CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners proclaimed today Arthur J. Weiss Sr. Day, recognizing the lifelong accomplishments of the legendary father of Clearfield High School wrestling and the dean of Pennsylvania schoolboy wrestling.
Weiss passed away the morning of Friday, May 13, 2011 at the Clearfield Hospital. A memorial service celebrating his life was held Saturday, May 21 at the Clearfield Presbyterian Church. He was 102 years old, Commissioner Chairperson Joan Robinson-McMillen said.
“He was a long-time friend of my family. My father, brother and cousins were all Art’s wrestlers. He’s touched many lives, and we urge all citizens to join us in recognizing his efforts to better our lives in not only Clearfield County, but also throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” she said.
Weiss graduated from Nazareth High School in 1927, Perkioman Prep School in 1928 and Albright College in 1932 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was president of the student body his senior year of college and president of his class as a junior.
In 1932, he began teaching biology and algebra for the Clearfield Area School District. He served as head coach for junior high football for three years during World War II. He coached basketball for two years before establishing the Clearfield High School wrestling program in 1935 and heading the same until retiring in 1959.
According to Robinson-McMillen, Weiss was a father figure for many boys who were members of his wrestling teams during his 25-year tenure as head coach. She said he held the boys to maintain high academic standards and to become firm members of the community outside of wrestling.
Commissioner John A. Sobel first met Weiss as his homeroom teacher but has fond memories of his voice from choir at the Presbyterian Church where Weiss was a member for more than 59 years. Sobel noted that Weiss “always made sure the church had a wonderful organ.”
Weiss had served as secretary for the Sunday school and evangelical church of Trinity United Methodist Church, Nazareth. He taught Sunday school for many years while a member at the Clearfield Presbyterian Church. He had also served as a past superintendent of the church’s grade school.
In addition to the aforementioned positions, Weiss had served as a deacon and elder, had chaired the organ committee and advised the youth fellowship as well as the Mountaintop Presbyterian Churches.
Weiss was a member and past president of the Kiwanis Club since the late 1940’s, a former member of the Clearfield Choral Society and a member of the Wrestling Coaches Association. For 17 years, he’d served as chief scorer and matchmaker for the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Organization Association (EIWOA) and was a member of its board.
Weiss was listed as one of the winningest wrestling coaches in the National High School Hall of Fame. In 1970, he became one of the first two inductees into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He’s been inducted into 14 different Halls of Fame and has also been given the Albright College Lifelong Service Award and is in the Perkiomen School Hall of Athletic Honor.
“Even up until the present-day, I’ve heard stories about how he’s been looked up to by coach (Jeff) Aveni. He’s still inspiring the wrestling team now, and I know they’ve always looked forward to him being there for matches,” Commissioner Mark McCracken said. “He was always an active member and attended the various Kiwanis-sponsored events, such as its Halloween parade. He lived a very full life right up until and even beyond his 102 birthday (on Jan. 12, 2011).”