Claude Darr
Claude Darr graduated from Bedford H.S. in 1959 where he played football, had perfect attendance and made the National Honor Society. Although Bedford had a very respectable wrestling program, he did not wrestle because he lived twenty miles away and thumbing in the winter time was somewhat out of the question in western Pennsylvania. After graduation, he enrolled at Lock Haven State College under the influence of one of his coaches, Mr. Art Grimm, a Lock Haven graduate. At Lock Haven is where his love affair with wrestling began. In the early 60's, Lock Haven was a national power with several national champions and other very outstanding wrestlers including long-time friend, Jack Day. Claude participated in the intramural wrestling program in which there were those who could have made a lot of other college teams. He admittedly got his butt kicked. Claude graduated from Lock Haven in 1963 with a degree in Health and Physical Education. He began his teaching career in Baltimore County at Reisterstown Elem. where he taught for four years before transferring to Franklin H.S. His reason for transferring was that football started in the county in 1966 and he volunteered to help with the program. It also turned out that Franklin was in need of a wrestling coach that same year. Franklin became his home for the next thirty years. In the mid 70's, the wrestling program suffered for numbers, not talent. It was impossible to win matches due to the forfeits. After several attempts to get a junior league started, two former Franklin wrestlers, George Outten and John Schuster, turned things around and in the late 70's and into the 80's Franklin returned as a team, Also, the program was very fortunate to have had two excellent technicians, Jack Day and Ray Groszkowski. In his last three years of coaching, he directed and hosted the regional tournament. His committee developed the initial point system for the region. After the 1984 season, Claude turned the reins over in the growing program. He then directed the first county tournament for JV's followed by directing the Baltimore County tournament for seven years. While tournament director, he installed a ruling that a wrestling knowledgeable adult be at every table to confer with the mat official on questions pertaining to score and time. Being at Franklin was both a business and a family affair. He also was the head football coach for twenty-five years and co-athletic director and department chair. His three children Shannon, Jason and Jaimie graduated from Franklin and were successful both academically and athletically. Claude retired in 1997 and still resides in Reisterstown with his wife, Leslie.
Awards:
Year
2012
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Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
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Chapter/Region
Maryland
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