Harold DeMarsh

Harold DeMarsh was born in 1902 in Menominee, Michigan, and attended high school in Cushing, Oklahoma, where he became a National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) champion in 1925.[1][2] DeMarsh moved to Oklahoma City upon graduating from Oklahoma A&M in 1926. He had a wife, three children, 13 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. He died on March 25, 1982, due to an illness.[2]

While attending Oklahoma A&M, DeMarsh competed as part of the Oklahoma A&M Aggies and their coach was Edward C. Gallagher.[1] He tried to be part of the 125-pound class multiple times, but he failed each time.[3] DeMarsh was in second at the national contest in 1926 and in third in 1927, both in the 115-pound class.[1][3] DeMarsh tried out for the Oklahoma A&M Aggies again in the 1928 season in the 125-pound class due to gaining weight. However, he lost weight and joined the team at 115 pounds.[3] He was 115 pounds at the 1928 NCAA Wrestling Championships.[1] He became the first NCAA wrestling champion by defeating Harold Higgins from Iowa State University due to three minutes and ten seconds of time advantage.[4][5] There were other champions from other weight classes, but their matches were after DeMarsh. The other weight classes were 125-pound, 135-pound, 145-pound, 158-pound, and 175-pounds.[6][7] Higgins said in 1979, "I lost a 21-minute match at 115 pounds to Harold DeMarsh. After we were all even on riding time after the first 15 minutes, we went another six minutes of overtime."[8]

DeMarsh taught wrestling at YMCA before and throughout World War II with his teams winning several amateur wrestling state championships. He taught judo and karate as part of the United States Navy at Naval Station Great Lakes.[2] DeMarsh's NCAA championship medal and AAU medals were lost due to a fire. His son, Gerald DeMarsh, had replicas of the medals that he showed to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which holds a display of the 1928 match.[9]