Leuer and Levitetz named as Outstanding Americans by National Wrestling Hall of Fame
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(Wrestling Hall of Fame)
02/13/2002
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has named a national military leader and a leading private businessmen as its selections for Outstanding Americans this year. The Hall of Outstanding Americans demonstrates wrestling's pride in those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities. New classes are inducted annually. Nomination forms are available. Ken Leuer A 1956 undefeated NCAA champion as a 191-pound wrestler for the University of Iowa, Ken Leuer was commissioned as a 2nd LT. in the U.S. Army and would later establish the standard for America's fighting elite to follow. During his 32-year military stint, Leuer was a member of the Army's most elite ranks, including the Special Forces and the Airborne Rangers. Major General Leuer was later handpicked by the Army Chief of Staff and given the charter for the formation of the modern Ranger Battalions. Training was the Rangers top focus and Leuer instilled two values into the elite force; standards and discipline. Leuer started, selected and trained 680 men that are considered the pinnacle of highly trained and specialized troops in the world. Leuer was inducted as a charter member of the Ranger Hall of Fame and has been awarded the Order of Saint Maurice, Primicerius Level. Leuer was a two-time state wrestling champion at Wayzata High School in Minnesota before moving on to a distinguished collegiate career for the Hawkeyes where, in addition to his national title, he claimed a Big 10 crown and was a two-time All-America selection. Leuer went on to earn his degree in business from the University. He was later inducted into the Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame. While serving as an instructor of military science at Cretin High School, Leuer started the school's wrestling program. After retiring from the military in 1988, Leuer took the position of President and CEO of Goodwill Industries, a non-profit orgranization that specializes in rehabilitation for the disabled and disadvantaged. Jeff Levitetz Who would have known that a $300 investment would blossom into a multi-billion dollar operation? Jeff Levitetz entered the business world after borrowing the money to start the University of Marketing while still in college, and the University of Alabama graduate never turned back. In 1982, he used $15,000 of his own money to start Purity Wholesale Grocers and has promptly turned his venture into the leading promotional warehouse grocer in the United States. For the past five years, his company has been listed among Forbes top 150 private-owned companies and is the largest private company in Palm Beach County, Florida. In addition, PWG is among the state of Florida's top 10 private-owned companies and will cross the $10 billion mark in total sales in 2001. In 1986, Levitetz was named the Chivas Regal Regional and National Entrepreneur of the Year. Levitetz has been a significant contributor to the capital campaign for wrestling and PWG is the U.S. Greco-Roman National Team sponsor. In addition to the business world, Levitetz has been a key leader in the wrestling world as well. He founded the Boca Raton Wrestling Club, a non-profit youth wrestling program and has served on USA Wrestling's National Board of Directors, sitting on the finance committee. He served as co-chairman for the National Wrestling Capital Campaign, which raised $7.5 million for the sport of wrestling. Levitetz will serve as the team leader for the 2004 U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic Team. Levitetz competed collegiately for Pat Milkovich at Alabama from 1975-77 and was a sectional wrestling champion in 1974 for Steve Combs at Deerfield High School in Illinois.