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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

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.

Tanning

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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

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  • In 1977, he was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior 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

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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

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Death

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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

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  1. ^ HENZL, ANN-ELISE (June 26, 2018). "Remembering Dick Bacon, Milwaukee's Man With The Tan". WUWM. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c PRIGGE, MATTHEW J. (June 9, 2015). "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. ^ a b MILLER, ANNA (July 26, 2017). "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. ^ a b c d 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 (August 21, 2000). "We'll miss Dick Bacon in the sun". On Milwaukee. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  12. ^ "Howard "Howie" Bacon II". legacy. Legacy.com. Retrieved April 16, 2019.


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