GEORGE FIURSDALE JOWETT

George Fiursdale Jowettt was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, on Dec. 23, 1891. He was not yet a year old when he fell from his motherÕs lap and hit a pair of firplace andirons. He was critically injured and was hospitalized a few times over the next few years asa a result. His parents were told that he would never walk again and would probably not live to see 15 years of age. He was taken to see Eugen Sandow give one of his exhibitions and learned the great strongman had once been diagnosed with a fatal illness. Sandow inspired many young boys to lead the life of a strongman, and young George was no exception. 11 year old George began physical fitness training at the Old Navy Hall in Bridlington, Yorkshire, where the family had moved.

By the age of 15, instead of meeting his expected demise, George was a gymnastic champion and at age 18 won world featherweight, lightweight and welterweight boxing titles. He soon became a junior weight lifting champion. He was named "Best developed man in England" and later "Most Perfectly Developed Man".

At the age of 19 he came to Canada in search of his dream to become a professional strongman and physical culturist. He worked as a blacksmith while studying anatomy and physical culture in his spare time. He married in 1913, and had a daughter in 1916.

He built a gymnasium above the shop where he blacksmithed and gave lessons in wrestling, weightlifting, and judo. He also was paid to entertain at the local carnivals and fairs as a strongman.

He would eventually win over 300 medals. In 1923, he founded the Jowett Institute for Physical Culture in Philadelphia, later opening offices in New York. He developed a successful mail order business and sold booklets with titles like "Nerves of Steel and Muscles Like Iron" and "How to Mold Mighty Arms". One booklet, "Molding Mighty Muscles", which sold for 25 cents, sold 25 million copies.

During the 1930s, he controlled five corporations, and had offices all over the world. His students included Ben and Joe Weider, Johnny Weissmuler, and Tom Mix.

In 1940 George had an accident which broke his back and he became semi-retired. In 1956, at the age of 64, he lifted a 245 lb dumbbell above his head with one hand, and over the following years, became active back in Canada in the Anglican Church. In 1969, he died of cancer andÊ is buried at St. Lawrence Seaway Union Cemetery.