Kraft received the Hall of Fame's Order of Merit award in 1995 and received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011.
Ken Kraft"Ken shared his gifts with wrestlers of all ages and advanced our sport as a coach, administrator, broadcaster, and event promoter," he added. "His advocacy helped grow public awareness of the values and benefits of wrestling, not only in the greater Chicago area, but throughout our nation and across the globe."
Kraft built Northwestern University wrestling into a viable national program and kept the Wildcats among the elite throughout his 22 years at the helm. He became head coach at Northwestern in 1957, at the age of 22, after a Wildcat wrestling career that included a Big Ten title and his school's Medal of Honor. He remained active as an administrator at Northwestern for many years.
In 1960, he coached his brother Art to the NCAA championship, a feat unmatched for 34 years. Art Kraft went on to become one of the nation's outstanding junior college coaches. Ken produced another national champion in Mark Massery and coached 11 conference champs and 14 All-Americans.
One of his greatest contributions to wrestling was the founding of the Midlands Championships in 1963. Exasperated with the long drive to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to compete in the only Christmas wrestling tournament, Kraft and a few close associates established the Midlands. The king of the open tournaments, the Midlands brings the very best amateur wrestlers to Illinois each year between Christmas and New Year's. Over more than five decades, it has attracted almost every noteworthy American wrestler and is now the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships.
Kraft served on the organizing committee of United States Wrestling Federation, which became USA Wrestling. He served on its board of directors from 1965 to 1980, including two terms as president. In 1976, he presided over the dedication of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and was USA Wrestling Man of the Year. Kraft also helped found the Mayor Daley Youth Foundation wrestling program, now the Wildcat Wrestling Club.
In 1970, he directed the NCAA Championships at Northwestern. He was USA team leader to the 1971 World Championships.
Kraft was the color commentator for wrestling at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and spent many years as a wrestling commentator for ABC's Wide World of Sports, ESPN, Sports Channel and Fox Sports.
He was instrumental in forming the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and served as a member of its board for several years.
National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum
America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport.
For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.
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