International Volleyball Hall of Fame - Holyoke, Massachusetts USA
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class of 2000

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Harold Wendt

Born: May 4, 1915, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died: May 1, 2000, Elmhurst, Illinois, USA
Enshrined: 2000
Country: United States
Category: Male Indoor Player

BIOGRAPHY

Harold "Whitey" Wendt started playing volley/ball as a boy in Chicago. He played first with Duncan YMCA (1936-1937) and later with North Avenue Larrabee YMCA (1939-1952). His playing position was attacker.

Wendt competed in his first National Championship in 1936, with his Duncan YMCA team, placing third. In 1937, he led Duncan to a National upset victory defeating the favored Houston YMCA team. In 1938, Wendt and many of the Duncan YMCA players moved their base to the North Avenue Larrabee YMCA. Playing with North Avenue Larrabee (NAL), Wendt was named First Team All American in 1940. In 1941 and 1942, NAL won the National Championships, and Wendt was named MVP of both tournaments and First Team All American.

While there were no nationals during World War II, in 1945 the leading pre-war teams played under the banner of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in a USVBA sanctioned tournament. NAL won this first post-war tourney, with Wendt named MVP and First Team All American. In 1946, Wendt was again named First Team All American.

In 1947, NAL won their final National Championship title. Wendt continued to attend the National Championships with NAL from 1949 to 1952 and earned his final First Team All American designation in 1951.

In 1948, in celebration of the Olympic Games in London, Wendt led the U.S. National Team on a goodwill tour of Europe, winning all but one of the matches against the National Teams of France, Italy, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Holland. This achievement inaugurated a new era of international play as the U.S. entered the world arena. Wendt was named MVP of the tour. Later, Wendt was honored with the USVBA All-Time Great Player award in 1962, at which time, he was inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame.

The secret of Wendt's success was a special play called the "windmill," which required making a very high jump and a split second decision to spike the ball down hard. As one of the greatest spikers of his generation, Harold "Whitey" Wendt is being inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in the Players category.

CLASS OF 2000

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Hirofumi Daimatsu
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Inna Ryskal
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Takako Shirai
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Yuri Tchesnokov
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Harold Wendt
male Indoor Player
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International Volleyball ​Hall of Fame
444 Dwight Street
Holyoke, MA  01040  USA
Phone: +1 413.536.0926
Email: [email protected]
Volleyball is the Official Recreational and Team Sport ​of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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  • VB130
  • PLAN YOUR VISIT
    • Hours & Admission
    • BUY MUSEUM TICKETS
    • Group Tours
    • PRIVATE EVENT RENTALS
  • HALL OF FAMERS
    • Inductees
    • Eligibility & Nominations
    • Awards
    • Induction Celebration
  • Events
    • Induction >
      • Induction Celebration
      • Induction Tickets
      • Induction Yearbook
      • 2025 Fan Vote
    • Morgan Classic
    • Girls VolleyHall Classic
    • Boys VolleyHall Classic
    • Girls W. Mass All-Star Showcase
    • Boys W. Mass All-Star Showcase
    • Battle of the Badges
    • IVHF Grass Smash
  • MUSEUM
    • Sand Stories: The Beach Volleyball Experience
    • In The Museum
    • Digital Exhibits >
      • The REAL History of Volleyball
      • William G Morgan - Father of Volleyball
      • Basketball & Volleyball
      • 1922 - First US Championship
  • SUPPORT
    • Memberships
    • VB130 - Volleyball's Global Impact
    • Sand Stories: The Beach Volleyball Experience
    • Donate Today
    • Donor Listing
  • NEWS
  • SHOP
  • About Us
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership & Staff
    • International Media Advisory Council