Inductees

Lee started wrestling in Sandy, Oregon at the age of 12 with his older brother, Lon, and he joined the team at Sandy High School. He was State Champion all four years (1949-52) with an undefeated record. After winning the State AAU tournament in 1951, he was asked to wrestle for the famed Multnomah Club of Portland. He tried out for the US Olympic team in 1952 as a high school senior, winning the Regional and placing 7th at the National Trials.

As a freshman at Portland State College, Lee won the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate title at 123 pounds, placing 1st in Oregon AAU, 1st in Northwest, 1st in Far West, and 2nd at AAU Freestyle Nationals. Undefeated in his sophomore season, including a win over two-time NCAA Champion Richard Houser, Lee was 1st and Outstanding Wrestler in Northwest, 1st in West Coast, 1st in Far West,1st in Greco-Roman Nationals, and 4th in AAU Freestyle Nationals. He was 1st in the National Olympic Trials in Freestyle and was a member of the US Freestyle Olympic Team in Melbourne, Australia in 1956. He was 1st in AAU Greco-Roman Nationals and 2nd in Freestyle Nationals in 1957.

After enrolling at University of Oregon, Lee won another PCI championship at 130 pounds, again selected the Outstanding Wrestler. He was drafted into the Army and won the US Army European Championships. In 1960 he was 1st in the US Greco-Roman Olympic Trials and placed 8th in Rome as a member of the US Olympic Team. In 1961, he won both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals and placed 6th in the World Championships in Yokohama, Japan — the first time a US team competed. Lee was an AAU National Champion five times.

Allen graduated from UO, coaching there and at local high schools. He moved to California in 1964, teaching and coaching until he retired in 1996. He coached many Junior College and AAU All-Americans, and as Head Coach for the U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman team in 1980 and assistant coach in 1972 and 1976, he helped develop wrestlers who became World and Olympic champions. Lee was head coach for the US Greco-Roman World Teams from 1977-79, and he was a coach and long-time supporter of U.S. Women’s Program and Bay Area Wrestling Assn.