National-Wrestling-Hall-of-Fame-Entrance

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

and

hall of fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

for

amateur wrestling Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...

, headquartered in

Stillwater, Oklahoma Stillwater ( iow, Ñápinⁿje, ''meaning: "Water quiet"'') is a city in, and the county seat of, Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51. As of t ...

. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

History

The museum was awarded to

in 1972 by a decision of the United States Wrestling Federation, which chose Stillwater over a competing bid from Waterloo, Iowa. 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. The Dan Gable Museum had opened in 1998 in

Newton, Iowa Newton is the county seat of, and most populous city in, Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Located east of Des Moines, Newton is in Central Iowa. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 15,760. It is the home of Iowa Speedway, Maytag Da ...

, and moved to Waterloo in 2006. In May 2016, the NWHOF voted to revoke all honors given to

Dennis Hastert John Dennis Hastert (; born January 2, 1942) is an American former politician and convicted felon who represented from 1987 to 2007 and served as the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. The longest-se ...

after his conviction, the first time the Hall of Fame has ever punished a now-former inductee. The museum operates by private donations and state funding. Six people from

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

formed the

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

corporation: Myron Roderick, Dr. Melvin D. Jones, Ralph Ball, Robert L. McCormick, Bill Aufleger, and Veldo Brewer.

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, through its then-president, Dr.

Robert B. Kamm Robert B. Kamm (January 22, 1919 – October 10, 2008) served as the 13th president of Oklahoma State University–Stillwater from July 1, 1966 to January 31, 1977. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 1978, ...

, provided land – at no cost – with a 99-year renewable lease.

Museums

The NWHOF and Museum in Stillwater includes the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors, the Paul K. Scott Museum of Wrestling History, the Cliff Keen Theater, and the William S. Hein Library. The museum covers around 15,000-square-feet, featuring multiple interactive exhibits and digital kiosks, as well as the ability to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. The John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors is where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, with Distinguished Members being honored and showcased through granite plaques. The Paul K. Scott Museum of History showcases a portion of the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including most collegiate and Olympic uniforms. The Waterloo museum includes the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, which honors

professional wrestlers Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

with a strong background in

, and the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions.

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 the coaches, officials and contributors who represent the best qualities of what the sport of

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

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.

United World Wrestling Hall of Fame

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater also contains the UWW Hall of Fame, which honors some of the sports greatest international wrestlers and coaches.FILA Hall of Fame
webpage. FILA Wrestling official website. Retrieved 2010-12-23.

References

External links