Hall of Fame
For the four years he was at Macalester College, William C. Snyder was a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wrestling champion. During that time he helped make Macalester's wrestling team number one in the state. Snyder captained the team in 1948,and in 1950, when the team didn't have a coach. He stepped in to co-coach the team with Bob Stark. Snyder, whose top weight in college was 136 pounds, was known as a machinelike wrestler with a penchant for excellence on the mat. He finished his career with 100 wins, 2 ties, and 1 loss.
Snyder, who was class president in his sophomore year, graduated with a B.A. in mathematics. He attended graduate school for one year, planning to become a teacher. That year he was an intern at Central High School in Saint Paul, and he carried his love of wrestling into the Saint Paul school system. He staged the city's first-ever interscholastic wrestling tournament. Central won the city championship, and Snyder was credited with introducing wrestling as a league sport.
From 1951 until 1956 Snyder served in the U.S. Navy. He continued in the Navy Reserves until January 1988, when he retired with the rank of captain.
Snyder also pursued a civilian career as a corporate executive in the apparel industry. In a career spanning 20 years he worked for Koret of California, White Stag, Alex Colman, and Cole of California. Five years ago he started his own executive search firm, Bill Snyder Associates, specializing in executive recruitment for the apparel industry.
Snyder is married to Jean Barnard (class of 1953). The two, who will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in June, have three children, Steve, Susan, and Scott.
