Fred Birchmore

Fred A. Birchmore (1911–2012)[1] was a renowned adventurer from Athens, Georgia, best known for his 1935 travels around the world on a bicycle.[2] His Reinhardt bicycle, which he named 'Bucephalus', is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.[3] Fred was also notable in Athens for being the head of Athens Realty Company for thirty years and for hand-building a massive stone wall, over 2 meters tall in places, when he was in his 70s, and walking down the steps of the Washington Monument on his hands.[4] Fred had many pursuits and careers including layer, college professor, International Exchange Scholar, author, lecturer, free lance writer for National Geographic, Atlanta Journal, Ripley's "Believe-It-Or-Not", boxer, acrobat, deck hand, seaman, ship fitter, selective service advisor, Naval Gunnery officer WWII, boxing coach, aviator, archaeologist, ornithologist, Boy and Girl Scout Leader, singer, President of Athens Kiwanis Club, tennis coach, organic farmer, and youth camp director.