Harold Poole

Harold Poole (1943 to 2014) was an American professional bodybuilder who competed in AAU, IFBB and WBBG events. Born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in Indianapolis, he played quarterback, wrestled and threw the shot put at school before turning to bodybuilding. At sixteen he placed eighteenth at the 1960 AAU Mr. America, and in 1963 he won the IFBB Mr. Universe at nineteen. In 1964 he became the first African-American named IFBB Mr. America. Starting in 1965 he was the only man to compete in each of the first three Mr. Olympia contests, finishing runner-up to Larry Scott in the first two, and he remains the youngest Mr. Olympia competitor. He retired after the 1982 Night of Champions and entered the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004.