The top photo shows Jim Park posing for AMG wearing his sailor uniform in 1946. One of Bob Mizer's very early models. The color image below is a copy of Strength & Health magazine with Jim on the cover. The issue is dated November, 1952, the year Jim was named Mr. America.
Born December 28, 1927 in Brave, PA his family moved to Waynesburg, PA at age 13 where he attended high school. Jim joined the US Navy at age 17 and was discharged in 1947. After his Mr. America victory, Jim worked as a designer at York Barbell Company, a manufacturer of home weight lifting equipment. He later worked as a millwright for Kaiser Aluminum. Jim died of natural causes in August, 2017 at age 89.
JIM PARK was a Clifford Oettinger Model. I am sending you some of my Photos that I own.
ReplyDeleteThe first Jim Parks is also Bill Parks (even Bill Poist) at AMG.
ReplyDeleteJim Park was also photographed by Gregor Arax.
DeleteThank you. I spelled it ParkS. My bad!
DeleteJim Parks (Bill Parks/Bill Poist, AMG) and Jim Park (Oettinger/Arax, etc.) — two different people.
DeleteIt did confuse me! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteCover photo by Clifford Oettinger.
ReplyDeleteJim Park also posed for Douglas of Detroit, as both Oettinger and Juleff photographed title winning bodybuilders from Mid-West contests. Park at one time lived in Chicago and entered the Mr Illinois contest and won Mr Midwest in 1950. -Rj
Jim Park grew up in Greene County in the extreme SouthWestern corner of Pennsylvania. A steelmaking and coal mining area Greene County has 11,000 less people today than it did in 1950. JIM was smart to escape and join the NAVY.
ReplyDeleteYour math is more than a little off. He died at age 89 or 90 if he passed in 2017.
ReplyDeleteOK!
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