Henson, Harkness: NCAA champs 100 years young

By Mark Palmer
Senior Writer
Intermat
The two oldest living NCAA wrestling champions -- Oklahoma State's Stanley Henson and John Harkness of Harvard -- each celebrated their 100th birthdays last week.

Henson was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1978 while Harkness received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999.

Henson, a three-time national champ for the Cowboys (1937-1939), turned 100 on Wednesday, Nov. 30, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced on social media that day. Harkness, who won his title at 175 pounds at the 1938 NCAAs, also reached the century mark that same day, according to his bio at the Archinform website.

At least one website has claimed Henson is the oldest living NCAA champ in any sport. If that statement is true, that would mean that Harkness would also share that distinction.

In addition to becoming NCAA wrestling champs nearly 80 years ago, both men served during World War II -- Henson in the Navy, on board the USS San Francisco in the Pacific, Harkness, in the American Field Service as an ambulance driver on the battlefields of Europe. What's more, both mat champs went on to successful professional careers beyond the sport -- Henson in medicine, Harkness in architecture.

Read Full Story

Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations