Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = LaFayette

Pennsylvania in so many ways is disputably known as "The Wrestling State."  Ohio enjoys claiming the same title & you'll always get Iowans & New Jerseyites to claim the same thing.  One thing all Pennsylvanians seem to know, even those who don't follow wrestling is that they produce some of the best high school and college wrestlers in the country. Another thing most know is that out of all fifty states, Pennsylvania has the most collegiate varsity wrestling opportunities with 41 programs.

What may come as a shock, is that even with Pennsylvania's love and obsession with wrestling, there are still quite a few colleges and universities in the state that have dropped wrestling over the years.

One of which is Lafayette College in Easton. 

The Leopards began wrestling in the 1924-1925 season and dropped wrestling after the 1988-1989 season.  During their 64 year history, 23 wrestlers qualified for the NCAA championships on 31 occasions.  Two of these wrestlers John Thomas wrestling at HWT in 1941 & LaRue Dillon wrestling at 157 in 1956 captured All American honors with fourth place finishes.  I have tried to find pictures and more information on these two Leopards but I've had difficulty in my search.  I do believe that Dillon wrestled for Norberth in high school.

Lafayette was one of those programs that alumni did their best to save.   The college President David W. Ellis wanted to scrap wrestling after the 1984-1985 season when decisions were made to no longer pay a head coach.  At this time head coach John Piper stepped down and assistant Coach Barry Snyder took over the program.  Snyder was 100% volunteer earning his living as a teacher and coach at Easton Middle School.   Even with all the efforts to save wrestling, Ellis still without warning discontinued the program in 1989 stating Title IX as a cause and starting up a women's soccer team.