| Monroe Saffold Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1948-04-12)April 12, 1948 Lexington, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 2025(2025-01-06) (aged 76) Burbank, California |
| Occupation(s) | Educator, minister, body builder |
| Years active | 1966–2025 |
| Spouse | Patricia Saffold |
Monroe Saffold Jr. (born April 12, 1948) was an American educator, minister, and bodybuilder. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Saffold entered the Masters Mr. America AAU national bodybuilding competition and took first place, tall division, in 1990.
Early life
Saffold was born in Lexington, Mississippi but later moved with his family to Chicago in search of better education and financial opportunities. He was the eldest of six children to the union of his father, Monroe Sr. and mother Dixie Saffold. He and his wife Patricia raised two children Brian Saffold and Nicole Saffold Maskiell in Oak Park, Illinois, from 1980 to 2001 before moving to River Forest, where they lived until relocating to Burbank, California in 2024.
Weight training career
During his teen years, Saffold became serious about weight training to improve his physique for school athletics and build strength and muscle. His earlier training sessions were spent at the Duncan YMCA located on Chicago’s near Westside. Saffold started competing in open bodybuilding and weightlifting tournaments. Saffold won a number of championships most notably in 1983 where he took third place in the Junior Mr. America AAU and first place in 1990 in the Masters Mr. America AAU competition. He appeared in several different newscast programs such as WLS-TV sports, WMAQ-Channel 5, and on the Jon Gil Podcast Show. He also appeared in the press, most notably in the Sunday Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune.
Education career and the ministry
Saffold attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he received a B.S. in Physical Education and a minor in Biological Sciences. He later received a M.S. in Adapted and Exercise Physiology at the same university.
He taught for the Chicago Board of Education at Lane Tech Biological Sciences Department for over 30 years and taught at several local colleges including Triton College.
Saffold completed a Master of Arts degree in Christian Ministry from North Park Seminary in 2005. He was the Associate Pastor (formerly Welcome Minister) at First Baptist Church of Oak Park until 2024.
Contests
- 1983: Junior Mr. America AAU – 3rd place
- 1990: Masters Mr. America AAU - 1st place
References
- "Monroe Saffold Jr. Obituary (1948 - 2025) - Legacy Remembers". Legacy. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- "Larissa Fontaine of Deerfield has been named to the ..." Articles.chicagotribune.com. October 5, 1990. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- Crabtree, Mari (2023). My Soul is a Witness: The Traumatic Afterlife of Lynching. Yale University Press. pp. x, 194. ISBN 978-0300250411.
- "Saffold, Monroe". Musclememory.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- WLS-TV Sports “Monroe Saffold/Chicago Bodybuilder” featured by Jim Rose and Tim Weigel DVD or VHS furnished upon request.(1985)
- WMAQ-Channel 5 5:00pm News, Mark Giangreco's sports segment, Master Mr. America with Aerobics for Senior Citizens DVD or VHS furnished upon request. (1991)
- Gil, Jonathan (January 30, 2021). "Mr. America 1990". The Jon Gil Podcast Show. Podbay. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- Sunday Chicago Sun-Times, Kup's Column "Celebrity Section", Mr America excorts Mrs. Senior Illinois
- Chicago Tribune Tempo Section, "40-Plus Mr. America pumps up a retiring group"
- "Lane Technical College Prep High School". Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
- "Triton". Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
- "First Baptist Church of Oak Park". Firstbaptistchurchofoakpark.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- "1983 Junior Mr America - AAU". Musclememory.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- "1990 Masters Mr America - AAU". Musclememory.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015.