By Berry Tramel
The Daily Oklahoman
Bill Harlow was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame during Honors Weekend on June 3-4. Upon his induction, the crowd did not leave their banquet tables, swarm the podium and celebrate with Harlow. No matter. He’d already been feted in such a manner.

Fifty years ago, Harlow was the hero in one of the most memorable nights in old Gallagher Hall history. I received a letter from Jim Metcalf, an OSU track star back in the ‘60s. I thought I would share it.

“I am Jim Metcalf.  I ran track at OSU from 1965-1967.  The track team lockered with the wrestlers and the basketball players and we all lived in the same dorm and ate in the same dining room, so I knew Bill Harlow.

“When we came in from working out we were welcome to go into the wrestling room.  Myron Roderick was such a nice guy (and world-class handball player), he would let us in the wrestling room to watch.  OSU was so deep that I got to see some of the greatest wrestling imaginable watching their ranking matches.  And, Roderick could beat anybody but the heavyweight.  He was young and taught by wrestling them.

“Wrestling at that time was like basketball was with Eddie Sutton.  The fieldhouse was packed to the rafters.  They could have sold 15,000 tickets if they had them.

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