From the day he started wrestling as a sixth grader in Clarion, Iowa, his goal was to be a champion. Glen Brand not only became a national champion, but attained his ultimate goal in 1948 when he won the gold medal at 174 pounds in the Olympic Games at London.

Along the way, and afterward, he achieved many other honors.

He was coached in high school by a cousin, Dale Brand, a member of the 1936 Olympic team. Glen went directly into the U.S. Marine Corps, serving four years before enrolling at Iowa State University.

Under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Hugo Otopalik, he became a three-time All-American, winning 54 of 57 matches, with 30 falls, and defeating his last 35 opponents.

Although outweighed substantially, he placed third in the NCAA tournament at heavyweight his freshman year. As a sophomore, he was runner-up at 175 pounds, and then as a junior in 1948 won the National Collegiate championship. He continued undefeated through the U.S. Olympic trials and the London Games.

Returning to school in 1950, he won seven more matches before undergoing surgery which ended his competitive efforts.

In his professional career as a hydraulics engineer, during which he built a one-man firm into one of the nation's finest, he served 14 years as a YMCA wrestling coach and organized youth wrestling activities in Omaha, Nebraska.

An excerpt from the program for his final match at Iowa State sums up his stature as a competitor: "There's more to Glen Brand than his wrestling. He's a true amateur, a gentleman who respects his opponent, but who brooks no interference with his right to rule on the mat."

The Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa is named in his honor.

In recognition of his role as a sportsman and a true champion, Glen Brand is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.