The Olympic year of 1956 ushered in a growing interest in Greco-Roman wrestling, the sport of spectacular throws. Until 1952, the style had remained the province of European and Asian wrestlers, who had known it all their lives. To Americans, the upper body moves, scoring rules and referees were perplexing.

Alan Rice pioneered a change in all of that. In 1954, two years after he first saw the demanding sport, he became the U.S. Greco-Roman champion. Two years later he made the Olympic team and placed fifth. Interest sparked a response in others. No longer would Greco-Roman teams simply be composed of freestyle teammates who were told to suit up for the unfamiliar style. Making the team became a challenge and an honor.

A two-time state high school champ, Rice twice took Big Ten titles before his Army service. He represented the U.S. at the Pan American Games in Mexico City and the World Championships in Tokyo. He became an AAU national champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

By 1966, he had formed the Minnesota Amateur Wrestling Club. In 10 Olympics, Minnesotans have made Greco-Roman teams 30 times, winning four medals and drawing top athletes to the Twin Cities for training. With the club's success, Alan was tapped as head coach of the 1972 U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic team for the Games in Munich. His continued efforts helped shape the 2000 Olympic team on its way to claiming a gold, a silver and a bronze medal.

To maintain this legacy, Rice has supported the sport on several levels. By 2001, $400,000 had been raised by the club toward an endowment for both Greco-Roman and freestyle training. Rice matched it. A highly successful businessman in the field of investment securities, his dedication has also enabled his fraternity and his church to flourish. In Minnesota, his decades of unstinting effort for a once little-known sport have earned him a special accolade. Minnesotans know his as the "Godfather of Greco-Roman wrestling."

As an outstanding wrestler, coach and primary force for the growth of Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States, Alan Rice is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.