Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali spoke at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus for the Kiker Memorial Foundation in the Spring of 1969.

His presence was controversial, yet the Kiker Memorial was set up specifically to give an opportunity for controversial figures a forum in a public place .

I photographed Ali for the Albuquerque News' June 5, 1969, edition.

I found him to be the largest man I ever met.

It was not only his physique that made him large, he was bigger because of his personality and how he carried himself.

His hands however, were huge, larger than I have ever seen.

I had not been a boxing fan but Ali was more than an athlete he became a societal force with which government would have to contend.

As Cassius Clay, he won the Light Heavyweight Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960.

Clay fought professionally as a Heavyweight and on February 25, 1964, beat Sonny Liston with a seventh round knockout for the World Heavyweight Championship Title.
The day after beating Liston, Clay announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam, and would hence be known by his Muslim name, Muhammad Ali.

As a Muslim, he declared himself a conscientious objector and when summoned by his draft board, he refused military induction.

The federal government brought charges against him and the professional boxing organizations stripped him of all his titles and refused to license him in 1967.
Beyond boxing, Ali was known for his self promotion, which many thought was bombastic, having declared himself, "The greatest."
U.S. Supreme Court in 1971 found him to be exercising he religion and up held his conscientious objector status.
On October 30, 1974, he regained his Heavyweight Title for a second time with an eighth round knockout against former 1968 Olympic Heavyweight champ, George Foreman.
On February 15, 1978, he lost his title to Leon Spinks in a 15 round decision.
September 15, 1978, he regained his title for an unprecedented third time from Leon Spinks in a 15 round decision.