LeRoy Smith has been involved with the sport of wrestling for over 60 years, including starting programs from scratch in Bixby, Bethesda Boy’s Home in Mounds and in Glenpool.

He began his wrestling career in 1943 at Tulsa’s Cleveland Junior High. Although he couldn’t wrestle in high school, the love for the sport stayed with him.

When his son started wrestling, he helped Jerry Forsythe and Onions Martin at the Blue T Club.

In 1963, he was asked to teach moves to Bixby’s new team.

At the same time, he earned his officials license and refereed for over 20 years.

He was instrumental in convincing the Glenpool School District to start a wrestling program in 1976.

Although the high school program was dropped a short time later, the elementary program survived and in 1983, the junior high and high school programs were re-started. Smith helped with the program until his retirement in 2020.

He was the first inductee into Glenpool’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.