National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame for amateur wrestling, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
History
The museum was awarded to Stillwater in 1972 by a decision of the United States Wrestling Federation, which chose Stillwater over a competing bid from Waterloo, Iowa.[1] The museum opened on September 11, 1976.
In 2010, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame absorbed the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, previously operated by the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum.[2] That museum had opened in 1998 in Newton, Iowa, and moved to Waterloo in 2006.[3]
The museum operates by private donations and state funding. Six people from Oklahoma formed the Hall of Fame corporation: Myron Roderick, Dr. Melvin D. Jones, Ralph Ball, Robert L. McCormick, Bill Aufleger, and Veldo Brewer. Oklahoma State University, through its then-president, Dr. Robert B. Kamm, provided land – at no cost – with a 99-year renewable lease.[citation needed]
In May 2016, the NWHOF voted to revoke all honors given to Dennis Hastert after his conviction, the first time the Hall of Fame has ever punished a now-former inductee.
Museums
The Stillwater museum contains the John Vaughan Hall of Honors, the Paul K. Scott Museum of Wrestling History, the Cliff Keen Theater, the Hein Library, and a variety of educational outreach exhibits.[4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/DanGableMuseum.jpg/220px-DanGableMuseum.jpg)
The Waterloo museum includes the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa,[5] the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (which honors professional wrestlers with a strong background in amateur wrestling), and the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions.[6]
State chapters
The Board of Governors of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum established the State Chapter program in 1993. The purpose is to pay tribute to those coaches, officials and contributors who represent the best qualities of what the sport of wrestling has to offer and who share those characteristics with young people day in and day out. The Hall of Fame and Museum currently has state chapters in 36 states.[7]
United World Wrestling Hall of Fame
The museum also contains the UWW Hall of Fame.[8][9][10]
See also
References
- ^ "Sports in brief: Wrestling", Bangor Daily News, July 25, 1972.
- ^ "Hall buys Gable museum", Telegraph Herald, May 27, 2010 – via HighBeam Research (subscription required)
- ^ "Chapman retires from Dan Gable Museum", The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, November 25, 2009.
- ^ National Wrestling Hall of Fame Stillwater (accessed 2014-08-17).
- ^ "Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame announces Class of 2011". National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum website. Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ National Wrestling Hall of Fame Waterloo (accessed 2014-08-17).
- ^ State Chapters Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine webpage. NWHoF&M website. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
- ^ "FILA "International Wrestling Hall of Fame, now United World Wrestling Hall of Fame, to be located at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame", themat.com, January 12, 2002.
- ^ "Chardon native Kemp inducted into Hall of Fame" Archived 2014-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, The Plain Dealer, August 22, 2008.
- ^ FILA Hall of Fame webpage. FILA Wrestling official website. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
External links
36°07′35″N 97°03′48″W / 36.12650°N 97.06334°W
- Official website
- Virtual tour webpage. NWHoF&M website
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum information on TravelOK.com – official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma
- Wrestling in the United States
- Oklahoma State University
- Sports museums in Oklahoma
- Sports halls of fame
- Halls of fame in Oklahoma
- University museums in Oklahoma
- Museums in Payne County, Oklahoma
- Museums established in 1976
- Buildings and structures in Stillwater, Oklahoma
- Tourist attractions in Stillwater, Oklahoma
- 1976 establishments in Oklahoma