Wabash College Athletics

James A. Wadkins, we knew you were a cinch for the Hall of Fame long before you were officially nominated and certainly before you sat for pose when our mascot, Wally Wabash, was created. We knew you were destined for this honor when Coach Max Servies bumped you up from your normal 190-pound weight class to heavyweight for the dual meet with Notre Dame. You did not argue or complain; you simply went out and won the match to secure victory for the Little Giants.

That’s the way in which you conducted yourself throughout your career in leading Wabash to a 75-3 dual meet record as a four-year letterman, three-time Little State Champion, team captain, and Most Valuable Wrestler. Coming to Wabash from Calumet High School, where you finished fourth at the state wrestling meet, you went 69-13-1 on Coach Servies’ “Victory is Sweat” squad. And what an impact Coach Servies had on you. Upon graduation with an economics major, you landed a good job with Golden Rule Insurance. But your love of wrestling and community drew you back to the sport almost immediately. You worked hard to become certified to teach then returned home — to Calumet — where today you continue to change the lives of young people.

You once said, “You don’t coach for the money. You do it because you love to be around kids and to see the satisfaction in their eyes. When they accomplish something, they just glow. You can see their self-esteem rise.” As a social studies teacher and talented head coach of the Warriors, you take blue collar kids, teach them the value of hard work, and pump them full of confidence. And you have been successful, too — winning more than 300 dual meets and scores of conference, sectional, and regional titles. Early this year, you received the Jim Thom Award from the Indiana High School Wrestling Hall of Fame for your contributions to the sport and to the success of your student-athletes.

James A. Wadkins, Wabash often heralds its esteemed doctors, lawyers, and CEOs, but few alumni stand as tall and proud as you. You honor Wabash’s founding mission of educating teachers by putting yourself on the front line each and every day — raising expectations, inspiring hard work, and changing lives. For your achievements as a champion wrestler and grand champion coach, the National Association of Wabash Men is proud to induct you into the Wabash College Athletics Hall of Fame. Some Little Giant!