Gerald "Gerry" Leeman (June 22, 1922 – October 10, 2008) was an American

wrestler Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...

and Olympic silver medalist.

Wrestling career

Leeman was the first three-time high school wrestling champion from

Osage, Iowa Osage is a city and the county seat of Mitchell County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,627 at the time of the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Climate ...

in 1939, 1940 and 1941. He went on to wrestle in college for

Iowa State Teachers College The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 90 majors across five colleges. The fall 2024 total enrollment was 9,283 students. The university was initially founded in 1 ...

, now the

University of Northern Iowa The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 90 majors across five colleges. The fall 2024 total enrollment was 9,283 students. The university was initially founded in 1 ...

. He won the 1946 NCAA national championship at 128 pounds for Iowa State Teachers College and was named outstanding wrestler of the tournament. While at ISTC he also won 2 AAU wrestling championships. Two years later, in 1948, Gerald wrestled at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

in London, England and won a silver medal for

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

at 125.5 pounds. After returning to the United States he briefly coached Fort Dodge High School's wrestling team in

Fort Dodge, Iowa Fort Dodge is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000 United States Census, 2000. F ...

but would quickly move on to a college coaching position at

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Bethle ...

. It was while training for the Olympics, Leeman met Lehigh University wrestling coach Billy Sheridan. In 1953, Leeman replaced Sheridan as head coach and compiled a 161–38–4 record and unsurpassed 80.3 winning percentage before resigning in 1970. In his 18 years as coach he never had a losing season at Lehigh. In addition to wrestling, Leeman also coached tennis, soccer, cross-country, and track at Lehigh. He is a member of several halls of fame, including the

Athletics Hall of Fame, the

National Wrestling Hall of Fame 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 Stil ...

as a Distinguished Member, and the Glen Brand Iowa Hall of Fame at the Dan Gable Wrestling Institute and Museum. He was named one of the top fifty Iowa athletes of the 20th century by ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

''.(December 27, 1999)
The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Iowa
''Sports Illustrated''. Retrieved September 18, 2022. Lehigh's wrestling arena is now known as Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall in his and Thad Turner's honor.

Nickname

Leeman's nickname came from the football field. "One of the kids said, 'He goes through those holes like a little germ.' Then the coach started calling me that," Leeman said in a December 2007 interview with The Des Moines Register.

Personal life

Leeman was the second of ten children. From 1943 to 1945 Leeman served his country as a pilot in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He later returned to Iowa State Teachers College to finish his bachelor's degree in 1948. Leeman retired to

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city population was 40,713. Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. Cedar Falls along with neighbori ...

, where he died of cancer on October 10, 2008, at age 86.

References

External links

Death of Gerald Leeman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leeman, Gerald Wrestlers at the 1948 Summer Olympics American male sport wrestlers Olympic silver medalists for the United States in wrestling 1922 births 2008 deaths Sportspeople from Cedar Falls, Iowa Northern Iowa Panthers wrestlers People from Osage, Iowa Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics United States Navy pilots of World War II Military personnel from Iowa Lehigh Mountain Hawks wrestling coaches Lehigh Mountain Hawks men's soccer coaches 20th-century American sportsmen