Dick Bacon

Dick Bacon (September 9, 1932 – August 18, 2000) was a nudist or naturist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who was known for outdoor tanning every day of the year. He worked at Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He sun tanned year-round at Milwaukee's Bradford Beach on Lake Michigan.[1] Bacon also frequented a nude beach in Milwaukee called Paradise Beach.

Dick Bacon
Dick Bacon
Born
Richard Bacon

(1932-09-09)September 9, 1932
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedAugust 18, 2000(2000-08-18) (aged 67)
EducationHigh School
OccupationBrewery worker
Years active1962–2000
SpouseConnie (Divorced)
Family
  • Brother Howard Bacon
  • Sister Mary Rose Ried

Tanning

Bacon could be seen tanning at Bradford Beach from the 1960s through the 1990s,[2] including in freezing weather. If the beach was covered in snow, Bacon would have a path cleared to his tanning spot.[3]

Bacon said that he only wanted to work enough to support himself. He claimed to be planning for retirement from the time he was a child.[2]

In addition to tanning at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee, Bacon also tanned at the nude beach in Milwaukee, Paradise Beach which closed in 1993.[4] Newspapers called him a crusader for nude beaches. Bacon claimed that he fell in love with nudity while modeling for artists at the University of Wisconsin.[5]

When Bacon died the Madison, Wisconsin State Journal called him a "Beach Legend".[6]

Arrests
  • In 1977, he was charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour for bathing in the nude at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee on New Year's Day.[7]
  • In 1979 he and three other men were arrested for nudity on Paradise Beach.[8]
  • In 1991, Bacon was arrested for appearing nude just north of Bradford Beach in Milwaukee.[7]
  • In 1993, he was cited for indecent exposure in the vicinity of Paradise Beach in Milwaukee.[7]

Awards

1973 in Indiana, Bacon won the Mr. Nude America contest. One of the judges of the contest was a novelist, Erskine Caldwell.[9] The prize for winning the contest was $500.[10] Bacon was very proud to be a nudist and he owned a white van emblazoned with his nickname, “The Nude Dude.” He won three nude modeling contests during the mid-1970's.[2]

See also

Death

Bacon died in his South Side (Milwaukee) home on August 18, 2000, at age 67, from a heart attack.[11][4] Bacon was survived by his three siblings: Howard Bacon II, and Mary Rose Reid and Roger Bacon.[7][12]

References
  1. HENZL, ANN-ELISE. "Remembering Dick Bacon, Milwaukee's Man With The Tan". WUWM. WUWM. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  2. PRIGGE, MATTHEW J. "Dick Bacon Abides!". Shepherdexpress. Shepherd Express. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  3. "Where There's a will, There's a Way". Janesville Gazette. Associated Press. January 30, 1981. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  4. MILLER, ANNA. "WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO MILWAUKEE'S NUDE BEACH?". Milwaukeemag. Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  5. "Bathers bare news across nation". Arlington Heights Daily Herald Suburban Chicago. UPI New York. August 5, 1978. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  6. "Beach Legend Dick Bacon Dies". Madison Wisconsin State Journal. August 20, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  7. Sargent, Nick; Helbig, Bob (August 19, 2000). "Milwaukee loses a lakefront icon Dick Bacon, whose nude tanning knew no season". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  8. "No Nudes Good News for Some". Brownsville Herald. July 23, 1979. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  9. "Miss, Mr. Nude Winners Named". Madison, Madison Wisconsin State Journal. UPI. August 7, 1973. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  10. Messerschmidt, Al (August 6, 1974). "Seeking Fame in Naked City". Wheeling Herald. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  11. Tanzilo, Bobby. "We'll miss Dick Bacon in the sun". On Milwaukee. On Milwaukee. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  12. "Howard "Howie" Bacon II". legacy. Legacy.com. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
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