Wilhelm was an important and long-time figure in Palmerton high school athletics.
Bill Wilhelm from a Palmerton High School yearbook.
When Bill Braucher resigned as coach in January 1938, Bill Wilhelm took over as Palmerton’s football coach. He coached for three years, 7-2 in 1938, 5-4 in 1939, 3-5-1 in 1940 for a total overall record as a football coach of 15-11-1, which was pretty good.
Wilhelm was not only the football coach in 1938, he was also the basketball coach and the track and field coach.
He remained the basketball coach until March 1951. That year, 1950-51, the team was 20-4 and was the Lehigh Valley League champions but lost to Allen in the district playoff. The Morning Call noted that in twelve years, Palmerton had won eight league titles. In 1947-48, the team was undefeated in the regular season and again Lehigh Valley League champions. But the team, led by Bill Milkvy, 1st team All-Pennsylvania, lost to Bethlehem in the District XI finals 61-48 at the Palestra in Philadelphia and finished the season with a record of 21-1.
When Wilhelm began teaching at Palmerton, he also coached the track and field team until retiring after the 1957 season. From scattered records, it looks like Palmerton was the 1951 and then again in 1953 Lehigh Valley League league champions. Over 22 years as track coach, he achieved a record of 72-21 in dual meets.
He was also the Palmerton High School athletic director from 1932 until the close of the school year in June 1971.
In addition to Wilhelm’s work with the high school sports programs, he was the manager of Palmerton’s Memorial Park from May 1947 through August 1962.
Wilhelm retired at the end of the 1970-71 school year. He had taught health and physical education at Palmerton High School for 42 years, and had also coached, football, basketball, track and field and been the athletic director.
Born in Easton in 1906, he was the son of Lewis and Celeste (née Hawk) Wilhelm. After graduating from Easton High School, he then studied at, and received his teaching degree from, East Stroudsburg State College in 1930. (According to his obituary, he also later studied at New York University and Penn State.) In 1934 he married Wilhelmina (Ina) Bell (1908-2007), and they had two children (daughter and son). They were buried in Towamensing cemetery.