Hugh Peery
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born(1931-11-07)November 7, 1931
Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJanuary 10, 2015(2015-01-10) (aged 83)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Sport
SportWrestling
Event(s)Freestyle and Folkstyle
Medal record
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Pittsburgh Panthers
NCAA Wrestling Championships
Gold medal – first place1952 Fort Collins115 lb
Gold medal – first place1953 State College115 lb
Gold medal – first place1954 Norman115 lb

Hugh Peery (November 7, 1931 January 10, 2015) was an American wrestler.[1] He won a gold medal at the 1951 Pan American Games,[2] and he competed in the men's freestyle flyweight at the 1952 Summer Olympics.[3] He also worked as a dentist for more than 50 years.[4]

Biography

Peery was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1931.[5] He attended the Tulsa Central High School, where he became an Eagle Scout and a two-time state champion.[2][5] At the University of Pittsburgh he was a three-time NCAA champion in the early 1950s.[6] At the 1951 Pan American Games, Peery won the gold medal in the freestyle flyweight division.[2]

Peery was selected to represent the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.[7] At the Olympics, Peery competed in the men's freestyle flyweight event, and was eliminated by Georgy Sayadov of the Soviet Union.[5][8]

Following his wrestling career, Peery graduated from a dental school in 1956,[9] going on to serve in the United States Navy Dental Corps.[2] Following his military career, he returned to Pittsburgh, where he worked as a dentist for more than 50 years.[2]

In 1980, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member,[10] and he was also posthumously inducted into the University of Pittsburgh hall of fame.[11] His brother, Ed, and his father, Rex, were also inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.[12]

References

  1. "Hugh Peery". EIWA Wrestling. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Hugh Peery". Olympedia. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  3. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Hugh Peery Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  4. "Obituary: Robert Hugh Peery / Wrestler who became a North Hills dentist 'to help people'". Post Gazette. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "InterMat Rewind: Hugh Peery". InterMat. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  6. "Legendary Collegiate Wrestler Hugh Peery Passes Away at Age 84". NWHOF. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  7. "Hugh Peery makes first Olympic wrestling team". Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  8. "Flyweight, Freestyle (≤52 kilograms), Men". Olympedia. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  9. "DR. ROBERT "HUGH" PEERY". Legacy. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  10. "Hugh Peery". National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  11. "Hall of Fame: Peery Family". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  12. "Olympian Peery kept wrestling record under wraps". Tribe Live. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
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