Pittsburgh Jackie Wilson, Leechburg

Leechburg, Pennsylvania is the boyhood home of Jack Benjamin Wilson, better known as Pittsburgh Jackie Wilson, one of the finest featherweight boxers of the nineteen thirties and forties. Born in nineteen oh nine and raised in this western Pennsylvania town, Wilson turned professional in nineteen twenty-nine at the height of boxing's golden age. He climbed steadily through the ranks, known for his speed and technical precision.

In nineteen forty-one he defeated Richie Lemos to claim the National Boxing Association Featherweight World Championship, the highest title in his weight class. His career unfolded during an era when boxing was one of the most popular sports in America, and Pennsylvania produced more than its share of champions. Wilson's story is a piece of Leechburg's fighting heritage.