The Governing Giant
Robert Pershing Wadlow, also known as the
Alton Giant, the
Giant of Illinois, and the
Governing Giant, was an American spokesperson and politician whom was most famous for being the tallest person ever in human recorded history of which there is irrefutable evidence. Wadlow measured 9 ft 11.2 in (3.02 m) in height at the time of his death in 1958. His great size and his continued growth were due to hyperplasia of his pituitary gland resulting in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. Wadlow was also famous for being elected to the United States House of Representatives, and to the Governorship, from his home state of Illinois.
Early Life
Wadlow was born on February 22, 1918 in Alton, Illinois, to a family of regular size. He was the oldest child of Harold Franklin Wadlow (1892-1969) and Addie May Johnson Wadlow (1897-1980). His four younger siblings were businessman Eugene Harold Wadlow (1922-1979), Acting First Lady of Illinois Betty Jean Wadlow (later Brda) (1924-2000), Helen Ione Wadlow, and state politician Harold Franklin Wadlow Jr. (1932-2010). Wadlow was born at 8 lb. 6 oz. and 1’8” tall. At the time of his pituitary condition’s discovery when Wadlow was 12, there was no medical way to stop the growth. By the time he was 5 years old, he was 5ft 6in tall. He became taller than his father at age 8. At age nine, at 6ft 2in and 180 pounds, he was strong enough to lift his father, sitting in a living room chair, and carry him up to the second floor of the family’s house. When Wadlow graduated from high school, he was 8ft 4in, and was 8ft 11in upon graduation from college. Wadlow’s size began to take its toll of his health after passing the 9-feet-tall mark. He required leg braces to walk after turning 18 and had little feeling in his legs and feet after turning 19. Despite these difficulties, he would often refuse to use a wheelchair, relying instead on a long cane. He began to use (on occasion) a specially built wheelchair, though, after 1955.
Pre-WWII Activities
Wadlow’s elementary school had to construct a special desk for him to use due to his size. Wadlow was a member of the Order of DeMolay, the Masonic-sponsored organization for young men, during the 1930s. In his integrated high school, Wadlow befriended many African-American classmates, which led to him developing strongly anti-segregation beliefs. After graduating from Alton High School in 1936, he enrolled in Shurtleff College and studied law. A Freemason, he finally graduated in January 1942 with two majors: a degree in law and a degree in social sciences.
Wadlow became a celebrity of sorts upon touring with the Ringling Brothers Circus in 1936. Wadlow then did a promotional tour for the International Shoe Company (later renamed INTERCO) in 1938; in exchange, they provided him custom shoes free of charge from 1938 to 1953, at which point Wadlow insisted on paying for them. The year beforehand (1937), Wadlow and his father took an expensive trip across the US that included a visit to Hollywood to promote the shoe company. During these tours, Wadlow would also impressed spectators with great acts of physical strength.
After nearly dying from a leg infection caused by a broken leg brace piece in July 1940, Wadlow was fitted with stronger braces that were more resistant to breakage. However, the several weeks it took him to recuperate cost him financially via several missed tours. Wadlow spent much of 1941 alternating between touring for shoe and clothing companies and applying for jobs at law firms to little luck. Wadlow’s luck changed, however, in late 1941.
WWII Involvement
After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, Wadlow attempted to sign up to serve in the US military, citing his imposing stature and strength as benefits on the battlefield. However, doctors soon declared him medically unfit for military service. Instead, Wadlow became an active supporter of the war and visited several military boot camps across the country in 1942. Leading up to his March 15, 1942 visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, an army cadet uniform was custom-sewn for him, leading to a famous photograph of him posing with the soldiers. Some weeks later, the military opted to use such photographs of him in uniform with troops as a form of psychological warfare against the Japanese.
In July 1942, with Wadlow’s permission, more photos were taken of him at army bases, and several short films were made featuring footage of Wadlow interspersed with footage of boot camp training exercises. During the Pacific Theater conflict, the US military sent these materials overseas to try to trick the Japanese into believing the US military had giants in their ranks. According to several reports, this endeavor was only slightly successful, as the photographs leaked to the common inexperienced Japanese soldier did lead to some intimidation. In 2001, a small group of Japanese army veterans admitted in an interview that constant rumors of giant soldiers waiting for them was one reason for the defeat of the Japanese in the Philippines in early 1943. In 2003, the US army admitted to the use of dozens of 10ft-tall inflatable balloons shaped like army soldiers in numerous positions during the 1942-1944 wartime period.
Unexpectedly, many Axis troops in Europe actually reacted in the way the US army had hoped they would in the Pacific: rumors of giants being among American troops, and stories of a “Mighty Mountain Man” or, alternatively, a “Magnificent Mountainous Menace,” began to take root in Italy and Poland in late 1942. Claims that Hitler himself believed the rumors are currently in dispute. Still, to keep the rumors alive, the US army sent Wadlow on a visit to the U.K. in early 1944, where he astounded onlookers when walking through the tiny Victorian streets of London. (However, it should be noted that Wadlow was not the only giant to be involved in World War Two, as the 8-foot-1-tall Finnish wrestler Vaino Myllyrinne actually served on the battlefield from 1939 to 1940 in the Finnish Army, during the “Winter War”).
The US media at the time told a different story, exaggerating (often grossly) the effectiveness of the “Wadlow Project” in the Pacific Theater; this only increased Wallow’s fame and popularity in the United States. For his perceived major contributions, Wadlow got to meet President Roosevelt in October 1942, and was bestowed several honors: in 1946, the US Army made him an honorary cadet, and the Governor of Kentucky made him an honorary Kentucky Colonel in 1953.
1945-1949 Career
With the Pacific theater of the war coming to a close in 1945, Wadlow formally ceased working for the army, though the military continued to use his image in the pacific theater until Japan’s surrender a little later that year. Robert Wadlow returned to his hometown of Alton, where he was surprised to find a massive crowd of fans welcoming home “Alton’s Soldier Giant.” Wadlow was then flabbergasted to discover that hundreds of townsfolk had pitched in to build a custom home for him, a one story ranch house just a short walk from his family’s house, complete with 14-foot tall ceilings and massive furniture that could be adjusted to fit other people as well. A month later, a local law firm hired Wadlow.
Just as Wadlow was getting settled in to his new job, Republican US Congressman Leo Elwood Allen suddenly died in office in a traffic accident. Allen had been representing Illinois’ 13th district, which included the city of Alton. The Governor soon called for a special election to fill the vacancy to be held in November. Suddenly, the GOP was scrambling for a candidate – until somebody, according to some accounts, jokingly suggested that the party draft Wadlow. The state’s party bosses, reportedly, thought the suggestion was serious, and soon began to think that the idea had merit. Wadlow was seemingly still popular in the district, had a law degree and connections to the business world, and was closely aligned with the local party’s ideals. When part representatives approached Wadlow with the idea, he gently declined. However, in a slightly controversial move, the party placed his name on the ballot anyway. Not surprisingly, the man with the most name recognition won the November 6, 1945 special election (52.0% to 47.9%) despite a strong showing from the Democrat opponent in a strongly Republican district.
Shocked that he had won a US Congressional seat despite not even running, he initially planned to refuse to take the seat, as it would require him to move away from his family to the United States capital. However, his family convinced him to go; according to Wadlow’s autobiography, his father pointed out to him that, out of all the people in the district, the people wanted him to represent them in the US Congress. Wadlow subsequently packed his bags and boarded the next train to the nation’s capital (he allegedly rode in the carriage car for the extra space), receiving a hero’s farewell at the station.
Congressman Wadlow was fitted with a specially-made desk that stood out among the other desks. He opted to sit in the back of the chamber so as not to block the view of any of his fellow congresspersons. Nevertheless, Wadlow stood out among all of them; not only was he of incredibly imposing height, but he arrived for every single vote. When he walked in, some say his feet shook the building. In 1946, he supported entering the UN and giving independence to the Philippines. Wadlow was elected to a full term in November 1946 by a “surprisingly large” margin.
Early into his next term, Wadlow’s pro-integration views butted heads on the House floor. On February 3, Wadlow overheard a southern Congressman refer to him as a “n***er-lovin’ freak” just before they convened. Soon after on that day, Wadlow gave a long improvised speech on the house floor concerning social diversity and acceptance. A part of it went as follows:
“I calling for further funding of medical institutions to advance the study and understanding of the numerous abnormalities that affect a population of the United States that is far larger than one would think. ...So many individuals are judged on their outward appearance instead of the quality of their opinions, morals, beliefs and ideas. This must cease and it will!”
The speech was met with negative exclamations from several pro-segregation Congressmen, three of whom tried to walk out, only for Wadlow to stop them by commenting, “covering your ears kills neither my words nor these truths which, while I will admit may not easy for some to discuss, are unavoidable just the same. And to avoid and ignore any portion of America’s citizens is both irresponsible… and cowardly.”
One of the Congressmen recollected on what happened next in a 1988 interview:
“Had it been any other man, we would have started a shouting contest. But when a 10-foot-tall giant of a man calls you a coward or fool, you don’t call him names, you don’t call him a bully, and you don’t plot his demise from behind closed doors. You just sit back in your chair and wait for him to mess himself up, to slip up, and make himself look like the fool. However, the slip up never came during the speech, so when the giant man was finished and returned to his seat, every Yankee in the whole room erupted in applause.”
The remainder of Wadlow’s time in office was notably “stressful” for Wadlow. He reported in his autobiography: “several southerners seemed to have a vendetta against me, either because of my policies or because of my height. They would often run up behind me and kick me in the legs because they knew I hated that. More than once when I showed up to vote, they had hidden my desk and replaced it with one meant for a kindergartener. One time, I even crushed the tiny desk with a single angry stomp! …The bullying, in short, was terrible.”
In early 1948, Wadlow announced he would not run for a second full term that November; “I had the support of many good colleagues, but despite their attempts to persuade me to stay on, I knew I needed to give my body some rest. I really think another term in that place would have killed me.”
1949-1951 Period
In 1949, Wadlow returned to Alton and began to write his autobiography; it was published in December of that year. During this time, Wadlow also adopted a stray bulldog puppy as a pet, which he would sometimes carry in his giant shirt pocket. It is currently unknown was ultimately became of the bulldog. In 1950, Wadlow obtained a teacher’s license from Shurtleff College. In January 1951, Wadlow accepted a job as a professor at Southern Illinois University, in Edwardsville. Every day, Wadlow walked the short distance from Alton to Edwardsville, as they were neighboring communities and Robert rarely drove in cars, and usually couldn’t when said automobile wasn’t stretched, custom-made, or a convertible. To accommodate for his height, the university had all of his classes held in the auditorium. While there, Wadlow taught classes on politics, social studies and law, and, at the urging of many, was active in local and national politics, campaigning for candidates for various statewide and local officers ever so often if he had the energy. He reportedly also resumed touring for the International Shoe Company in the summer of 1951. The only things Wadlow complained about, according to a former co-worker, was dealing with the rare disruptive student, as he never liked to shout due to his voice being very strong, tending to carry whenever he talked louder than a loud whisper.
1952 Race for Governor
As 1952 approached, Wadlow’s inspirational rhetoric during lectures lead to some to suggest Wadlow should run for Governor that year. Newspapers following the story made note of Wadlow’s famous 1947 house floor speech. While initially opposed to the idea of reentering politics, Wadlow came around to the idea after numerous conversations with supporters and being shown several early survey results. Wadlow next had several long, serious conversations with his parents, siblings, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, nephews, and numerous people he had befriended over the years, including political advisors and allies, not to mention his numerous doctors that ensured his body could handle a statewide campaign. On December 31, 1951 (the very day before the primary candidate filing deadline), Wadlow officially announced his candidacy for Governor. One newspaper read: “Robert Wadlow, a medical marvel, war hero, former US congressman, and a true American patriot and success story, addressed a large crowd in front of the steps of Springfield City Hall today. Full of confidence and with the support of family and friends, Wadlow now seeks the governor’s office.”
Throughout the next spring and summer, Wadlow received a massive amount of media attention. His campaign faced several obstacles from the beginning, as some studies showed that, despite his many accomplishments, people were still “thrown off” by his immense size. Surveyors noted that they felt that “someone that big would simply intimidate others in order to have his way,” arguable due to the lack of knowledge among some voters of Wadlow’s actual experience in congress. Supporters of Wadlow defended these statements on TV and radio spots by reminding people of his negotiating skills and oratory skills. Wadlow, amazingly, was supported by many establishment senators and congresspersons, especially those whom owed thanks for his support in their political endeavors in 1948 and 1950.
Another obstacle, a more personal and private matter, though, was Wadlow’s health concerns. Due to his immense height he had been suffering heart problems since 1945; alongside the cane, he wore special reinforced metal boots to support his tall, weak legs. However, Wadlow strived to eat healthy, drink plenty of water and exercise regularly, and always had a medical supervisor at his immediate disposal. The only other concern was how to accommodate a nearly-10-ft-tall Governor; but Wadlow had already visited the Governor’s mansion numerous times, and was happy that he could seemingly fit in all the rooms. Also, Wadlow already had been traveling in a spacious, extra-wide door custom-made limousine, courtesy of Lincoln Motors, free of charge, since 1951. And most importantly, Wadlow honestly felt that he could get the job done.
On April 8, the GOP gubernatorial primary was held:
Former US Congressman Robert P. Wadlow: 29.8%
Treasurer William G. Stratton: 28.5%
Trustee Park Livingston: 20.9%
Former Treasurer Richard Yates Rowe: 17.6%
Other/write-in: 3.2%
Voter turnout was much higher than it was for the 1948 primary, but still relatively low at just 22%.
Meanwhile, the State Central Committee nominated the Democratic Lt Gov Sherwood Dixon to replace Governor Adlai Stevenson on the ballot after Stevenson dropped out of the race upon receiving the Democratic nomination for President.
Leading up to the general election, Wadlow traveled across the state, giving numerous stump speeches. To win over suburban female voters, his campaign focused on his close family, and passed out multiple photos of Wadlow having fun with his siblings, parents, and pet dog. To win over urban worker voters, the campaign dispersed his famous army photos. Wadlow tried to downplay his size in any way possible (one time, he gave a speech to a crowd assembled atop an overpass, with Wadlow standing below; another time, he spoke to a crowd assembled around him while he sat in a opened convertible). Nevertheless, Wadlow’s camp feared that not enough people were actually listening to what he had to say, and instead gathered around him to gaze at his sheer size. To counter this, he’d start off each speech by stating that he was not part of the circus (not anymore, he would say, usually getting a laugh out of the crowd) and, sometimes, “if [they] want[ed] to look at something unusual [they] should look at Dixon’s political platform. Please walk away if anyone in the crowd is there simply to look but not listen.” Additionally, Wadlow began appearing on the radio more frequently, where his academic and political background would be mentioned and his physical stature not. Wadlow had loved the radio since he was a child, and frequently used it as much as possible throughout his life. On August 23, he responded on the radio to a newspaper article that stated Wadlow’s height would be a severe “disability,” by stating, “I will be no more disabled by my height than FDR was by his polio,” a statement for which he received praise by many. In early September 1952, Time Magazine’s cover featured an image of Wadlow approaching the convention crowd, the issue’s main article entitled “Can a Giant Really Be a Governor?”
A more lighthearted episode on the campaign trail occurred on August 25, as recounted in Betty Jean Wallow Brda’s 1965 biography:
“On September 15, Robert’s limo drove up to a large crowd in front of the hotel he was briefly staying at, and stepped out to a wave of cheers and campaign posters. His long, bespectacled face and the strong cane in his hand made him appear old and wise, like an oversized Franklin Roosevelt, while his wide smile, thick hair and the surprisingly light and airy spring in his step made him appear young and energetic. Among the many in the crowd, Robert saw one man stand high above the rest of them. He had run into a few false giants before, always people standing on stilts either as a Halloween getup, or to imitate him with either positive or negative inclinations. However, Robert could tell, mainly by the length and form of this man’s arms, that this was a true fellow giant, and the first other one he had ever seen in person. From above the heads of the average-sized humans my brother motioned the man over. The 43-year-old man was a 7’10” tall salesman for Big Joe Hydraulic Lifts, and his name was Donald A. ‘Don’ Koehler. He was a local of the Chicago area, had been following Robert’s career since the 1940s, and was ebullient to have finally met his idol. Robert decided to let Koehler accompany his campaign staff, making some people confuse Don for Robert, much to the amusement of the two oversized men.”
In the final weeks of the race, cheering crowds chanting “We Want Wadlow” peppered Illinois. General Eisenhower, at that point the Republican nominee for President, visited one rally to endorse Wadlow on October 27, with Wadlow endorsing Eisenhower at the same event. On Election Day, November 4, 1952, Wadlow had a paper-thin lead in the polls. The results were narrow but not contested:
Former Us Congressman Robert Wadlow (Republican): 50.1% (2,216,931)
Lieutenant Governor Sherwood Dixon (Democratic): 48.7% (2,154,977)
Louis Fisher (Socialist Labor): 1.2% (53,114)
No other candidates appeared on the ballot; only 7 write-in votes were cast. Dixon conceded via phone call during the night, having lost to a Republican on the same night Eisenhower won the Presidency in a landslide.
Gubernatorial Administration and Final Years
On January 12, 1953, Wadlow was sworn into office. Wadlow’s sister, Betty Jean Brda, held the bible, while the State Supreme Court Chief Justice stood on a stepladder to be at an appropriate level. In attendance at Wadlow’s inauguration were two more giants: Don Koehler, who went on to serve as the state’s Deputy Secretary of Commerce (1957-1961), and Johann K. Petursson, a 7-foot-8 Icelandic native who had moved to Florida in 1950s and did charity work there, often times by playing Santa Claus at local charities. Positioned in the seats behind Wadlow, the two were invited to make people feel even more comfortable with Wadlow’s size. In his inauguration speech, Wadlow called for “a new year, a new decade, a new era” of peace and prosperity in Illinois. For Chief of Staff, Wadlow picked long-time ally politician Daniel J. Ronan, a man Wadlow had befriended back when he Wadlow was a US Congressman, as he could trust Ronan’s advice.
There was initially some talk over whom would serve as the First Lady under Wadlow, as he had never married. (There were claims that he had dated a few Hollywood starlets from time to time, but most scholars debunk these rumors as nothing more than gossip; however, there were at least three local woman in Illinois that Wadlow apparently had serious relationships with, but nothing came of them). To correct the problem, Wadlow invited his sister, Betty Jean Wadlow Brda, to come live with him in the mansion. Betty Jean had married a one Robert Brda on March 28, 1952, and both agreed to the proposal. The media was intrigued by this arrangement, and followed Betty Jean and Robert Brda as they moved into the governor’s mansion. They were dubbed the unofficial, or “acting” First Lady and First Gentleman of Illinois. Robert and Betty Jean Brda produced a niece and two nephews for the Governor during their time living in the mansion.
In office, Wadlow often had his family visit, especially his parents, who eventually bought an apartment in Springfield to be closer to Wadlow in 1955. Occasionally, Governor Wadlow would discuss policy ideas with his father in the same large rocking chair Robert had had since the 1930s. In fact, much of the Governor’s mansion was furnished with custom extra-large furniture from his Alton home. Most notable examples include his 5-ft-tall desk, and his 14-ft-long bed.
Wadlow found his new position to be rather comfortable physically, even with the governor’s office being very small for him. Wadlow brought his closest brother, Harold Wadlow Jr., onto his administration and deputy chief of staff despite accusations of nepotism. Harold stayed on for two years before leaving to co-manage Wadlow’s Water World, a water park in Little Egypt, Illinois, with their brother Eugene.
Governor Wadlow went right to work balancing the state’s budget and pushing for liberal legislation. However, only several months into office, Wadlow experienced a near-brush with death when another infection from a broken leg brace caused him to lose a severe amount of blood; fortunately, he received enough from the blood bank to survive, and Robert was extremely grateful to blood donors for this for the rest of his life. However, Wadlow now had to use his cane more often, and after years of only occasionally having to rely on it. During his hospital visits, Lieutenant Governor Chapman served as Acting Governor, as the power of the governorship “devolves” to the lieutenant governor in cases of emergency.
This incident was enough for Wadlow. In the autumn of 1953 (shortly before the death of Wadlow’s paternal grandfather at the age of 87), Robert Wadlow, at age 36, received a potentially dangerous operation to finally stop the growth rate that involved “tampering with” the pituitary gland. The Wadlow family was thankful that they now had enough money to hire the best doctors in the world, as well as doctors they could fully trust, to ensure that nothing went wrong. The operation, which the doctors later admitted was new and was actually very risky, was nonetheless a complete success, and Wadlow’s growth permanently ended, leaving Robert Wadlow with a permanent height of nine feet and 11.2 inches. At nearly twice the height of the average human, this height still holds the record for the tallest height of a human ever.
Under Wadlow, the population had growth to surpass the 9-million-people mark. Education reform was improving school districts and the expansion of medical programs was creating new outlets for medical-based businesses and overall improving the quality of life in the state. Wadlow was praised for balancing the budget and for keeping to his promise to not raise taxes to pay for programs, opting instead to order the construction of over 200 miles of tollway highway systems throughout the state.
For these efforts, Wadlow received two votes for Vice-President of the United States at the Republican National Convention (in protest of the incumbent VP Richard Nixon being re-nominated), and was easily re-elected Governor on November 6, 1956:
Incumbent Governor Robert Wadlow (Republican): 53.7% (2,391,134)
Richard Austin (Democratic): 45.4% (2,021,563)
Edward C. Gross (Socialist Labor): 0.9% (40,075)
No other candidates appeared on the ballot and only 12 write-in votes were cast.
As Wadlow’s second term began, though, his health began to decline. Over the summers of 1956 and 1957, the Governor had begun to lose weight, dropping from 530 pounds in 1952 to 480 in 1957. His doctors determined that his heart’s blood circulation system, his thyroid, and his stomach’s immune system were beginning to fail, for which Wadlow took numerous pills. In August 1957, the Governor suffered a fall down the last four steps of the capital building’s grand staircase, but kept himself from hitting the ground with the help of his cane, which he then began to use at all times. The fall and the weight loss were beginning to take their toll on Wadlow, and he began it look frail and worn out. At 39, his hair had already gone from a dark silver to a light grey with some white streaks.
In late January 1958, the Governor nearly fainted preparing for breakfast one morning. At some point in February, Wadlow caught pneumonia and developed heart arrhythmia, worsened Wadlow’s autoimmune disorder. He became bedridden on February 1. Governor Robert Pershing Wadlow closed his eyes for the last time, surrounded by friends and family, on February 5. He was just 17 days shy of turning 40. It was reported that his last words were to his mother, returning from drying her tears in the hall: “Don’t cry, Ma. I couldn’t have asked for a better life. I can never thank you enough for that.”
Legacy
Wadlow is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Upper Alton Madison County, Illinois. Thousands of people payed their respects at his funeral, including 6ft9in-tall Ted Cassidy, who portrayed Lurch the TV series “The Addams Family.” Don Koehler, now the world’s tallest man, was one of the 25 pallbearers required to carry Wadlow’s massive 12-ft-long 1,200-pound coffin, along with fellow giant Filipe Birriel. Wadlow’s mother gave the eulogy, where she highlighted how her son was “patriotic” and “pure of soul.”
Wadlow’s special shoes can still found today in several locations such as shoe exhibits, shoe conventions, shoe museums, the Alton Museum of History of Art, and Robert Pershing Wadlow Public Library, the Robert Wadlow Historical Home, and the Governor Robert Wadlow Museum. There are also numerous statues of Wadlow across Illinois in honor of his service in the governor’s seat and in congress. Others stand in the Guiness Museums in Niagara Falls and Gatlinburg, as well as in several of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museums in honor of his unbroken height record. Modern-day Illinoisans and historians consider Wadlow to be one of the state’s better – if not best – Governors.
