Henry Wittenberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Henry Wittenberg

Wittenberg circa 1940s
Personal information
Born	(1918-09-18)September 18, 1918 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	March 9, 2010(2010-03-09) (aged 91) Somers, New York, U.S.
Sport
Sport	Wrestling
Club	City College New York, West Side YMCA, Police Association, AAU
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1948 London 87 kg Silver 1952 Helsinki 87 kg Maccabiah Games Gold 1950 Tel Aviv +87 kg Gold 1953 Tel Aviv +87 kg Collegiate Wrestling Representing CCNY NCAA Championships Silver 1939 Lancaster 175 lb Bronze 1938 State College 165 lb

Henry Wittenberg (born September 18, 1918 – died March 9, 2010) was an American Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling. He was also a police officer and a coach.

Henry Wittenberg won two Olympic medals in freestyle wrestling. He earned a gold medal in 1948 and a silver medal in 1952. He was the first American wrestler since 1908 to win two Olympic medals.

After serving in the Army, he worked as a New York City Police Officer. He later became a college wrestling coach. He coached at Yeshiva University and City College of New York. He also helped organize and coached at the Maccabiah Games. In 1968, he was an American Olympic coach.

Early Life and College

Henry Wittenberg was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. When he was in high school, he did not wrestle. Instead, he was on the swim team and played chess. He was even the captain of his high school chess team. His team won a championship in New Jersey.

Discovering Wrestling

When Henry went to City College of New York, he did not think he was very athletic. But the wrestling coach, Joe Sapora, introduced him to the sport. Henry quickly became very good at wrestling.

By his third year of college, he was winning in important wrestling tournaments. In 1939, he graduated with a degree in education. He was also the co-captain of his college wrestling team that year. In 1939, he finished second in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship.

Wrestling Career Highlights

During the early 1940s, the Olympic Games were canceled because of World War II. Henry Wittenberg served in the military. He taught hand-to-hand combat in the Army.

Henry used weight-lifting to get stronger, which was unusual for wrestlers then. Between 1938 and 1952, he won eight national championships. He represented the West Side YMCA and later the Police Sports Association.

He won or placed high in many tournaments. He was very successful in the 191-pound weight class.

Amazing Winning Streak

Henry took a break from wrestling after the 1948 Olympics. But he came back in 1951 to try for the 1952 Olympics. Between 1939 and 1951, he won almost 300 matches in a row. He was nearly undefeated during this time.

He won gold medals at the first Israeli Maccabiah Games in 1950. He won another gold medal there in 1953. After that, he stopped competing in wrestling.

Olympic Gold and Silver Medals

Henry went to the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He wrestled in the 191.5-pound weight class. He won all five of his matches to earn the gold medal.

In the semifinals, he hurt his chest muscles. His coach did not want him to wrestle in the finals. But Henry was determined and wrestled anyway. He won the gold medal match. When he returned home, he was welcomed as a hero.

Four years later, Henry competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He had only trained for a year after his long break. He reached the final match again. However, he lost to Wiking Palm from Sweden. He received the silver medal. This loss ended his long winning streak. It was only the third loss of his entire career. He was the first American wrestler since 1908 to win two Olympic medals.

Life After Competing

Henry Wittenberg had a successful career outside of wrestling. He earned a master's degree in health education. This was from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Around 1941, he became an officer in the New York City Police Department. He received five awards for his bravery while on the force. He returned to the police force after his military service. He left the police force in 1954 as a Detective Sergeant.

He then worked in the printing industry until 1967. He was also very involved in the Police Sports Association. He helped start the Maccabiah Games. These games are held every four years for Jewish athletes from all over the world.

Coaching Career

In 1959, Henry was the U.S. National Team Wrestling Coach. This team competed in Russia. He coached college wrestlers at Yeshiva University from 1959 to 1967. He also taught physical education and coached wrestling at his old college, City College of New York, from 1967 to 1979.

In 1964, he wrote a popular book called Isometric Exercises. This book was printed five times. Around 1979, he retired and moved to Somers, New York.

He also coached the 1968 Olympic wrestling team in Mexico City. He passed away in March 2010 at his home in Somers, New York. He was survived by his daughter, Susan, and his son, Michael.

Honors and Recognition

Henry Wittenberg was the first person to be inducted into the CCNY Alumni Varsity Association Hall of Fame. He was also elected into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1977.

From 1995 to 2015, Yeshiva University held an annual wrestling tournament. It was named in his honor for Yeshiva high schools. The tournament is now hosted by the Yeshiva Wrestling Association. It takes place at The Frisch School in Paramus, New Jersey.

Wittenberg was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum on March 21, 1993. This recognized his gold medal wins at the 1950 Maccabiah Games and the 1953 Maccabiah Games.

See also

• List of select Jewish wrestlers