The Average
American Man

The average American man in 1955 came of age during the later years of the Great Depression, served in the Second World War and by the time this poll was conducted, he was entering his early thirties. Decades hence, both he and his sisters would be called “the Greatest Generation” – but in 1955 he was just another American guy. He stood 5’9″, wore glasses, sported a wrist watch and wore a 9D shoe – but there was much more to him than this. Having studied the records from the Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau and assorted polling data collected by Gallup, this unnamed journalist – who was probably numbered in this same group, was able to assemble a likely profile of the average American man.