He never wrestled in high school and he needed a couple of years of college to reach national prominence. But once Henry Wittenberg learned the sport, his was a story of unparalleled success.

Coached at the City College of New York by early-day NCAA champion Joe Sapora, he placed third in the collegiate tournament as a junior and was runner-up as a senior in 1939. But Henry was a "natural" for wrestling and his career was about to reach full bloom.

Over the next 10 years, Wittenberg wrestled more than 300 matches without a loss. He entered eight National AAU freestyle tournaments and won eight championships, representing the West Side YMCA of New York and later the Police Sports Association.

In 1948, he won the gold medal at 191.5 pounds in the Olympic Games at London, then retired from active competition. But in 1952, he returned to the mat to lead the U. S. team to the Olympics at Helsinki, where he captured the silver medal and became the first American wrestler since 1908 to win two Olympic medals.

He also won gold medals in the Maccabiah Games in 1949 and 1953.

Wittenberg coached collegiate wrestlers at Yeshiva University and CCNY for two decades. He was the United States national team coach in 1959 on the first trip to the Soviet Union and returned to the Maccabiah Games twice as coach of the U. S. team. He also guided the American Greco-Roman team in the 1968 Olympic Games at Mexico City.

As a wrestler of tremendous stature and a champion of awesome achievement, Henry Wittenberg is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.