Oklahoma State University Athletics
Jimmy Jackson Announced as Member of National Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2023
November 01, 2022 | Cowboy Wrestling
STILLWATER – Former Oklahoma State wrestler Jimmy Jackson will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023, which was announced Tuesday by the NWHOF.
Jackson was a three-time NCAA Champion and Big Eight conference champion at heavyweight for the Cowboys. Listed at 6-foor-6 and 350 pounds, Jackson had a career record of 88-9-2 with 44 falls from 1975 to 1978. He went 29-0 with 11 falls as a senior, which included a national title to cap off his career and make him and Lee Kemp the first African-American wrestlers to win three NCAA individual championships.
Jackson competed at the 1976 Olympics as a 19-year-old college sophomore, winning his opening match by technical fall over Harry geris of Canada, who was also an OSU wrestler, before losing to gold medalist Soslan Andiyev of the Soviet Union and silver medalist Jozsef Balla of Hungary.
He was inducted into the Oklahoma State University Athletics Hall of Honor in 2007. He passed away at 51 years old in 2008, suffering from diabetes and congestive heart failure.
Jackson was selected as a NWHOF Distinguished Member and will be inducted alongside classmates Rich Bender, Patricia Miranda, Joe Williams, Meritorious Official honoree Ed Kelly, Order of Merit recipient Frank Popolizio, Medal of Courage recipient Richard Perry and Outstanding American Honoree Bob Bowlsby. The induction ceremony will be held at the 46th Honors Weekend on June 2-3, 2023 in Stillwater at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Jackson was a three-time NCAA Champion and Big Eight conference champion at heavyweight for the Cowboys. Listed at 6-foor-6 and 350 pounds, Jackson had a career record of 88-9-2 with 44 falls from 1975 to 1978. He went 29-0 with 11 falls as a senior, which included a national title to cap off his career and make him and Lee Kemp the first African-American wrestlers to win three NCAA individual championships.
Jackson competed at the 1976 Olympics as a 19-year-old college sophomore, winning his opening match by technical fall over Harry geris of Canada, who was also an OSU wrestler, before losing to gold medalist Soslan Andiyev of the Soviet Union and silver medalist Jozsef Balla of Hungary.
He was inducted into the Oklahoma State University Athletics Hall of Honor in 2007. He passed away at 51 years old in 2008, suffering from diabetes and congestive heart failure.
Jackson was selected as a NWHOF Distinguished Member and will be inducted alongside classmates Rich Bender, Patricia Miranda, Joe Williams, Meritorious Official honoree Ed Kelly, Order of Merit recipient Frank Popolizio, Medal of Courage recipient Richard Perry and Outstanding American Honoree Bob Bowlsby. The induction ceremony will be held at the 46th Honors Weekend on June 2-3, 2023 in Stillwater at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
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