Who originally received this medal? Where did he wrestle?
1942 M Club wrestling medalThere's a strong possibility the seller's hunch is right about the identity of the recipient of the medal, and his school. Levy, a native of Minneapolis, was a multi-sport athlete for the Golden Gophers. He played football and baseball, and was on the wrestling team. At the 1941 NCAA wrestling championships, Levy won the heavyweight title (then called "unlimited" because, unlike today, there was no top weight limit) ... opening the door to subsequent Minnesota heavyweight champions Verne Gagne (1949), Brock Lesnar (2000), Cole Konrad (2006, 2007) and Tony Nelson (2012, 2013). (In fact, Minnesota can claim more NCAA heavyweight titles than any other program, other than Oklahoma State.)
I can hear you saying, "Wait, the medal says '1942'!" That was the year that Levy graduated from Minnesota with a degree in economics. Sadly, he broke his foot in his senior season, and was unable to wrestle, or compete in any sports during that school year. Injury aside, Levy still caught the attention of NFL teams ... and the 6' tall, 260-pounder guard was the No. 1 draft pick of the Cleveland Rams that year. However, Levy deferred his pro football career to serve in the U.S. Navy for three years during World War II. After three seasons on the gridiron, Levy became a professional wrestler, often working as a tag-team partner with fellow Gopher wrestling/football alums Verne Gagne and Leo Nomellini. Once he left the ring, Levy built successful careers in insurance and as a stockbroker. He passed away in 1999 (just shy of his 78th birthday), and is buried in Temple Israel Memorial Park in Minneapolis. Levy was welcomed into the University of Minnesota's "M" Club Hall of Fame in 1994.
If the medal was indeed Levy's, it did some traveling over the decades. The seller found it in what she described as a "grab-bag vintage jewelry jar" at a St. Vincent de Paul store in the Pacific Northwest.
If you can confirm that this medal was indeed originally presented to Leonard Bernard "Butch" Levy as a University of Minnesota wrestler and M Club member -- or if you can make a case it would have belonged to someone else -- please contact this writer at mark@intermatwrestle.com.
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