Nat Pendleton won a silver medal at the Olympics in 1920 and became the first Olympic medal winner from Iowa.

He studied at Columbia University and began his wrestling career, serving as team captain.

A two-time Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion and three-time AAU national champion, he was chosen to compete for the United States at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. 

After returning to the United States, Nat became a professional wrestler, which led to a career in motion pictures. 

He appeared in over 100 films, including Horse Feathers with the Marx Brothers and as a circus strongman in The Great Ziegfeld and At the Circus, again with the Marx Brothers.