Hugh Peery

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]

• Hugh Peery at the International Wrestling Database
• Hugh Peery at Olympedia