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.
Elaine Spangler
Basketball, Softball, and Volleyball
Inducted: 1999
After transferring to Gustavus from Northeastern University in Massachusetts, Elaine Johnson Spangler became a standout volleyball, basketball, and softball player for three years. Better known to her teammates as "Boston," which is where she grew up, Spangler was an outside hitter on the volleyball team, a center on the basketball team, and an outfielder on the softball team. In volleyball, Spangler was a premier hitter on three highly successful teams. In her senior year she was captain of a team that placed fifth at the state tournament and second at the regional tournament, earning the program's first-ever berth in the national tournament and finishing with a record of 21-7. She finished third on the 1975 team in service aces with 175. In basketball, Spangler was a three-year starter at center. In her senior season, she averaged 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and was selected as the team's most valuable player.
After graduating cum laude with a major in physical education and health, Spangler accepted a position as physical education instructor and coach of volleyball and badminton at Bryn Mawr College where she stayed from 1977 to 1982. After leaving Bryn Mawr she attended Indiana State University and received a master's degree in physical education. Since 1994, Spangler has taught sixth-grade physical education at the Manheim Township School District in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She has also remained active athletically, participating in USVBA volleyball leagues and USTA tennis leagues. Elaine lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Dennis. They have two children, Daniel and Liesel.