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.
James Malmquist
Football
Inducted: 1984
Jim "Moose" Malmquist was a three-year starter on three championship football teams who also made his mark on Gustavus as an athletic director and a planner for Gustavus' Lund Center. Moose played fullback for Coach Hollingsworth's offense in his sophomore year, but was switched to defense in his junior year. He called defenses in both 1951 and 1952 and captained the '52 team. He earned honorable mention for the all-conference team in '51 and both all-conference and all-state honors at linebacker as a senior. In his senior year, he was also honored with the college's Langsjoen Medal, given at that time to the senior athlete with the highest grade point average. Malmquist is one of a select few who can boast of never having lost a football game to a conference opponent! He graduated in 1953 after having been selected for the college's Guild of St. Ansgar. He returned to Gustavus in 1957 as hockey coach and an instructor in physical education. A three-year stint as athletic director and head football coach at Texas Lutheran prepared him for similar positions at Augustana College of South Dakota, where he remained for eight years. Before returning to Gustavus again in 1974, he served as head football coach at Bemidji State University for five years. At Gustavus he coached track and assisted with football in addition to serving as athletic director and chairman of the Department of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics. He was also president of the NAIA Athletic Directors Association from 1982-83.