In pickup basketball games, players would feed him the ball, and he would drop it through the net. But he was like other kids his age. A Boy Scout, Wadlow was into photography and collected stamps.
Doctors attributed his dysfunctional growth to a hyperactive pituitary gland. Now the condition can be treated, but not then. He struck a deal with Ringling Bros. Then we walked out into the spotlight and stood around for a time while we were introduced.
After that we walked off. The money was good, but the travel was exhausting. His father drove a seven-passenger car, with several seats removed to accommodate the younger Wadlow. Hotels at overnight stops had to improvise something big enough for him to sleep on. When he came to St.
Joseph for the trial, a carpenter partially took apart two beds to combine them. Humberd had damaged his reputation through defamatory statements, the Tribune reported.
As one of its rebuttal witnesses, the defense called Morris Fishbein, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The defense also brought into court two towering men.
The other lawsuits were dismissed. Of course, the Wadlows were disappointed, but Robert Wadlow had to make a living. But a leg brace had bitten into his foot and left him with an infection, and it was a boiling hot July Fourth. When Wadlow reported feeling ill, his father told him to go back to the car. He was taken to a hotel; doctors said his bulk made transporting him to a hospital too risky. Eighteen men were needed to carry his pound casket. Thousands came to Alton to pay their respects.
One of the few times the Alton Giant shared a candid take on life was in response to a question about one of his brothers:. Skip to content. From left are father Harold Sr. Acme photo. Robert Wadlow, who to this day retains the title of tallest man in the world, eats with his family in New York. Robert Wadlow demonstrates he is nearly as tall as this New York stoplight in April Wadlow hated publicity but out of necessity derived financial benefit from it.
His cap and gown had to be especially tailored using 14 yards of material. He traveled nationwide, receiving top billing for his incredible height. As a representative for International Shoe Company, it would be the first of many tours for Robert and his father as he made personal appearances at shoe stores throughout the country.
As a young man, he visited towns in 41 states, logging nearly , miles in his short lifetime. Through his journeys, he had become quite a national celebrity. Robert's special seat at Alton movie theater Can you imagine walking down the street having to stoop to avoid awnings and light fixtures? At the movie theater, Robert usually had to sit in the back row. The theater in Alton made a special space for Robert in the front. He used five seats total — one to sit on, one for his left arm, one for his right, with his legs extended over the remaining two seats in front of him.
Chaffing from a brace worn on his ankle had caused a blister that eventually led to a serious infection. Robert was running a very high fever, and his mother and youngest brother, Harold Jr, flew to Michigan to see him. His temperature rose to degrees, and Robert was never able to recover from the infection. On July 15, , Robert died peacefully in his sleep. Age 8-foot, Robert standing next to his dad. More than 40, people came through the funeral home day and night for two days straight, sometimes waiting in lines nearly three blocks long.
All the businesses in Alton were closed for the funeral, and it is said that license plates from more than 36 states could be seen at the site. The 1, pound casket required twelve pallbearers, with an additional six to eight men to help from time to time on the way to the gravesite.
Robert was laid to rest in the Upper Alton Cemetery, and the casket was sealed in a foot long reinforced concrete tomb. Today, you can see how you measure up to Wadlow at his life-size statue located on College Avenue. In addition to the statue, you can sit in a bronze replica of a chair especially made for Waldow. Across the street at the Alton Museum of History and Art, his legacy lives on through the Wadlow exhibit. Take some time to experience what life was like for Robert as you browse the numerous photographs and artifacts in the museum telling his giant story.
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