University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Jim Baier
Jim Baier was a NAIA All-American running back for the Falcons in 1966. He played football from 1963-66. At the time of his induction he had the records for yards rushing in a single game, 370, most touchdowns scored in a single season, 17, most points in a season, 102, most touchdowns in a game, 4, most yards rushing in a single season (1,585) and he held the record for conference career rushing yardage, 3,154 yards. He set a school record when he rushed for 370 yards in a game against Stevens Point in 1966. That was also a NAIA single game national rushing record at the time. He had one carry for 95 yards in the contest. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1966. Baier was inducted into the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame in 1980 and his jersey number, 33, was retired at UWF in 2009.

Newman Benson
Newman Benson was a forward on four consecutive conference basketball championship teams from 1946-50 and three state championship teams. He was named to the All-Conference team in 1949 and 1950. At the time of induction he was the eighth leading scorer on the all-time scoring list at the university with 1,118 points. Besides being an excellent basketball player, Benson also played varsity baseball for four years as a shortstop. He won eight varsity letters in the two sports. In 1967, after earning a master's degree from the University of Indiana and coaching at Wisconsin high schools in Hayward, Whitehall, and Chippewa Falls, Benson returned to River Falls to teach in the Physical Education Department and coach.

Lowell "Red" Dawson
Lowell "Red" Dawson quarterbacked the Falcons to three straight conference and state championships in 1925-25-26. He also played basketball at River Falls for three seasons. He quarterbacked Tulane University three years and was named an All-Southern Conference player for two years and an Honorable Mention All-American for one season. He quarterbacked Tulane in a 21-12 loss to Southern California in the 1932 Rose Bowl. Dawson was a football coach and teacher at Robbinsdale, Minn., High School and served as an assistant to Bernie Bierman from 1932-36 at the University of Minnesota. He was head football coach at Tulane from 1937-42 and returned to coach at Minnesota from 1942-45. From 1946-48, he was the first head coach of the Buffalo Bills in the then new All-American Professional Football League. He assisted Biggie Munn at Michigan State University in football for a season and was the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1951-54.

Nate DeLong
Nate DeLong played basketball and football at River Falls, he lettered in basketball in 1944, and 1947-50 and in football in 1946-49. In 1950, he led the nation in scoring with 861 points on the basketball court. At the time of induction DeLong held the career scoring record at UW-River Falls with 2,572 points. DeLong helped the Falcons to four straight conference basketball championships and three state championships. He also played in the National Basketball Tourney for three years and held the single game scoring record of 57 points for 27 years. After leaving River Falls, he coached at Keneland Community Schools, Elburn, Ill. and at Durand.

Walter Herkal
Walter Herkal earned 12 letters in basketball, football and baseball at River Falls. He was a member of the state and conference championships basketball team in 1937. He was All-Conference in basketball all four years he participated, and was the state's leading scorer for three years. He was at one time, captain of all three teams. Herkal has coached basketball and football at New Richmond High School and came out of the U. S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. He has been a member of the Shrine Club of Minneapolis, Minn., a member of the Chamber of Commerce at Van Nuys, Cal., a member of the Kiwanis Club in Billings, Mont., and has helped coach many football, basketball, and baseball youth teams.

Larry Julien
Larry Julien played football and wrestled at River Falls. In wrestling, he was a Wisconsin AAU champion in 1959 and was the conference champion in 1959, 60 and 61, and was a runner up in 1962. Julien was the runner up in his weight division in the NAIA National Tourney in 1961, making him the first All-American wrestler at UW-River Falls. In 1962 he was named to the All-Conference football team.

Dr. R. A. Karges
Dr. R. A. Karges was one of the most avid sports fans ever at the university. He taught chemistry at UW-River Falls from 1908-1952. He also coached basketball at the university and was the faculty representative to the Wisconsin State Normal School Conference when it was organized in 1912 and he served until his retirement. The UW-River Falls Physical Education building was named in his honor and dedicated in 1960.

Roger Kuss
Roger Kuss scored 1,814 points in his three-year basketball career at River Falls, making him the second leading scorer in the sport, at the time of induction. In 1953, Kuss was named the Helms All-American Player of the Year. That year, he set a Wisconsin State University Conference record, he scored 57 points in a single game. He led the conference in scoring that year with 500 points, an average of 41.6 points a game. He was also named the Player of the Year in the conference. Kuss was named to the All-Conference team three years and he captained the Falcons in his final two years. Kuss not only made his mark in the university's record book, but he has received national recognition. He is a member of the NAIA National Hall of Fame and he was a charter member of the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame.

Gerald "Bud" Manion
Gerald "Bud" Manion competed in football, basketball, and baseball at River Falls. He was a three-year letterman in football and he helped the Falcons win the conference championship in 1926. He was named to the All-Conference team in 1927 and 1928 and was the captain of his team in 1928. In basketball, Manion also earned three letters and was an All-Conference selection in 1929. He helped the Falcons win two conference championships in 1927 and 1929. He also earned three letters in baseball. Manion coached at Algoma High School where he was the head football and baseball coach and he assisted in basketball. He also coached the same sports at River Falls High School plus golf. Manion returned to UW-River Falls and was head coach in football, basketball and baseball besides serving as athletic director from 1942-45. His basketball coaching record was 25-24 and his football record was 8-6. He was very instrumental in keeping athletic teams at the university alive during World War II. In 1967 Manion was named "Outstanding Civic Leader of America". He was active in the automotive business from 1945 until his retirement in 1973.

Archie Morrow
Archie Morrow played on the conference championship Falcons basketball teams in 1916, 17, and 1920. He also played on the Falcon conference championship football teams in 1915 and 16. He was All-Conference in both sports for four years. After graduation, he coached all sports at Grayling, Mich., High School for a year and then coached all sports at Madison East High School from 1922-23. Morrow was an official in basketball, football, and track for over 50 years in Wisconsin. He also officiated athletic contests in the Big 10 Conference for 26 years and worked in the 1955 Rose Bowl plus several other Bowl games. Morrow, who graduated from River Falls High School in 1915 also served in the 32nd Division in World War I.

Dr. Walter Paulson
Dr. Walter Paulson was the center on three Falcons championship football teams in 1924-25-26. He was the captain of the 1926 teams and was selected as an All-State player. He was also a pitcher on the Falcons baseball team the same years. Paulson has coached football and basketball at Ellsworth High School. Paulson served as an obstetrician from 1935-74 at the Middlefort Clinic in Eau Claire and he was the Chief of Staff at Luther Hospital in Ear Claire from 1936-52. He served on the Eau Claire YMCA board of directors for 12 years and he was the president for four years.

George Schlaugenhauf
George Schlaugenhauf coached the Falcons to four state conference basketball championships from 1947-50 and he coached the 1950 football team to the state conference championship. Schlaugenhauf's basketball coaching record at River Falls was 86-56 and his football coaching record was 22-18-8, in six seasons.

John Steffen
John Steffen was awarded 11 letters in football, basketball and baseball at River Falls and was named to the All-Conference football team in 1955. In 1956, he was voted the Most Valuable Football Player at the University. His senior year, he was one of the team's captains.

Bert Swenson
Bert Swenson was the University's first athletic director and served at the post from 1912-18. He was also the first president of the Wisconsin State Normal School Conference. Besides being athletic director, Swenson coached the Falcons to two football conference championships, in 1915 and 1916 and he coached the Falcons to conference basketball championships in 1916 and 1917. His football record at UW-River Falls was 39-14-6.

Merton Wulf
Mertun Wulf earned 12 letters at the University, four each in football, basketball and baseball. He was named to the All-Conference team as an end for three years, 1935-37 and he was the captain of the 1935 team. Wulf helped lead the Falcons to a conference basketball championship in 1936. He was also a student-coach of the 1938 state championship football team. Wulf has since coached football, basketball, baseball and golf at high schools in Centuria, Hawkins, Prescott, West Bend and Lancaster. At. Lancaster he coached football where his teams won many conference championships. His golf team also won many championships. Wulf was also athletic director at Lancaster from 1964-75. He retired from teaching in June 1977. Wulf has served as president of the Lancaster Commercial Club in 1965 and as president of the Lancaster Educational Association in 1964. In 1959, he was the chairman of the Conference High School March Festival.