Allie Morrison donning his 1928 Olympics Summer Games wrestling uniform. Photo courtesy of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum
By Mark Palmer
Who was the first wrestler originally from the state of Iowa to win an Olympic gold medal?
No, it wasn’t Tom Brands. Nor was it Dan Gable. Some of you might be thinking, “It’s gotta be Terry McCann!” who wrestled during the mid-1950s for the University of Iowa, and, yes, won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome … but was a native of Chicago, Ill.
And, to the guy in the back of the room, frantically waving his up-stretched hand, so sure he’ll win the prize by naming Glen Brand, the graduate of Iowa State University did win the gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics. But Brand was hardly the first. Another Iowan won his gold 20 years earlier.
The first native son of Iowa to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling — or, actually, in any sport — was Marshalltown’s own Allie Morrison, who earned his gold at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam.
For those of you who are alums of one of the wrestling powers located in the state of Iowa, you’re probably wondering where Morrison wrestled in college. No, it wasn’t University of Iowa … nor was it Iowa State … nor what was known as Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa). Nor was it Cornell College or Wartburg or any of the current Division III programs.
Iowa-born Morrison wrestled for the Fighting Illini at the University of Illinois.
Morrison’s path intersected with some true sports legends. In his senior year, his high school wrestling coach later became a legendary college basketball coach … at Illinois, he played football with one of the all-time gridiron greats … at the Olympics, he became friends with another gold medalist who went on to fame and fortune playing Tarzan in the movies … and indirectly inspired a kid in Chicago to pursue his own Olympic wrestling dream.
So … why haven’t you heard of Morrison? For starters, his gold medal was won 90 years ago. It doesn’t help that he wrestled at an out-of-state college … and that he was left off the Sports Illustrated magazine’s100 Greatest Athletes of Iowa list.
All the more reasons to get to know Morrison.
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