1982 Winner: Richard Parrish

A 51-year-old liquor salesman from Delray Beach, Florida, Richard “Dick” Parrish took top honors at the second annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest in 1982.

“He was a real nice guy who took a broad interest in the entire Hemingway Days Festival,” recalled Michael Whalton, the Sloppy Joe’s manager who emceed the event.

Unlike some contenders, Dick didn’t limit himself to just the look-alike contest.

“In that respect, he was like Bill Young, who won the title two years later,” Michael said. “Bill, also, has been one of my favorites because of all he has done through the years, including the important scholarship program.”

Dick’s wife, Liz, could have predicted his victory after the couple toured the Hemingway house and museum.

“The whole time I was in the house,” she told the Delray Beach News Journal, “I got the feeling that Dick was going to win. He looked like so many of the pictures of Hemingway there. One man even came up to him and called him Hemingway’s clone.”

Michael also remembered another contribution that liquor salesman Dick provided to the contest. “Dick always gave us a case of scotch for the winner!”

Richard Parrish died in 1986.