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.
Jim Chalin
Basketball
Inducted: 2004
One of the purest outside shooters in the history of Gustavus basketball, Jim Chalin finished his career making 47 percent of his shots, most of which came from long range. The 5'10" guard from St. James, Minn., averaged 10.5 points per game in his career. However, Chalin did most of his scoring in his junior and senior seasons. During Jim's junior season, he averaged 10.4 points per game to help the Gusties finish as co-champions of the MIAC with a record of 13-5. Chalin's senior season turned out to be the finest of his career as he averaged 14.5 points per game. Gustavus finished second in league play but went on to win the NAIA District 13 title and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, finishing with an overall record of 19-11. In the NAIA district championship game, Gustavus defeated Augsburg 64-60 in overtime as Chalin scoredd 22 points in the second half, including the only 4 points of the overtime. At the end of the season, Jim recveived MIAC Most Valuable Player honors as well as being named First Team All-District.
After graduating in 1976 with a major in business, Chalin began his career in accounting and finance. He started as an accountant with Green Giant Corporation in LeSueur, Minn. After Pillsbury purchased Green Giant, Jim worked his way up the ladder with Pillsbury, working in the accounting and finance divisions. He spent time in Miami, Fla., and Lafayette, Ind. Chalin left Pillsbury to join Northrup-King. Jim is currently the controller for a division of Thermo Electron Corporation in Coon Rapids, Minn. He and his wife, Janet, live in Minneapolis with their two sons, Michael (14) and Jacob (6).