Wilbur 'Dutch' Lehman

Wilbur 'Dutch' Lehman is recognized for his years of dedication to the development of leadership and citizenship in young people through the sport of wrestling. "¢ Founded two High School programs, Shamokin High School and Cheltenham High School "¢ Coached at Cheltenham for 21 years "¢ Teams won 185 matches, including 50 straight "¢ Chairman PIAA District I & member PIAA Board of Control One of the founding fathers of high school wrestling in southeast Pennsylvania, Dutch had his first coaching experience while still a wrestler at Franklin & Marshall College, as he coached the wrestlers at F&M Academy, the college's affiliated preparatory school. Following graduation from F&M, Lehman founded the wrestling program at Shamokin High School. The Chester County native returned to his eastern Pennsylvania roots, accepting a teaching position at Cheltenham High School where he inaugurated wrestling as an interscholastic sport. Over the next 21 years his teams won 185 matches, while losing only 15, and ran off a 50-match winning streak in the 1940's. Dutch stepped down as wrestling coach following the 1952-53 season as he moved to the administrative side of education, but he remained in sports not only as the Athletic Director at Cheltenham but also as the Chairman of District I of the PIAA and the District's representative to the PIAA Board of Control. He also continued to serve the sport of wrestling as an official, rising to the position of Head Referee at both the El WA and NCAA tournaments. For his dedication and lasting influence on wrestling, Lehman is posthumously presented the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's "Lifetime Achievement Award" for the class of 2000

Awards:

Year
2000
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
Pennsylvania

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