Athletic Hall of Fame
The Gustavus Adolphus College Hall of Fame was established in 1978 at which time 19 "Charter Members" were inducted either as coaches or as athletes. As of the fall of 2022, 348 individuals (321 athletes, 16 coaches and 11 benefactors) have been elected to the Hall of Fame.
The former Hall of Fame room on the second floor of the Lund Center was originally partially endowed by the families of both Dwight Holcombe's (the only father/son combination holding membership in the Hall). The hardwood plaque upon which the individual plates are permanently displayed, now in the Hall of Champions, was donated by the family of former football coach and Hall of Fame member Jocko Nelson, who passed away in 1978.
Willie Lindquist
(benefactor)
Inducted: 2002
Willie Lindquist was officially affiliated with Gustavus and its athletics program from 1963 to 1998, but he's been a fixture at the College for nearly 60 years now, first hanging around with his father, Albert, who was the custodian of the College's old gymnasium from 1942 to 1965-and now enjoying just being a fan at College games since his retirement. He was filling in for his father, who was recovering from surgery in early 1963, when Athletics Director Lloyd Hollingsworth convinced him to stay on to fill the new equipment manager position. It would be several more years before Lindquist would talk Holly into producing a written job description, and in those years he would define his own job. His responsibilities included the maintenance, repair, and dispersal of all athletic equipment and the overall care of the athletic facilities-initially Myrum Memorial Fieldhouse and later Lund Center-and he performed his tasks with an amazing work ethic and dedication. In addition, he lined the football, soccer, baseball, softball, and intramural fields-a task that started as a favor for Don Roberts when Roberts was coaching football in the mid-'60s. Along the way, "Willie" became an icon, one of those people everyone knew by a single name. He was an integral part of every Gustie team he was involved with. He treated coaches and players like they were his own family, and they responded in kind.
A lifelong resident of St. Peter, Willie remains one of the College's greatest fans, missing very few home athletics events. Willie, a widower, has a daughter, Angela, three granddaughters, one step-granddaughter, one step-grandson, and five great-grandchildren.