Lifetime Service Pete Willson wrestled for Coach Lou Slimmer while attending Proviso High School from 1943 through 1946. Pete finished in 3rd Place in the IHSA State Tournament as a 95 lbs. Freshman. The State Championships were not held in 1944, but in 1945 and 1946 Pete went on to become State Champion at 135 lbs. and 145 lbs. respectively. In both 1943 and 1945 the Pirates of Proviso won the State Championship. Pete went on to wrestle at Wheaton College where he became the first wrestler ever to win the Wheaton Invitational (currently the the Pete Willson Invitational) four times. Upon graduation from Wheaton College in 1950 Pete took a teaching position in Iowa. In 1953 Pete returned to Illinois, accepting a coaching position at Blue Island Eisenhower High School. During his tenure at Eisenhower Pete produced three individual State Champions along with 15 additional placewinners. Additionally, Pete's teams were consistently in the top 15 in the state with his 1956 Blue Island team placing third. In 1964 Pete moved into the collegiate coaching ranks when he assumed an assistant coaching position under George Olsen at Wheaton College. Pete remained as an assistant until he took over the program in his own right in 1974. Under Pete's leadership Wheaton College would, in 1976, win its first CCIW title since 1959. They would repeat that performance the following year. In 1990 Pete left Wheaton College only to return for a one year commitment during the 1995-96 season. During his years of coaching at Wheaton College the program under his leadership produced three CCIW Championships, 19 Division III All-Americans, including three Division III NCAA Champions (one of which was his grandson, Paul Elsen "” who is in attendance this day). In 1977, in just its second year of its existence, Wheaton College inducted Pete Willson into its "Hall of Honor" for his efforts as a Wheaton athlete. In 1978 Pete served as the President of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Association. The Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, in 1979, inducted Pete into its Hall of Fame. Pete was named Wheaton College's Alumnus of the Year for Distinguished Service to Alma Mater in 1987. Three years later Pete was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame. At the 1991 IHSA State Wrestling Championships Pete was selected by the IWCOA as a Grand Marshall for the individual championships. Finally, in 2003, for his lifelong commitment and dedication to wrestling Pete Willson was honored by the IWCOA with its Lifetime Achievement Award.