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 Springer
Basketball
Inducted: 1987
The 1950s are remembered as the golden years of Gustavus basketball, and Jim Springer was quite literally at the center of those years. Jim, a Minneapolis native, arrived at Gustavus in 1952 and began establishing himself as the team's dominant frontline man during his fresh-nan year. Although Jim's height of 6-8 is considered only average by today's basketball standards, in the mid-1950s it was a towering advantage. Jim used that advantage to lead the Gusties to MIAC conference championships and NAIA tournament appearances in 1954, 1955 and 1956.
He was also selected starting center of the MIAC all-conference team for each of those years and still ranks as one of the top five scorers in Gustavus history, with 1662 points accumulated over his four-year career.
A member of the Omega Kappa fraternity and a business major during his years at Gustavus, Jim has since established himself in Roanoke, Virginia, where he is owner and president of Blue Ridge Memorial Park, Inc. He is the father of three children: James D.. 25; and twins Steven and Sara, 21.