Thomas Lumly was a true philanthropist and one of the first founders to help establish the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

He was a member of the Board of Directors and a generous benefactor for the Tulsa YMCA, and manager of an AAU team in 1958 for one of the first international meets wrestled in Oklahoma against a Russian team, an event titled "East meets West."

Affectionately known as "The Grandfather of Wrestling," Lumly was one of the most recognized figures in Oklahoma during his era because of his association with all aspects of high school, collegiate and international wrestling.

Not only did he promote wrestling throughout the U.S., but he also spent countless hours, money and effort to bring wrestlers from other countries to the United States, helping the international wrestlers establish themselves as exchange students.

Lumly formed the U.S. Amateur Wrestling Foundation in an effort to raise funds for Olympic and World tournaments, and international exchange trips for U.S. teams in the 1950s and 1960s.

He also served on the Advisory Board for the University of Tulsa and for Oklahoma State University, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the International Rotary Club. He was also on the Board of Directors for the Masonic Burn Center for Children, President of Nomads and a member of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce.

For his tireless effort to further the reach of the sport of wrestling, the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Thomas Lumly with its 2016 Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award.