Cochrane “Corky” Chase ’54 wrestled for Wesleyan throughout his time on campus. During four years of dual matches, he was undefeated.
Corky had won the Illinois state wrestling title in high school, and he quickly achieved success on the collegiate level. New England Freshman Champion in wrestling in 1951, Corky also held the New England Championships at 177 pounds in 1952, 1953, and 1954 and served as captain of the team. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 1953 New England Championships and qualified for the national NCAA Wrestling Championship Tournament.
While compiling this stunning record, Corky also played on the Cardinal football team, where he won two varsity letters. A center and defensive lineman, he was described as “quick and tenacious.” Corky excelled at academics as well. He won honors as a history major and gained induction into Phi Beta Kappa. He also was a member of Psi Upsilon and Skull and Serpent.
After graduation, Corky served for two years in the U.S. Navy and then spent eight years in the metal supply business. In 1964 he found his true calling in the advertising, marketing, and public relations profession. The firm he founded, noted for its creativity, became one of the 100 largest in the country, and he gathered his insights in a wide-selling book, The Marketing Problem Solver. He has received many professional awards. Not long after Corky’s retirement in 1988, the firm he had founded and led closed. Commented an ad man in another agency, “It’s like losing Chevrolet.”
In 2004 Wesleyan recognized Cochrane Chase with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
