An exhibit created by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum that commemorates 50 years of African-American success in the sport will be on display at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships that begin today and end March 22 in St. Louis.

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Iowa’s Simon Roberts winning the 147-pound individual national championship – an accomplishment of significant historical value since Roberts was the first African-American NCAA wrestling champion.

Forty-five other African-American wrestlers have won Division I titles. Many have gone on to also win national, world and Olympic wrestling medals and become successful coaches and officials.

The NWHF display, which can be seen at the NCAA Fan Festival, will honor all of these accomplishments.

“It is important to develop an educational outreach program,” said NWHF Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. “African-Americans have a great legacy in wrestling, and with this being the 50^th anniversary of Simon Roberts winning a NCAA title, we have a natural theme.”

In conjunction with the exhibit, an hour-long tribute program featuring some of the men who are historical figures in the African-American wrestling experience will take place today. Autograph sessions will also be held.

Bobby Douglas, the first African-American coach to lead a team to an NCAA title (Arizona State in 1988), chaired an ad hoc committee and provided valuable input in creating the exhibit, which is done in a timeline format.

“This was an educational journey for me as well,” Smith said. “Our narrative dates back to the Emancipation Proclamation, and it walks through the civil-rights movement. It shows how African-Americans were winning championships and helping to open doors during that time.”

Roberts, 71, will be on hand for the festivities. He was recruited to Iowa by wrestling coach Dave McCuskey.

“My high school coach wrestled for my college coach,” said Roberts, who grew up in Davenport, Iowa. “One of our family friends, Duke Slater, was an all-American football player and sports legend at Iowa. He and my uncle became great friends. I used to stay up and listen to them talk about Iowa athletics and the history of the Iowa football program. That was very special. It made an impression on me.”

Roberts created his own special memories in his junior year by defeating Iowa State’s Ron Gray in the147-pound championship match in 1957.

“I’m not sure there was a great deal made about me being the first African-American to win a NCAA wrestling championship,” said Roberts, a member of the Iowa sports hall of fame. “There was a nice article on it at the time in the Des Moines Register. I was happy with myself for accomplishing it, because I knew I had beaten a good wrestler.”

Gray went on to win the 147-pound national title the next two years.

Roberts went on to become a coach, teacher and administrator on the high school level.

There are plans to have a permanent exhibit at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, which is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. This exhibit will also appear at the U.S. National Wrestling Trials later this year in Las Vegas.

“We would really like to get our booklets into inner-city schools because these stories of success can inspire future generations to consider wrestling as a sport of choice,” Smith said. “It’s not a commercial sport. We need to get the word out to young African-Americans that there is a heritage here you may want to consider. We’ve had some extremely successful individuals in this sport.”

Smith said the NWHF also plans to honor the contributions to the sport made by Latino and Native American wrestlers.