Background
Van Bebber was born and raised in Perry, Oklahoma.
Van Bebber was born and raised in Perry, Oklahoma.
He was coached by Editor Gallagher. Before his death, he was named one of the ten greatest amateur athletes in the western hemisphere for the first half of the 20th century.
He attended and wrestled at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical University and was a three time National Collegiate Athletic Association national champion. He competed at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where he received a gold medal in freestyle welterweight. He was severely injured in a wagon accident as a child but his attitude and perseverance won out.
He was one of the initial inductees as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
