Virginia State Strength and Power Hall of Famed honors: The First Twelve
The First Twelve
1st Virginia State Championships 1939 Participants
Posthumous Inductees
1st Virginia State Championships 1939 Participants
Posthumous Inductees
The Twelve lifters who participated in the first Virginia State Championships met at the Sara Zane Ballroom in Winchester Va. on 9/16/1939. The Championship also established the first official State records in Olympic Weightlifting. The competition was an AAU sanctioned meet, and the results posted in the November 1939 Strength and Health magazine along with Jowette's "Health Foundation" newsletter. The competition was a significant event at the time with some 350 spectators, several days coverage by the Winchester Star newspaper, and an exhibition by the York Barbell Team. Bob Hoffman, the owner of York Barbell, was Master of Ceremonies. The meet Director was Dr. Howard L. James. The Dr. James Health Club won the team title. The meet was sponsored by the Winchester Lions Club and the Dr. James Health Club.
All first-place winners established the first State records in the three lifts and total unless noted.
There was no State Championships in 1943, 1944 and 1945 due to WW2.
Lifters over 181lbs were heavyweight.
1. Edwin Lillis 112lb class First Place.
2. Dr. Howard L. James 132lb class First Place.
3. Oliver AmRhein 148lb class First Place. Set State record in press and total
4. Charles Lillis 148lb class 2nd place. Set State record in the snatch & C&J.
5. Russel AmRhein 148lb class 3rd place.
6. Richard Poythress 148 lb class 4th place.
7. Garland Whitlock 148lb class 5th place.
8. Ken McCorkindale 165lb class First place
9. Miller McDonald 165lb class 2nd place
10.Everett Coffey 181lb class First Place.
11.Charles Johnson 181lb class 2nd place.
12.William Allen 181lb class 3rd place.
(Please remember this is the late 30's and the depression is still in effect with WW2 gearing up fast. No freeways, internet, and other things taken for granted today. Many of these lifters had no car and hitchhiked to Dr. James Health Club for coaching, training, and Chiropractic care. Also, most of the information regarding these lifters are probably lost. Meet results, if kept, were rarely published. Further, most were drafted by 1942/43, and some were perhaps severely wounded or killed. All of Dr. James's lifters were drafted for service.
The Lifters Bio
Edwin H Lillis 9/20/1907 – 12/6/1992. First 112lb class State 1939. First 112lb State in 1940. Assisted Dr. James as a coach and in the operation of the health club.
Dr. Howard L. James. 12/22/1908 -1/21/1977. First 132lb class State 1939. 3rd 132lb class State 1940. First 132lb class State 1941. First Virginia AAU Weightlifting Chairman. Dr. James Health Club was at 125 W. Piccadilly St. Winchester Va. His office was upstairs, and his health (weightlifting) club was in the basement. Dr. James would treat the local lifters and let them train at his club. Dr. James was the coach and would transport the lifters to and from meets. Dr. James was a lifter, coach, judge, MC, and loader at local and national competitions. Dr. James club won the State team titles in 1939 and 1940. Dr. James also was a judge for Bodybuilding and judged at the 1956 Mr. Universe Contest.
Oliver AmRhein. First 148lb class State 1939. First 165lb class State 1940. First 148lb class Southwest Virginia AAU Championships 1939. Lifter, coach, judge, loader, and promoter of weightlifting. Served in the U.S. Navy during WW2. Founder of AmRhein Jeweler's Roanoke Va.
Charles Lillis 2/7/1915 – 12/17/2013. 2nd 148lb class State 1939. First 148lb class State 1940. First 148lb class State 1941. Charles and his older brother Edwin assisted Dr. James with organizing and staffing meets from the late 1930s to about 1945. After WW2, Charles started the Sacred Heart Boys' Club and coached until 1960. I have a copy of a photo of Charles holding his awards taken in 2004. He is holding a trophy and a display case with 23 medals. Charles was drafted in 1942 and commissioned as a 2nd Lt. He was in the Army or the Army Guard for 42 years.
Russel AmRhein. 3rd 148lb class state 1939. 3rd 148lb class Southwest Virginia AAU Championships 1939. 2nd 165lb class State 1940. Lifter, coach, judge, loader, and promoter of weightlifting. (Oliver and Russel are identical twins). Served in the U.S. Navy during WW2. Founder of AmRhein jeweler's Roanoke VA. and still owned by Russel's children.
Richard Poythress 4/6/1912 - 12/13/1985. 4th 148lb class State 1939. 3rd 165lb class State 1942. Lifted in many meets throughout the 30's '40s and into the '50s. Organized and conducted competitions for many years. Served as a meet director, coach, judge, and loader.
Garland Whitlock 7/31/17 – 6/14/2012. 5th place 148lb class State 1939. 3rd place 165lb class State 1940. Assisted Dr. James with organizing and staffing meets from the late 1930s to about 1945. Lifter, coach, judge, loader, and promoter of weightlifting. Garland worked 40+ years for Coca Cola Co.
Ken McCorkindale. First 165lb class State 1939. First 165lb class Southwest Virginia AAU Championships 1939 Roanoke YMCA, November 13, 1936. Formed Roanoke YMCA weightlifting club in August 1936, possibly the first club in Virginia. Meet director, coach, loader, judge, and promoter of weightlifting.
Miller McDonald. 2nd 165lb class State 1939. 3rd 148lb class State 1940, represented the Dr. James Health Club.
Dr. Everett L. Coffey 4/13/1921 - 9/18/1994. First State, 1939. First Southwest Virginia AAU Championships 1939.
Charles Johnson. 2nd 181lb class State 1939. Charles lifted for the Dr. James Health Club and lifted in several meets in the late '30s and early 1940s. He finished 2nd in the 181lb class at the Three-Way Club Meet in Washington, D.C., in 1940. The teams were Delaware, Washington DC, and Dr. James Health Club.
Author: By Strength and Power Hall of Fame | Created: Thu December 26 08:48:32 EST 2019 | Last Updated: Fri January 03 15:47:11 EST 2020
Author: By Strength and Power Hall of Fame Completed: yes Created: Thu Dec 26 08:48:32 UTC 2019 | Last Updated: Thu Dec 21 16:20:59 UTC 2023