Henry "Sandy" Alexander Wise II '55

At Episcopal, Dr. Wise was a member of the wrestling team, earning many accolades for his accomplishments on the mat. As a sophomore, he won the Metro Tournament in the 103-pound bracket and then won again when he was a senior in the 112-pound bracket. He was undefeated and untied during both his junior and senior years, and as a junior, he pinned his opponent from Woodberry Forest to lead EHS to its first team win ever over WFS. He pinned another WFS opponent during his senior year, leading EHS to a second consecutive one-point win over the Tigers.

“Sandy was our co-captain and a fierce competitor,” says Bruce Rinehart ’56 (HOF 2013). “As the lead-off match, Sandy would pin his opponent and give the team an automatic five- point lead. He was a great leader and supporter of his fellow team members.”

As a senior, Dr. Wise became the first student from EHS to be named Most Valuable Player at the Washington Metropolitan Wrestling Tournament, the highest honor in the D.C. area. He won the Charles Morton Stewart Award for wrestling his senior year.

“Sandy was one of the few wrestlers on the team for whom it was simply assumed that he would be in the win column when we wrestled a given team – any team,” says Bud Billups ’56. “Not only was he a great wrestler, but he was also a fine leader, both on the mat and also in many other aspects of campus life.”

At EHS, Dr. Wise was also a Monitor, Cheerleader, Schoolroom Keeper, Waiter, member of Whispers, the Advisory Board, the Hop Committee, E-Club, the Missionary Society, Dramatics, the Glee Club, and the Blackford Literary Society. After EHS, he attended the University of Virginia and was a member of the wrestling team. He won the ACC championship as a senior. He was undefeated for two years and was the captain of his team his senior year.
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