A photo of (L-R) Charles A. Smith, Joe Weider, Reg Park’s mother, British bodybuilder Reg Park, Reg’s father, and an unidentified man taken outside of the Weider offices in Jersey City.
May 23, 2023May 23, 2023
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In celebration of Jewish-American Heritage Month, The Stark Center would like to recognize Joe Weider, the man who made bodybuilding part of global culture. Born in Montreal, Canada, Weider began his athletic career as a competitive weightlifter and, during his lifetime, he led weight training from the closets and primitive gyms of the first half of the 20th century into elegant spas, varsity training rooms, and popular culture. He published his first magazine, Your Physique, in 1940 at the age of 17 with only a few dollars in his pocket. Joe went on to launch many other magazines, including Muscle Power, Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Shape, and Men’s Fitness. He also had a successful food supplement business and, with his brother, Ben, he founded the International Federation of Bodybuilders. Together, Ben and Joe built the International Federation of Bodybuilders into one of the largest sport federations in the world.

One of the most important gifts ever received by the Stark Center was the first $1M gift pledged by Joe and Betty Weider in 2004, a gift that arrived before the Stark Center became a reality. The Weider’s initial gift had a great impact on how the Todd-McLean Collection was viewed by on-campus administrators and was a major factor in the university’s decision to support the building of the Stark Center. The Joe Weider Foundation made a second million-dollar gift in 2008 to assist with operations when the Center opened. Together, these two gifts resulted in the University’s decision to designate our physical culture galleries as The Joe and Betty Weider Museum of Physical Culture in their honor.

The Weider Family has donated more than just funds, contributing more than 20 important pieces of art and other memorabilia from their personal collections including eight large oil paintings of Mr. Olympia winners by the noted artist Thomas Beecham; the large oil portrait of Sandow as a gladiator painted by Aubrey Hunt in the early 1890s; a number of significant bronze statues; books and memorabilia from Joe’s office, and a beautiful bronze of Betty Weider by sculptor Frederick Russell.

Eric Weider, son of IFBB Founder Ben Weider, played an important role in both gifts as head of the Joe Weider Foundation. He also donated to the Center a number of important artifacts that belonged to his father including the Louis Cyr Dumbbell, an original oil painting of Cyr, and an 1890s-era exercise bicycle.

Additional donations may be made to the endowment created by the Weiders that helps support the Stark Center. Simply request when donating on-line that the funds be directed to the “Weider Physical Culture Fund.”

A photo of Joe Weider as a young man. He is over two hundred pounds and very muscular, flexing both his arms.
Joe Weider weighed over 200 pounds at one point in his life, although this wide-angle lens photo makes him appear somewhat wider than he was. A powerfully built man, he lifted more than 300 pounds over his head with an exercise bar in the clean and jerk, and never lost his love of heavy lifting.
A photo of (L-R) Charles A. Smith, Joe Weider, Reg Park’s mother, British bodybuilder Reg Park, Reg’s father, and an unidentified man taken outside of the Weider offices in Jersey City.
Before moving to California, the Weider publishing offices were in Jersey City where this photo of (L-R) Charles A. Smith, Joe Weider, Reg Park’s mother, British bodybuilder Reg Park, Reg’s father, and an unidentified man was taken. Weider was influential in helping Park get started in bodybuilding. (Photo by Y.E. Newsphoto)
Photo of Joe Weider with his younger brother and long-time business partner Ben Weider. Both men are wearing business suits and ties.
Ben Weider (L) was Joe Weider’s younger brother and business partner from almost the beginning of Joe’s career. A multi-lingual diplomat, Ben directed the International Federation of Bodybuilding and made it into a truly multi-national sport association.
Joe Weider with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the living manifestation of his long-held dream of a man who could carry the sport of bodybuilding into the mainstream of American culture.
Joe Weider with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the living manifestation of his long-held dream of a man who could carry the sport of bodybuilding into the mainstream of American culture. (Photo by Artie Zeller)
Eric Weider stands with Joe and Betty just before one of Joe’s recent birthday parties.
Eric Weider stands with Joe and Betty just before one of Joe’s recent birthday parties. Eric, Ben Weider’s son, is now the C.E.O. of Weider Health and Fitness and also publishes Armchair General, a military history magazine. (Photo by Julia Alfajora)
A portrait of Joe and Betty Weider on their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.
Joe and Betty Weider on their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary in 1996.
A collection of Weider publications on display in The Stark Center galleries.
A collection of Weider publications is on display in The Stark Center galleries.
Left to Right: Chris Dickerson, Franco Columbu, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Joe Weider, Betty Weider, Samir Bannout, Frank Zane, Sergio Oliva, Larry Scott, and Lee Haney.
At the 2010 Mr. Olympia contest, nearly all the former champions came to Las Vegas to help celebrate the birthday of the man who enabled their careers. Left to Right: Chris Dickerson, Franco Columbu, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Joe Weider, Betty Weider, Samir Bannout, Frank Zane, Sergio Oliva, Larry Scott, and Lee Haney. (Photo by Julio Alfajora)

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