Yakima Valley College Athletics

A native of Tieton, Rademacher made boxing history by fighting for the world heavyweight boxing title in his first professional bout.  On August 22, 1957, at Sicks' Stadium in Seattle, Pete floored Floyd Patterson in the second round.  The champion came off the canvas to score a technical knockout over Pete in the sixth round.

Rademacher followed that fight with a 17-6 record during his professional career which closed in 1962 on a winning note.  During his amateur career, he won 72 of 79 fights.  In the 1956 Olympic year, he won 30 of 32 fights and captured an Olympic gold medal at Melbourne, Australia with three knockouts, including a first-round two-minute KO of Russian heavyweight Lev Mouhkine in the title bout.

Rademacher was a football lineman for Washington State University in 1950 and 1951.  He graduated from that institution with a degree in Animal Husbandry.

Pete attended Yakima Valley College in 1948-1950 and was a two-year letterman in football and baseball.  He was an offensive end and tackle in football and a catcher/outfielder in baseball.  He also boxed Golden Gloves in Yakima, Seattle, and Tacoma while attending YVC.  In 1948-1949 he was named YVC Athlete of the Year.  He was inducted into the NWAC Hall of Fame in 1991.