Frank S. Bissell

For other people named Frank Bissell, see Frank Bissell (disambiguation).

Frank Semple Bissell (22 February 1913 – 9 September 2012) was an American wrestler and wrestling coach.

Bissell was born in Pittsburgh[1] and was raised in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts[2] and graduated from The Hill School in 1933. At Michigan, he was a National AAU Champion in 1936, and Big Ten Champion in 1937. He competed at the U.S. trials for the 1948 Summer Olympics.[3]

Bissell served as head wrestling coach at The Hill School from 1947 to 1973, where he amassed a career record of 243-66-5 and guided the wrestling team to 17 Prep National Championships. He retired from coaching in 1973.[4] During his tenure, 44 wrestlers claimed individual national championships.[5]

He married Eleanor Reynolds Merrick in 1937.[6][2]

He is the grandfather to indie filmmaker Maria Bissell.

He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. He died in September 2012, aged 99.[7]

  1. ^ Pennsylvania, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1906–1914
  2. ^ a b "Frank Bissell to be Pinned by Dan Cupid". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press. 7 January 1937. p. 18. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  3. ^ "The Hill's Wrestling Coach Enters Olympic Tryouts". The Mercury. 8 April 1948. p. 23. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  4. ^ "2 Masters to End Hill School Careers". The Mercury. Pottstown, Pennsylvania. 9 May 1973. p. 11. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  5. ^ "The Hill School Athletics Hall of Fame Founders Hall". Archived from the original on 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
  6. ^ "Eleanor Reynolds Merrick and Frank Semple Bissell Married in Cavalry". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 12 January 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  7. ^ U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014