You won 't find Tom Canavan in a list of Pennsylvania High School wrestling coaches, yet he has touched the lives of practically every high school wrestler to come out of the city of Erie, Pennsylvania. A 1948 graduate of Technical Memorial High School in Erie, Tom Canavan began his coaching career while still in high school, managing the boxing and wrestling teams at the Martin Recreation Center and managing the wrestling team at the Erie YMCA. He held these positions from 1947 to 1952. Tom returned to the Erie YMCA in 1965, coaching boys who would become the spearhead of Erie's wrestling prominence from the early 70's to the mid 80's. He originated and directed the Great Lakes Open, a summer tournament held at Behrend College from 1969 to 1978. He was a driving force behind the development of the United States Wrestling Federation (now U.S.A. Wrestling) in Pennsylvania and became its first (and only) to date State chairman in 1972. That was the year he became the team leader for the Pennsylvania Junior National Freestyle and Greco-Roman teams, a position he still holds today. A 15-year member of the Erie County Official 's Association, Tom was named U.S.A Wrestling's State Chairman of the Year in 1985 and was honored as USA Wrestling Magazine 's Man of the Year in 1998. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1983; the first to be so honored from PlAA District X. A retired conductor for Conrail, Canavan resides in Erie, Pa.