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.
Year | Overall Winner |
---|---|
1938 | Bert Goodrich |
1939 | Roland Essmaker |
1940 | John Grimek |
1941 | John Grimek |
1942 | Frank Leight |
1943 | Jules Bacon |
1944 | Steve Stanko |
1945 | Clarence Ross |
1946 | Alan Stephan |
1947 | Steve Reeves |
1948 | George Eiferman |
1949 | Jack Delinger |
1950 | John Farbotnik |
1951 | Roy Hilligenn |
1952 | Jim Parks |
1953 | Bill Pearl |
1954 | Dick DuBois |
1955 | Steve Klisanin |
1956 | Ray Schaefer |
1957 | Ron Lacy |
1958 | Tom Sansone |
1959 | Harry Johnson |
1960 | Lloyd Lerille |
1961 | Raymond Routledge |
1962 | Joe Abbenda |
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 |
1970 | Chris Dickerson |
1971 | Casey Viator |
1972 | Steve Michalik |
1973 | Jim Morris |
1974 | Ron Thompson |
1975 | Dale Adrian |
1976 | Kalman Szkalak |
1977 | Dave Johns |
1978 | Tony Pearson |
1979 | Ray Mentzer |
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 |
1998 | Harvey H Campbell |
1999 | Tracey Dorsey |