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.
Kevin O'Laughlin
Swimming
Inducted: 2015
The primary catalyst in the men’s swimming teams rise to prominence in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in the late 1990s, Kevin O’Laughlin earned a total of 25 All-Conference awards (11 individual, 14 relays) as a freestyle sprinter during a stellar career from 1996 to 1999. O’Laughlin, who claimed MIAC individual titles in the 50-yard free twice (1997, 1998) and the 200-yard free once (1999) and was a part of five conference champion relay teams, graduated as the program’s all-time record holder for points scored at the MIAC Championships with a total of 207. In addition, O’Laughlin earned All-America honors at the NCAA Championships as a part of the 200 free relay team (that placed eighth) in 1997 and individually, in the 50 free (finishing eighth) in 1999. He also earned honorable mention All-America honors 18 times, in both individual events and relays, as a part of his four appearances at the NCAA Championships. O’Laughlin graduated holding school records in seven different events including the 50 free, the 100 free, the 200 free, the 200 free relay, the 200 medley relay, the 400 free relay, and the 800 free relay.
Since his graduation in 1999 with majors in management and political science, O’Laughlin has worked in the personal financial planning field. He is currently an advisor with GEN Financial Management in Plymouth, Minn. and he has served as both director and board member of the Minnesota Financial Planning Association. He lives in southwest Minneapolis with his wife, Leslie and their children, Quinn and Ryan.