He won the National Collegiate championship in only the fifth bout he ever wrestled. But that NCAA title was just the beginning of Conrad Caldwell's spectacular career.

He did not compete in wrestling at Commerce, Oklahoma, High School and indeed had never seen the sport until he enrolled at Oklahoma State, where Hall of Fame coach Edward C. Gallagher recruited him from a gym class and promised to turn him into a national champion.

His pre-tournament experience consisted of two matches as a substitute heavyweight. Then in three bouts as a 165-pounder in the 1929 NCAA meet, he fulfilled Coach Gallagher's prophecy. He repeated, at 175 pounds, in 1930 and '31 to become only the third wrestler to win three collegiate crowns.

Caldwell was a standout amid an awesome array of Aggie talent that included teammates Earl McCready, Jack VanBebber, Bobby Pearce and LeRoy McGuirk. One night in 1931, Caldwell applied the finishing touches to a dual meet victory over Kansas State that required only 19 minutes, 33 seconds of wrestling by the entire team.

In 1932, he moved to California and competed five years for the Los Angeles Athletic Club. The only defeat of his career came in the first round of the 1932 Olympic trials. He came back to win the trials at 191 pounds, only to see another wrestler chosen in his place for the Games.

Through 1936, Caldwell was unbeaten from 174 pounds through heavyweight-and on one occasion, all three weights at one time. In a 1933 dual meet with UCLA, he weighed in at 174 but found his teammates at 191 and heavyweight were absent. He pinned the UCLA 174 pounder, won a decision at 191 and after a 10-minute struggle pinned the heavyweight, an all-Coast football tackle.

In recognition of his achievements as one of wrestling's pioneer champions, Conrad C. Caldwell is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.