Jim Peckham

Jim Peckham (August 30, 1929 – August 23, 2011) was an American wrestler and coach.[1][2] He competed in the men's Greco-Roman middleweight at the 1956 Summer Olympics.[3][4]

Jim Peckham
Personal information
Full nameJames Cameron Peckham
NationalityAmerican
Born(1929-08-30)August 30, 1929
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedAugust 23, 2011(2011-08-23) (aged 81)
Braintree, Massachusetts, U.S.
Sport
SportWrestling
Event(s)Greco-Roman

Biography

Peckham was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1929.[1] Several members of Peckham's family were also wrestlers.[1] His father was a professional in the 1930s,[1] his son wrestled during the 1970s,[1] and his daughter wrestled against Andy Kaufman on Saturday Night Live in 1979.[1] His brother, Tom, also competed at the Olympics,[5] competing in the men's freestyle 87 kg at the 1968 Summer Olympics.[6]

At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Peckham competed in the men's Greco-Roman middleweight event,[7] where he was eliminated in round three (of five).[8] He coached the US wrestling team at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics.[2][9]

After working for an electric company, Peckham became the wrestling coach at Emerson College.[1][10] He later was the Athletic Director at the college for nearly 30 years.[1][2] In 1986, he became the wrestling coach at Harvard University.[1][11]

Peckham was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000.[2] He died in August 2011 in Braintree, Massachusetts after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.[12]

References
  1. "Jim Peckham". Olympedia. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  2. "Distinguised Member James Peckham Passes". National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  3. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jim Peckham Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  4. "Legacy of "father of wrestling in Massachusetts" Jim Peckham lives on". Boston Herald. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  5. "Tom Peckham". Olympedia. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  6. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Tom Peckham Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  7. "Hall of Fame legend Jim Peckham 81 passed away in Massachusetts". Team USA. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  8. "Middleweight, Greco-Roman (≤79 kilograms), Men". Olympedia. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  9. "A world of learning from the mat". Boston.com. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  10. "Emerson Remembers Former Athletic Director James Peckham". Emerson Lions. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  11. "Former Wrestling Head Coach Jim Peckham Passes Away at 81". Harvard. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  12. "Longtime former athletics director Jim Peckham dies at 81". Emerson Today. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
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