The only non-Millersville alumnus elected to the MU Athletic Hall of Fame inaugural class,
Dr. Theodore H. "Ted" Rupp has achieved numerous honors during his long and distinguished academic and athletic career.
The "founding father" of the Millersville wrestling program, Dr. Rupp posted an outstanding 71-18-2 record (.791 winning ratio) in 11 season from 1946 to 1952 and from 1952 to 1958. He guided his Marauder grapplers to State Teacher's College championships in 1949 and 1951, which remain the only conference team crowns won in the program's 50-year history. In addition, his Marauder mat teams were state runner-up four times.
Under Dr. Rupp's leadership, Millersville's first two squads posted undefeated dual meet records (6-0 in 1946-47 and 7-0 in 1947-48). He produced 14 individual champions responsible for 23 state titles, and he also piloted the 'Ville matmen to three Middle Atlantic AAU championships.
A certified PIAA official for more than 50 years, Dr. Rupp is a charter member of the District 3 and Lancaster County Wrestling Officials associations.
Ted has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, including: Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches (1975), PSAC Wrestling Coaches (1983), Franklin & Marshall College (1990), and the Pennsylvania/Susquehanna Valley Chapter (1992). In 1984, he received the prestigious George Kirchner Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to Lancaster County sports. And, in 1999, he received a Lifetime Service Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
At F&M, Dr. Rupp competed in wrestling and track as an undergraduate and also belonged to the school's newspaper, senate, literary society, and English club. He held memberships in Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa honorary fraternity. He graduated with a bachelor's of arts in 1935. He also earned a master's degree from Penn State in 1942 and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1954.
From 1935 to 1944, Dr. Rupp taught English, French, and Spanish at Franklin & Marshall Academy, Solebury School in New Hope, Pa., and Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh. From 1939 to 1942, he coached four consecutive national prep school championship wrestling teams at F&M Academy.
During World War II, Dr. Rupp served his country in the U.S. Navy and was a commissioned officer.
Upon his discharge in 1946, Dr. Rupp began his academic service at Millersville. He was a professor in French and Spanish until 1954; and from 1954 until his retirement in 1979, he served as chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages.
Of note, Dr. Rupp took a sabbatical from Millersville during the 1952-53 academic year to study at the Sorbonne and the University of Montpellier as a Fulbright Scholar.
