Roosevelt Senior High School

- History / Traditions / Colors

2004 ROOSEVELT HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Mr. Joe Gold

Joe Gold

Gold began his interest in bodybuilding at the age of 12, when he and his brother built their own equipment out of scrap. As a teenager he headed for Muscle Beach in Santa Monica. A machinist, he served in the merchant marines during Korean War and alsoWorld War II where he was injured in a torpedo attack. As a professional bodybuilder, he auditioned for a Mae West with a group of musclemen. West approved, "I'll take all of you." Gold toured the country in her revue. He also appeared as an extra in two epic movies: The Ten Commandments and Around the World in 80 Days, both in 1956.

In 1965 Gold opened the first Gold's Gym in Venice, California. It quickly became a landmark for local bodybuilders despite the dirty fixtures of its first incarnation. Gold was known for the personal encouragement he gave trainers, although delivered in sarcastic jabs at their faults.

Among Gold's many devotees was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who began working out at the gym in 1968 soon after arriving into the US. In a statement, the now-Governor of California called Gold "a trusted friend and father figure."

Gold opened new gyms and designed the equipment for them. His innovations revolutionized the sport, enabling people to exercise more easily with machines. He sold the Gold's Gym chain in 1970. In 1977 he launched World Gym in Santa Monica (later in Marina del Rey), which he owned and operated until his death at age 82.