He won his first National AAU title while still in high school at West Waterloo. For three of the next four years, Lowell Lange reigned without serious challenge over the nation's lightweight wrestlers.

Had not severe injuries in an automobile accident knocked him out of competition as a sophomore, in the Olympic year of 1948, he likely would have become collegiate wrestling's first four-time champion, as well as an international medalist.

But he won three NCAA titles and three more National AAU crowns for Cornell College of Iowa while amassing 160 victories against a single loss. In 1947 he helped the Rams of coach Paul Scott capture the NCAA team trophy, the only one ever won by a private school.

Returning from injury as a junior, he swept through the 1949 collegiate tournament without surrendering a single point, perhaps the only wrestler to do so since scoring rules were adopted.

Lange spent the 1951 season as Cornell coach, and still regards the selection of his 130-pounder, Walt Romanowski, as the NCAA's outstanding wrestler one of his greatest thrills.

In 1964, business interests took Lange to Atlanta, where he immediately set out to revive the long-dormant wrestling program at Georgia Tech, taking over the coaching position he held to retirement. Only two years later, his team defeated Auburn in the Southeastern tournament, handing Swede Umbach his first conference setback in 20 years.

Despite the handicaps of a low-budget program, Lange maintained wrestling interest at Tech, while contributing to the success of the sport at the national level. He served as a member of the rules committee and the coaches' executive committee and helped launch USA Wrestling programs in Georgia.

As a wrestler of outstanding achievement and a quiet leader working for the good of the sport, Lowell William Lange is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.