USA Wrestling : Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Lowell Lange, 90, passed away

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By National Wrestling Hall of Fame | Nov. 26, 2018, 4:29 p.m. (ET)

Images of Lowell Lange courtesy of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

STILLWATER, Okla. - Lowell Lange, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1981, passed away on November 19, at the age of 90.

'We are saddened to hear of Lowell Lange's passing and extend our sympathies to his family, the student-athletes he coached and the teammates he wrestled with during his legendary career in the sport,' said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 'When people talk about some of the very best wrestlers to have ever competed in collegiate wrestling, Lowell Lange's name is on the list. He is not only identified with being one of the leaders of the 1947 Dream Team from Cornell College of Iowa but is considered one of the greatest wrestlers from his era.'

Lange won his first National AAU title while still in high school at Waterloo West High School in Waterloo, Iowa. For three of the next four years, he reigned without serious challenge over the nation's lightweight wrestlers.

Had not severe injuries in an automobile accident knocked him out of competition as a sophomore, in the Olympic year of 1948, Lange likely would have become college wrestling's first four-time champion, as well as an international medalist.

But he won three NCAA titles and three more National AAU crowns for Cornell College of Iowa while amassing 160 victories against a single loss. In 1947 he helped the Rams of coach Paul Scott, a Distinguished Member inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, capture the NCAA team trophy, the only one ever won by a private school.

Returning from injury as a junior, Lange swept through the 1949 collegiate tournament without surrendering a single point, perhaps the only wrestler to do so since scoring rules were adopted.

Lange spent the 1951 season as Cornell coach, and still regards the selection of his 130-pounder, Walt Romanowski, as the NCAA's outstanding wrestler one of his greatest thrills.

In 1964, business interests took Lange to Atlanta, where he immediately set out to revive the long-dormant wrestling program at Georgia Tech, taking over the coaching position he held to retirement. Only two years later, his team defeated Auburn in the Southeastern tournament, handing coach Arnold 'Swede' Umbach, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1981, his first conference setback in 20 years.

Despite the handicaps of a low-budget program, Lange maintained wrestling interest at Tech, while contributing to the success of the sport at the national level. Lange coached the first NCAA All-American from the state of Georgia when Jim Pond, who is president of the Oregon State Chapter of the Hall of Fame, finished sixth in 1966. He served as a member of the rules committee and the coaches' executive committee and helped launch USA Wrestling programs in Georgia.

National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum
America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.