Frank Giltner's athletic career started at Tamaqua High School where he established resume. He lettered in football, basketball and with a very difficult decision to make after graduation. scholarship to attend Muhlenberg College or to sign contract with the Cleveland Indians. Frank opted for the of his other brothers went on to play professional Frank earned three varsity letters in baseball and many as one of Muhlenberg's best athletes ever. He to be their captain for his junior and senior season. president in 1932 and then assumed the title of life Following graduation, his good friend Charlie Myers convinced him to move to the Norwich teaching career at Norwich as a middle school science teacher. He later became the physics high school, a position he taught in until 1954 when he became the vice principal. In position at the high school and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1965. coached baseball from 1932 to 1954, a sport that he loved and guided his sons Phil and served as the assistant football coach to the legendary Kurt Beyer. Frank's son Phil tells the story that in 1935 Athletic Director Kurt Beyer walked into Giltner's classroom and handed how to coach wrestling and told him to start a wrestling program. Thus began the wrestling in Norwich. In his first season at the helm the Purple Tornado wrestled four Interscholastic State Tournament at Saint Lawrence University, at which one of his 135 weight class. Matches were difficult to schedule in the 1930's and the Norwich make long trips just to find matches. Giltner drove through storms and back roads wrestlers. Following a brief career as the wrestling coach, and establishing the foundation teams, Frank embarked on a career of officiating wrestling. He was one of the founding officials association for Central New York and was considered the best official in the area. He officiated at Cornell University, Colgate University, Syracuse University, Ithaca College and Hartwick College in Oneonta. His son Phil remembers traveling to all these institutions of higher learning and watching his father work the match. Phil recalls that his father's trademark as an official was the way he slapped the mat for a pin, "there could be no doubt about it when he called a fall," Phil stated. Jim Howard, Ithaca College great and legendary college wrestling coach said this about Frank, "he was a great official who officiated the most important college matches in the area at the time. He was very well respected and would freely give suggestions to all wrestlers to help them become better." Frank's career in college and high school wrestling officiating spanned through the 1940's and the early 1960's. Following his retirement in 1965 he worked in the real estate business for ten years but stayed very active in all local sports. He was a former president of the Norwich Rotary Club, and he served as the director of the Salvation Army. Frank also was the chairman of the Norwich Elks Charity Committee and directed the Norwich summer baseball program for many years. He always gave freely to his community. Frank left a great legacy in the Norwich community... he was a strict, orderly coach who demanded a great deal from his athletes but always made sure his athletes knew that he cared about them. His son Phil stated that, "one of the things that his father was most proud of was that he directed 48 Norwich athletes to Muhlenberg College to obtain a college education." He also remembers the respect and admiration that his father's former athletes would show for him. The Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to present a true pioneer of the sport of wrestling with the Lifetime Service Award.