The Henson Collection Donated to the Montfort & Allie B. Jones Memorial Library Bristow, Oklahoma by Josiah Henson and Family The Montfort & Allie B. Jones Memorial Library is very proud to be the recipient of the Henson collection.  The Henson family wants the collection to be used for the encouragement and education of wrestlers in Bristow and the surrounding communities and for "sport education" in general.  The Henson collection consists of posters, medals, statues, books, badges and pins from Olympic games as well as various wrestling events around the world.  Included in the collection is a variety of sports books and information as well as extensive wrestling books, manuals and programs, both current and of historical value.  The collection is a "changing" collection as the Henson family continues to make additions. Captain Josiah Henson, U.S. Navy (retired), was born in 1922 on West 10th Street in Bristow.  After starting grade school in Bristow, his family moved to Tulsa where he wrestled under Art Griffith.  He graduated from Tulsa Central High School and the U.S. Naval Academy.  His brother, Dr. Stanley W. Henson, Jr., MD is also a very successful wrestler - three-time NCAA champion from Oklahoma A&M in 1937, 1938, 1939 and the first ever underclassman to win the Outstanding Wrestler Award.  He is featured with Josiah in the Henson room. Josiah had a very successful collegiate career at the Naval Academy where he captained the wrestling team in his senior year.  He trained for the 1952 Olympic Games while a military member of the Naval Academy Faculty, 1950-1952.  He won the Olympic Trials at 136.5 lbs. and eventually won an Olympic bronze medal in 1952 at Helsinki, Finland.  His sons, Jeff and Josh, enjoyed successful wrestling careers at the University of Michigan and Harvard respectively. Mr. Henson remains very active in many capacities, especially those involving sports.  He is currently Vice-President of the World Taekwondo Federation.  In 1969 he began BRUTE, a company that makes wrestling equipment and clothing and which today is probably the most recognized name in wrestling clothing.  He has been President of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and his wife, Gloria, is AAU Chairman of Aerobic Sports and supervises the Annual Aerobic Dance Championships.  Josiah has served as member and president of the Olympic Wrestling Committee and as judge and referee for numerous Olympic team trials and tournaments.  The Henson Collection officially opened on May 12, 1999.  Honored guests attending the opening were John Smith, Head Wrestling Coach at OSU, Pat Smith, Assistant Wrestling Coach at OSU and John Purnell, President, BRUTE.  Many family members and wrestlers also attended. The Henson room contains the program of the opening as well as a signed guest book and a letter from the United States Olympic Committee congratulating Mr. Henson for his donation. POSTERS Spirit of the Games, 1996, Atlanta Opening Ceremony. Centennial Olympic Congress, Paris 1994. Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence, Olympic Committee. Fratellanza Ginnastica Savonese, Trofeo Enirco Porro Greco Ramona Wresting.  Teams include: Austria, German Federation, United States, Italy and Sweden. Lo Sport Nella Storia a Nell' Arte. IMS (International Marketing and Creative Services) Studio 6 (Kodak), Exhibition: 26.08 - 05.09. 1994,  The IOC Best of Sport Photographic Contest.  Photo of Sumo wrestler. Mexico 1968 wrestling, IOC 19th. Quebec Olympic Wrestling Federation - Montreal Open, Jan. 12, 1974, Montreal. 1977 National camp, May 22 - Sept. 3.  Featuring John Peterson, 1976 Olympic Gold Medal. VIII Juegos Panamericanos (Pan American Games), Puerto Rico, 1979. Cambo-Sombo, Self-defense without arms.  Sombo means self-defense without arms.  Sombo wrestling originated in the Soviet Union in 1938.  In 1968 it became the third style of wrestling governed by FILA.  Sombo combines techniques from wrestling and self-defense. Barcelona 1992, Games of the XXV Olympiad (general wrestling). Goodwill Games, 1994, Saint Petersburg, July 23 - Aug. 7. NCAA Division I Championships, Chapel Hill, NC, March 19, 1994.  Featuring Pat Smith, OSU.  First 4 time NCAA Division I champion. Autographed John Solie (artist), "To Joe Henson, All the best to a Helsinki, 1952, teammate - Bob Mathias" ;  Bob Mathias is the gold medal winner of the 1948 and 1952 Decathlon 41er Championnat D'  Europe Senior de Lutte Grecoromaine, Athens, April 15-17, 1994 by Foeldeak. Wrestling, Sport in Art Series.  A Harvey Abrams design, 1997 (general wrestling). Munich, 1972, Olympic Games, Aug. 26 - Sept. 10 (general wrestling). Seoul, 1988, Lute wrestling, Games of the XXIVth Olympiad (general wrestling). Seoul 1988, Games of the XXIVth Olympiad, Seoul 1988. Mexico 1968, Comite Organizador de los Jugos de la XIX Olympiade (gymnast). Share the Spirit, Sydney 2000. Games of the XXV Olympiad, Barcelona, 1992. XIII Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid, NY, 1980. Cape Town, 2004 Candidate City. Executive Committee for the Candidacy of Athens for the 1996 Olympic Games. Games of the XXIVth Olympiad, Seoul 1988, Sept. 17 - Oct. 2. Games of the XXV Olympiad, Barcelona, 1992 (official logo). IX Pan American Sports Games, Caracas, August, 1983. Montreal 1976. Official Emblem for the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad in Seoul, 1988. Poster by Dave Taylor (track and field, pre WWII) Poster by John Solie (Women's Speed Skating, 2 Gold, 500 M). Poster by Robert Gunn (Berlin, 1936, Jesse Owens). Poster by Robert Gunn (boxer, Gold medalist, Leon Spinx). Poster by Wes Kendall (Women's relay, track and field, 2 Gold). The US Olympic Team 1976 (contributions). XIII Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid, NY 1980. Seoul 1988, Games of the XXIVth Olympiad (pictograms). Seoul 1988, Games of the XXIVth Olympiad (face). IX Paralympic Games, Barcelona 1992, 3-14 Sept. STATUARY Oxalic statues, 2 small, 1 large Bronze Durastone wrestlers, double life size copy of the original from the Ufitzi Gallery, Florence. Sumo Wrestlers, Hakata of Japan. Herend statue, Herend of Hungary. Fighter statue by Thomas Holland, limited edition.   This page is still under construction. Photos & additional info coming soon!