USAWA

by Dennis Mitchell

Dan Lurie was born in Brooklyn New York, April 1, 1923.  Doctors soon found that he had a hole in his heart, and told his parents that he would not live very long. However Dan did live. and growing up he took part in the normal activities that boys his age did. At age thirteen he got interested in boxing and started training in order to enter in the Golden Gloves.  A pre-fight exam found that he had a heart murmur and he and was not allowed to compete. It was at this time that he met former boxer turned body builder, Terry Robinson.  Terry convinced him to switch body building.  Not to long after Dan entered his first physique contest and placed last. Not giving up he continued to train and in 1942 entered the AAU Mr.America contest and won Most Muscular, and took a second place. He also won several best body parts.

At the height of 5′ 5.5″ and weighing 165 pounds, he had a 46″ chest (expanded 47.75″), 16.75″ arms, 12.5″ fore arms, 16″ neck, 21.5″ thighs, and 15 5 ” calves.  He was very good at endurance lifting and did 1,665 pushups in ninety minutes, 1,225 parallel bar dips in ninety minutes, and 1,200 pullovers with 55 pounds.  He could leg press 1,230 pounds, and did a back lift of 1,810 pounds.  His most outstanding lift was a 285 pound bent press while weighing 168 pounds.

Dan continued entering the AAU Mr. America Contests, winning most muscular, and body parts but always came in second in the Mr. America. He was then not permitted to enter any further AAU contest as he was declared to be a professional, because his picture was used in some of Joe Weiders ads. Although he could no longer compete, he stayed active as a meet promoter. He opened his first gym in 1943 in Brooklyn New York, and in time had eight gyms in New York and one in Florida.  He also published a magazine called Muscle Training Illustrated.  H also promoted magazines on boxing, wrestling, karate, rock and role music, and a ladies magazine.  Dan once performed on CBS TV on a Saturday morning circus show for children.  He made and sold his own weightlifting equipment along with his body building course. It was Dan who ran the first IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) contest in New York.  Later the Weider organization used the IFBB in their organization.

I have not been able to find a death notice or current address for Dan. He would be 87 years old.