IronMan, Vol 28, No 6, Page 12, September 1969

Coe Wins Sr. Mr. America

By Ralph Countryman

THERE were two hours of interviewing (five minutes per man), two hours of judging, and two hours of nervous waiting. During the last segment the confident and foolhardy attended the banquet for athletes and officials, while the rest feasted on fingernails.

Finally, when all were duly pumped and de-oiled, the presentation went off as if it had been rehearsed. In a way it had, as all of these men were experienced competitors in big meets, nine of them repeaters from last year's Mr. America contest. The collective titles would have filled an edition of Burke's Peerage. The collective muscles did fill the stage and overflowed a bit, with presentation being confined to groups of eight. In case anyone is interested, a regulation lifting platform is four and a half lat spreads wide or two Coes and a Darden.

A great deal of the smoothness of the presentation was due to the outstanding announcing of Len Bosland, a many-time competitor himself. He had been present during the interviews and had carefully briefed the athletes. He made the introductions with style and effect, He doesn't oversell the man, and he maintains the pace of the contest. He uses mike silence more effectively than some use words.

1969 MR. AMERICA
1.Boyer Coe70½
2.Chris Dickerson70¼
3.Ken Waller67
4.William St. John65½
5.William Seno65½
6.Robert Moore63½
7.Michael Dayton58
8.Paul Love56½
9.Joseph Sasso56½
10.Ellington Darden56½
11.Tommy Johnson56
12.Thomas Muscolino54
13.Jerome Currin53½
14.Carl Smith53½
15.Alex McNeil53½
16.Willie Johnson52
17.Curt Haywood51½
18.Melvin Meriweather51
19.Paul Devine50½
20.Daniel Howard48
21.Harry Brown46
22.William Collins44½
23.Thomas Howard42
24.Steve Sakoulos40

MOST MUSCULAR WINNERS

  1. Boyer Coe
  2. Chris Dickerson
  3. Ken Waller
  4. Bill St. John
  5. Bill Seno

BEST CHEST

  1. Bill Seno
  2. Boyer Coe
  3. Chris Dickerson

BEST BACK

  1. Ken Waller
  2. Bill St. John
  3. Chris Dickerson
  4. Bill Seno

BEST ABDOMINALS

  1. Bill St. John
  2. Ken Waller
  3. Bill Seno
  4. Jerome Currin

BEST LEGS

  1. Chris Dickerson
  2. Boyer Coe
  3. Ken Waller

BEST ARMS

  1. Boyer Coe
  2. Chris Dickerson
  3. Ken Waller

Judges

  1. Charles Gschwind, Ohio Assn.
  2. John Scott, So. Pacific Assn.
  3. Lou Hopfe, Central Assn.
  4. Ray Wornom, Virginia Assn.
  5. Bob Bendel, Middle Atl. Assn.
  6. Frank Bates, New Jersey Assn.
  7. Ralph Countryman, Pacific

After appearing in groups under normal lignts, the men returned individually for spot-lighted posing and a few words about them from the announcer. All were well received, but there were obvious favorites and not just the local competitors. There seems to be an increasing tendency toward booing the judges' decisions. Unfortunately this is usually interpreted as dissatisfaction with the winner himself, and it takes a pretty gutsy man to face the catcalls he doesn't deserve when the decision is unpopular. Perhaps our contests should provide a brief period for insulting the judges, either on introduction or just prior to announcement of the winners. Then the winners could get only the acclaim they richly merit.

This year was the first in many in which athletic points were not a factor in judging. Still the top five men showed their stamina and strength. They were on and off the stage so many times as finalists in the various categories that it looked like Bodybuilders Local No. 1 on picket duty. They certainly weren't striking for better trophies; the local committee had come up with the largest assortment of big trophies for all competitors (lifters and bodybuilders) to be seen outside of the office bowling tournament. The top five men took them all, each staggering off with many pounds of glittering dust catchers and thereby earning strength points.

The elimination of athletic points was a major change which speeded the interviews considerably although that was not its primary purpose. It has been a thorn to competitors and a can of worms to administer, There is another change being proposed to the national committee, which should eliminate some of the painfully close decisions of the past. This is to increase the number of points given in each major group (symmetry, muscularity, and general appearance), at the same time eliminating fractions. Presently the span of 0-15 points that each judge can give a contestant allows too little latitude for properly ranking two dozen athletes. The actual range is, in fact, more like ten points, as no one eligible to enter a Mr. America contest is going to get fewer than five points. This year one judge felt so constricted by point range that he used quarter points, which accounts for the closest decision in years. A strong argument can be made for eliminating points altogether, and going only with rankings by each judge, but this has even more difficult tie-breaking possibilities than the present system of rating with points against an absolute. Further, it would require many side-by-side comparisons of the athletes, a desirable feature when time isn't an essential factor, But since the judging of a physique contest is largely subjective anyway, the ranking system may eventually come. The main thing to note is that the subject is open and changes are being made. Lifters have their representatives on the National Weightlifting Committee, but there is no equivalent sounding board for bodybuilders. Contact is indirect but it can and should be made through Bob Crist, the Chairman of the Mr. America judges' panel. Your comments to him or to the author, a member of his committee, care of this magazine, will receive consideration and may possibly lead to additional desirable changes. So write!

So much for the editorial; now back to the contest. Everyone knew it was going to be a close one. Everyone knew it would be between Coe and Dickerson, with Waller a man to watch. Everyone was right. It was hairily, heartbreakingly close, and Coe won by the margin of one-quarter point; that's about one lump and a cut ahead of Dickerson. Coe was probably a shade past his peak of the Junior Mr. America contest. Dickerson, who had been down for that one, was the best I've ever seen him. A coin tosser couldn't have gone wrong in picking one over the other. Both were clearly outstanding. Ken Waller was a much improved man from last year. He has everything: size. bulk, density, cuts, shape, and glow of vitality, and that overwhelming look of the top strength athlete in top condition. Each time he came out to pose, I had to add another point to my score sheet for him. Bill St. John and Bill Seno tied in points, with St. John getting the fourth place by a quarter point on a tie-breaker. And it was just that close, Both of them are of the rock hard type, St. John with a bit more definition, Seno with more massiveness. Bob Moore of Nashville was not the same Bob Moore of Nashville who competed in last year's Mr. America contest. He was the most improved man in the contest. He jumped from a smooth fifteenth to a highly defined sixth, really a different man in one of those amazing transformations that weights and determination can make.

It's not surprising for the top five men in the Mr. America to reappear as the top five in the Most Muscular phase. But the identical one through five ranking is a bit unusual. And like the "Mr." contest, a complete reshuffling of the top five in any random order would have been a defensible selection. A bit more unusual was that the top five men took all three places in the best parts divisions (with the exception of the second place in abdominals) and that each of the five won a first. These rankings are detailed elsewhere in this article along with a table of how the judges voted.

All of the first six men with the exception of Bill Seno were in last year's Mr. America, and Iron Man provided their background sketches in the September 1968 issue.

BOYER COE, 22, of Lafayette, Louisiana, has now graduated from Southwestern Louisiana and will be going to summer school, but it undecided about his future. He has been working with youth groups and wants to continue this in his future plans. During the year he lost one and won one in physique competition; Dickerson took the Mr. U.S.A. title from him, but he turned around and bested Dickerson in the Junior Mr. America contest. His win in Chicago ends the seven-year itch for the big title he has had ever since he first started training.

CHRIS DICKERSON of Jamaica, New York, continues his stage and voice studies and will make his debut as a dramatic tenor this fall. He said that his weight training led him to singing, and he feels the advantages in added lung capacity and chest development are marked. He is also less taxed by the physical demands of a three-hour performance which requires the maximum in breath control. Chris is at a crossroads now and must decide whether to continue mixing bodybuilding with voice training or switch completely to the latter. At 30, he feels he is behind where he should be in his singing career, and yet he wants that elusive title. He has been a tremendous asset and fine example to this sport, and it would be a shame if he had to leave it now when he is so near the pinnacle. There is no one else like him when it comes to stage presence and the ability to present himself effectively.

KEN WALLER made a big decision during his twenty-sixth year. He left teaching, moved to St. Louis and started work as a claims adjuster in personal injury cases for Travelers Insurance Group. It might just be that Waller is one of the reasons that Dickerson is at the crossroads. Certainly no title is safe for anyone else as long as he is in the contest, and if he makes the same kind of improvement this next year as he did the last, there's another tight race in the offing with or without a new point system.

BILL ST. JOHN, 25, Glassboro, N. J., is still working for the Navy at the Philadelphia Shipyard in electronics. He still trains hard, still is a block of solid muscle, still wins big contests (Mr. Chesapeake Bay this year), and is still single.

BILL SENO was making a come-back after several years away from competition. He has completed his schooling and is now teaching high school English in nearby Niles, where he lives. He will complete work on his masters this fall. Bill's example is a good argument for the place of sports in school. At 16 he was an almost dropout, but football kept him in school and led to an athletic scholarship in college. Gradually the idea of education grew more important and athletics became the adjunct rather than the dominant force in his life. Bill is 30, married and has a 13 month old girl.

BOB MOORE, 26, still works for the Tennessee Fish and Game Commission in Nashville. He is in public relations work in the home office and no longer has to travel about the state. He backs up the field teams which do the visiting to schools, clubs, and other organizations. The pump was especially kind to his type of definition, bringing out his exceptional upper back and deltoid separation.

MIKE DAYTON, at 20, was making his bow in national competition. After winning Teenage Mr. America in 1967, he hibernated a while before resuming contest appearances. In the meantime he has completed work at Napa Junior College, majoring in business administration, and will continue this fall in a four year college. Mike started training under Jack Delinger, who emphasized leg work from the beginning. It's obvious that Mike was a good student, but his overall balance needs more harmony.

PAUL LOVE has been running a seesaw battle with Mike Dayton all year in the California contests. Both have won two. This was Pauls first national contest, and he was the highest ranking of those on the national scene for the first time. Originally from Mississippi, he attended Colorado State on a football scholarship and now works for Westinghouse in the San Jose area. Paul's big, well-defined torso has carried him a long way, most recently to the Mr. California title this past spring. Paul is 29 and is single.

JOSEPH SASSO of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, is a bunch of freckles held together by a lot of muscle. He is the current Mr. New England and was another newcomer to the big time. He is a sales manager for John Hancock, attended Boston University, played football and baseball there, and majored in English and liberal arts. He introduced himself as 29, the father of four and the husband of one. Joe made a hit with the panel with his puns and effervescent good humor.

ELLINGTON DARDEN is about 5-8 tall and about 8-5 broad. Originally from Texas, he is now at Florida State in Tallahassee working on his Ph.D. with a thesis concerning physical image among groups of athletes. His physique is very reminiscent of Jim Haislop's. He intends to go into group evangelism with personal emphasis on physical condition and sports. He also had the panel running overtime in interview as they listened to his ideas on mud pit training as a means of exercise without soreness. He is 25, single, and the current Mr. Texas.

TOMMY JOHNSON was a repeater from last year. The panel enjoyed talking to Tommy through his attracive wife, Judy. She gave the judges an insight into the psychology of a deaf-mute, and was entertaining in describing a deaf party where everyone was having a ball in total silence. Tommy is 31, has two children, and is a journeyman printer.

TOM MUSCOLINO, Mr. Chicago of 1969, was the youngest competitor. At 19 he has a fine build, heavily muscled, with big limbs and narrow waist. He's a man to watch. Tom works for the Metropolitan Sanitary District as a lab assistant and will start college in the fall, majoring in physical education or physical therapy. He started working out at 15 to keep in shape and has had the benefit of highly approving parents.

JEROME CURRIN of Indianapolis was the only man outside the top five to take a place in the best parts. His abdominals are long and thick and deep. Jerry is 32, married, has three children and is a bus driver for the city. He has a happy disposition and an easy manner before the panel.

CARL SMITH is the kind of guy who might be lost in a crowd. He almost looked as if he didn't belong during the initial briefing. But it was obvious as soon as he came back to pose, that he's a man to watch. In four or five years he will be Mr. America. He has beautiful proportions and a good degree of muscularity with cuts that will hold as his bulk increases. Carl is a protege of Tommy Johnson. He needs only seven hours to complete his major in business administration at Eastern Kentucky. He is 23, married, and has one girl and one trailer.

ALEX McNEIL is a policeman from Jackson, Mississippi. He seemed too soft spoken for a policeman, but says he works with teenagers and finds bodybuilding and the soft approach the effective way to come across. His constantly changing shift makes for a highly unusual workout pattern, but he's kept at it five years and gone from 140 to 195 with a fine build to show for it. He has no really weak points, and a good potential for much higher placings. Alex is 31, married, and has two children.

WILLIE JOHNSON of Akron is 24, married and has one daughter. He's been working out for three years, has an excellent upper back, slight waist, and many cuts. He's relatively weak in the calves and needs more posing work. Willie followed Tommy Johnson as this year's Mr. Ohio.

CURT HAYWOOD was trained down too far for this contest. In gaining cuts he sacrificed a most pleasing bulk. His legs remained good but his torso lost the imposing look he had last year. Still I feel he was underrated. Curt continued his work with the local YMCA in Columbus and puts on strength shows, lifting a horse, tug-of-war with 10 men, tearing phone books, etc., to plug the sport. Curt is 28, married, and has two children.

MELVIN MERIWEATHER was another repeater from 1968. Again he made a good impression with his poise (he's still president of the P-TA) and his dedication to the sport in promoting lifting and weight training. Mel is 31 and married, with three children ranging from 9 years to 2 months.

PAUL DEVINE of Chicago was another man I felt was underrated. He is married, with one boy, and is a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority. There is something about these bus drivers; they know how to meet the public and they have personalities that come across. Paul was active in high school sports but turned down a college scholarship. His nephew started him training when Paul was 17, but he's been a regular for only three years. He is the current Mr. Midwest.

DAN HOWARD was another whose interview ran overtime. He is the trainer for all athletic teams at Tulsa University, and his research on the pill was most informative and well delivered. He is doing work for his masters on the steroids, and his conclusion is that they are bad. He gave a catalog of their harmful effects from lowering resistance to certain diseases, to sexual upsets, to psychological disadvantages. Dan trains in the excellent University weight room, often building his own equipment (he's a welder, too). He's a big man, 230 pounds, with a great frame for bodybuilding, but in need of additional density. At 28 he has time to acquire this.

HARRY BROWN was the first man up for interview and set a high standard for the others. He's a doctor of chiropractic in Atlanta, and uses his opportunities to plug the value of exercise. Harry is a slight man with exceptional posture, a fine set of abs and pecs and poise aplenty. He is 29, married, and has girls 2 and 4.

WILLIAM COLLINS had two panel rooters when they learned that he too was a mailman. He has been active in the sport for 15 years and likes all phases of it, frequently acting as an official in his own district. He figures he'll go on in competition until he fades, and that's a long way off even for a man of 35.

TOM HOWARD is a foreman at the Gene Glick Co. in Indianapolis. He is married and has worked out for six years. Tom was Mr. Indianapolis in 1967. But he lacked size for a good showing in this contest. He is 30 and married.

STEVE SAKOULOS was a panel favorite. At 43 he was in the Mr. America for the eighth time; his first appearance being in 1955. He was the Saroyan of the middle years and almost made one happy to admit to being over 40. He put in a great plug for the senior bodybuilder and avowed that he was having more fun now than ever before. Maybe that's because he is still single. He left the panel with the firm impression that he will feel the same way about being 53. Steve was a glass blower by trade but now promotes glassware and pharmaceutical glass for the same company.

So that was the 1969 Mr. America. It was an above average year with cream at the top but not as deep in qualit as 1968. The placings are generally good; the points tend to cluster, but this is a fair indication of the quality as the athletes did seem to be on three or four definite quality levels. The average age is 28 and the men are almost equally divided between married and singles. They have a total of 24 children. Keep your eye on the men in the middle, though: They're a bunch of comers, and I counted at least two future Mr. Americas there.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Boyer Coe looked unbelievable, and had made great improvement over lat year, correcting some of his weak points. his definition was perhaps the best we have seen for a man so bulky. His posing was outstanding. He will be very difficult for anyone to beat, and should do well in the Mr. Universe contest.

- These two photos show the fabulous physique developed by Boyer Coe. Photos fail to do justice to the great size and outstanding definition of his muscles. You have to see him in his dynamic posing routine to really appreciate his greatness.

- Here is a nice shot showing two great physiques in repose just before they went ton poses and completely relaxed. Both Coe and Dickerson have perfected their physiques for their body types and both have their followers who think they are the greatest.

- Chris Dickerson has been battling it out with Coe for several years and was victorious at the Mr. USA show, but lost out by ¼ point at this contest. Chris has one of the greatest physiques, with very fine proportions and excellent muscle shape. He, too, has greatly improved over last year and his shape is better, he has better muscle definition, and his proportions are improved. It is rough to be so close but still miss out on that big title, but Chris is a great sport, and never shows his disappointment. He will surely be back next year and better than ever. Perhaps that will be his year.

- Bill Seno was Best Chest winner and placed high in other categories. Bill is also a great power lifter and olympic lifter, having held records in both categories. In addition to this he is a very fine fellow. Read all about these boys in the story.

- Ken Waller is another greatly improved man. Last year he had a fine physique when he won the Mr. YMCA title, but his posing routien was very bad. I think that Ken would have won more titles if he had just stood relaxed before the judges. This year it was different, and in addition to having greatly improved his physique, he had made a remarkable improvement in his posing routine and was able to show his good points much better. Taking third place this year, Ken will be hard to beat next year.

- Waller shows the back formation which won him the Best Back title, with exceptional deltoid development. On the right we see as fine an abdominal formation as it is possible to see, as Bill St. John won the Best Abdominals title. He had rough competition on this one though.

- Robert Moore is another man who is rapidly coming to the front. He has a very pleasing physique which has great possibilities with a little more work in the right places, and he will be difficult to beat. On the right is Mike Dayton who won the Mr. Teen Age title last year, and has improved to where he will be a real Mr. America threat in the future. Two more years of hard work would put him at the top.

- Iron Man donated the Mr. America trophies, and Peary Rader is shown presenting the first place trophy to a very happy Boyer Coe. Boyer had been trying hard for several years to win the big title and had to swallow the bitter pill of defeat each year, but he kept coming back and was finally rewarded.

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