Lifetime Service Roy Conrad attended Chicago Schurz High School where he was a member of the Schurz wrestling team. In 1951 Roy qualified for the 14th Annual IHSA State Championships "” held that year in Huff Gym on the campus of the University of Illinois. Wrestling at 165 lbs., Roy placed second, losing a hard fought match to New Trier's Peter Van Schaack, 8-4. Following a stint in the United States' Armed Forces (Roy joined the military immediately after graduation from Schurz), Roy enrolled at Northern Illinois University as a 28 year old Freshman. The year was 1958 "” the inaugural year for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Wrestling Championships. Roy Conrad entered those championships and earned 2nd Place honors at 177 lbs. The following year, 1959, Roy repeated this feat. Due to an injury, Roy was forced to skip the NAIA tournament in 1960. However, Roy did enter the 1960 NCAA Championships held at the University of Maryland. In this tournament Roy won five consecutive matches "” the final match being a 14-13 barn-burner over Oklahoma's Dave Campbell "” to win the title at 177 lbs. In 1961, his final year of collegiate competition, Roy Conrad entered"” and won "” the NAIA Championships held at the Colorado School of Mines. While competing for Northern Illinois University Roy Conrad won four Interstate Intercollegiate Conference Championships as well as two national wrestling championships "” one in the NAIA and the other in the NCAA. Consequently, in 1983 Roy Conrad was inducted into the NIU Athletic Hall of Fame. In December of 1963 Roy caught wind of a new tournament being put together by a group of individuals (one of which being Northwestern's Ken Kraft). Roy entered this tournament "” the inaugural tourney of what went on to become the Midlands "” and, to no one's surprise, Roy won the event. Although Roy's accomplishments on the mat have been many, his legacy involves much more. It is obvious, even to the most casual of observers, that Roy has realized the immense benefits the sport of wrestling offers. Consequently, Roy has spent a great deal of his post-competitive years tirelessly passing on those benefits to others who have followed in his steps. Whether helping aspiring grapplers while working out at the Irving Park YMCA or instructing youngsters through the Franklin Park Raiders wrestling club, Roy sought unselfishly to pass on the lessons he learned. For his efforts in helping youth wrestling throughout his life Roy was selected as a Grand Marshall at the 1984 IKWF State Championships. For his lifelong accomplishments in and contributions to the sport of wrestling the IWCOA inducted Roy Conrad into its Hall of Fame in 1975; in 1987 the IWCOA honored Roy Conrad's achievements by selecting him as a Grand Marshall for the IHSA State Finals.