Bernarr Macfadden
| Bernarr Macfadden | |
|---|---|
Macfadden posing as Michelangelo's David in 1905
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| Born |
Bernard Adolphus McFadden August 16, 1868 Mill Spring, Missouri, United States |
| Died | October 12, 1955 (aged 87) Jersey City, New Jersey, United States |
| Cause of death | Urinary tract infection |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Bodybuilder, author, magazine publisher |
| Known for | Founder of Macfadden Publications |
Bernarr Macfadden (August 16, 1868 – October 12, 1955) was an American proponent of physical culture, a combination of bodybuilding with nutritional and health theories. He also founded the long-running magazine publishing company Macfadden Publications. He was the predecessor of Charles Atlas and Jack LaLanne, and has been credited with beginning the culture of health and fitness in the United States.
Born Bernard Adolphus McFadden in Mill Spring, Missouri, Bernarr Macfadden changed his first and last names to give them a greater appearance of strength. He thought "Bernarr" sounded like the roar of a lion, and that "Macfadden" was a more masculine spelling of his name.
As a young child, Macfadden was weak and sickly. After being orphaned by the time he was 11, he was placed with a farmer and began working on the farm. The hard work and wholesome food on the farm turned him into a strong and fit boy. When he was 13, however, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri and took a desk job. Quickly his health reverted again and by 16 he described himself as a "physical wreck". He started exercising again with dumbbells, walking up to six miles a day and became a vegetarian. He quickly regained his previous health.
Macfadden founded Physical Culture magazine in 1899, and was editor up to the August 1912 issue. Aided by long-time Supervising Editor Fulton Oursler, Macfadden eventually grew a publishing empire, including Liberty, True Detective, True Story, True Romances, Dream World, Ghost Stories, the once-familiar movie magazine Photoplay, and the tabloid newspaper, The New York Graphic. Macfadden's magazines included SPORT, a preeminent sports magazine prior to Time, Inc.'s Sports Illustrated.
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