. 1970 Chris Dickerson Aug 25, 1939 age now 65
w 33. 1971 Casey Viator Sep 04, 1951 age now 53
w 34. 1972 Steve Michalik Jan 08, 1949 age now 56
w 35. 1973 Jim Morris
w 36. 1974 Ron Thompson Dec 26, 1943 Nov 10, 2003 age 59
h 37. 1975 Dale Adrian 1951
h 38. 1976 Kal Szkalak Jan 16, 1953 age now 52
h 39. 1977 Dave Johns 1948 1986 age 38?
h 40. 1978 Tony Pearson Jan 11, 1957 age now 48
h 41. 1979 Ray Mentzer Aug 02, 1953 Jun 12, 2001 age 47
w 42. 1980 Gary Leonard 1956
w 43. 1981 Tim Belknap Dec 24, 1958 age now 46
h 44. 1982 Rufus Howard
h 45. 1983 Jeff King Dec 21, 1960 age now 44
h 46. 1984 Joe Meeko Aug 01, 1962 age now 42
h 47. 1985 Mike Antorino
h 48. 1986 Glenn Knerr
h 49. 1987 Richard Baretta
h 50. 1988 Bill Norberg
h 51. 1989 Matt DuFresne
h 52. 1990 Pete Miller
h 53. 1991 Joe DeAngelis Jun 09, 1966 age now 39
h 54. 1992 Mike Scarcella
h 55. 1993 Billy Nothaft
h 56. 1994 Andrew Sivert
w 57. 1995 Terry Hairston
w 58. 1996 Doug Reiser
w 59. 1997 Bill Davey 1967
w 60. 1998 Harvey Campbell
w 61. 1999 Tracey DorseyPosted by TheEditor @ 08:36 PM CST
