DICK WAITE

Athlete, Hatfield HS, 1931
Basketball and Track

Undefeated in Wrestling, Junior and Senior Year
At Penn State Led Penn State Wrestling Team to the National Championship, 1936.

Coach, Columbia University, 1936-1942
Wrestling

Inducted 2005

Hatfield High School, 1931 (Deceased)

1936, B.S., Pennsylvania State University

1942: M.Ed., Columbia University

Dick was an outstanding athlete at Hatfield High School in basketball and track.  At Penn State, "Sully" joined the wrestling team under the legendary coach Charlie Speidel.  In 1934, Dick lost his only collegiate match of his career to a Lehigh wrestler.  During 1934-35, a PSU wrestler, Bill Cramer, bested Dick in elimination matches.  In 1936, Sully Waite's senior year, he was undefeated in the 145 lb class in 9 contests.  Before his last match at the Intercollegiate Finals, Coach Speidel challenged Dick to win his match.  Dick wrestled Frank Gonzales of Lehigh for the National Championship.  The bout ended in a tie; since Dick held the time advantage of 1:37, he gained the victory, helping to bring the National Championship to Penn State.  Dick Waite started his professional career as a physical education instructor/assistant wrestling coach at Columbia University, NYC, 1936-42, where he earned his Master's Degree.  From 1942-46, served the U.S. Navy by giving physical  training to pilots at Jacksonville, FL and Livermore, CA.  In 1945, he was a Western AAU 145 lb wrestling champion.  September 1946, Dick returned to Columbia University as head wrestling coach.  In 1960, he was Associate Professor in charge of required P.E. for undergraduate students.  He retired in 1975 and moved to Gainesville, FL.