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.
Mark Pfundstein
Football
Inducted: 1996
Considered to be one of the finest passing quarterbacks in Gustavus football history, Mark Pfundstein amassed 3,214 yards in the air, in an era when the running game was the primary offensive scheme in college football.
Known as an extremely intense competitor with a great ability to read defenses, Pfundstein moved into the starting lineup in the final game of his freshman season and started every game in the final three years of his college career. Mark turned in one of the more memorable performances in Gustavus football history against St. Olaf in 1974 as he completed 23 of 38 passes for 302 yards including a 94-yard touchdown strike to Otto Naujokas in the final minute of play to give the Gusties a 21-20 Homecoming victory.
Pfundstein's name is still very prominent in the football record books as he holds the school record for yards passing in a season with 1,853 and he ranks fourth all-time in career yards passing with 3,214.
After graduating with a major in business, Pfundstein joined the Navy where he went on to graduate first in his jet training class. In over eight years as a fighter pilot, Pfundstein made approximately 350 carrier landings. His last active duty was as a Top Gun instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School.
For the last eight years he has been a civilian employee of the Office of Naval Intelligence and is currently the senior intelligence officer at the Center For Naval Analyses. Mark and his wife, Gwen, have two children, David and Sarah.