About Pete Willson

After the 2001 Wheaton College Wrestling Invitational, the event was renamed to honor Pete Willson, a man who has given much both to the Invitational and to Wheaton College. Under his guidance the Invitational became one of the top small-college wrestling tournaments in America.

Pete Willson graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in 1950. He has been a part of the college’s community for nearly as long. He came to Wheaton as a two-time high school champion in the state of Illinois. He played football and wrestled in his four years at Wheaton. Willson served as a team co-captain of the wrestling team in his senior season. He won four championships at Wheaton Invitational in his time wearing the orange and blue. He competed in three NCAA championships in his wrestling career.

Following his graduation in 1950 Willson moved to Lone Rock, Iowa, where he taught at Lone Rock Community High School from 1951-52. He also coached baseball and basketball there. After a brief hiatus from teaching, Willson returned to Illinois as a teacher at Blue Island Community High School from 1953-64. In addition to his teaching duties, Willson also coached the wrestling, track and football teams.

In 1964 he returned to his alma mater, where he served as the Alumni Field Secretary until 1968. In 1969 he joined the Wheaton College faculty, teaching physical education until his retirement in 1990. In 1964 he began coaching the wrestling squad alongside longtime coach George Olson. In 1974 he began his tenure as the team’s head coach and served in that role until 1990. He returned to coach the team in the 1995-96 season, coaching his grandson, Paul Elsen, to the first of his two NCAA Division III national championships at 177 pounds. He also served as an assistant football coach for several years.

Pete and his wife, June Coray-Willson ’50 have five daughters, four of whom are Wheaton graduates: MaryBeth (Elsen) ‘71; Becky (DeBlois); Judy (James) ‘76; Kathy (Zotto) ‘77 and Debbie (Bradley) ‘85. In addition to Paul’s wrestling exploits, granddaughters Kate and Jessica Elsen have played basketball and soccer for Wheaton.

In 1977 he was inducted into Wheaton College’s “Hall of Honor” for his efforts as a Wheaton athlete. The Hall of Honor cites not only singular athletic achievement but also distinctive personal qualities and Christian attributes. Wheaton athletes so honored have demonstrated, both on campus and in succeeding years, the worth of athletics with well-defined goals, mature leadership and commitment to God. The significant contributions of Wheaton athletes to family, church, science, education, government and business supports these principles. Pete Willson is an honorable man of God who was elected to the Hall of Honor in just its second induction class.

In 1978 Willson served as the president of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Association. In 1979 he was inducted into the Illinois State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. He was named Wheaton College’s Alumnus of the Year for Distinguished Service to Alma Mater in 1987. In 1990 he was the second coach inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame. The 2000 edition of the Wheaton Invitational marked his final year as the tournament director.