May 17, 1997

1997 USC Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet

LOS ANGELES -- Twenty-one Trojan luminaries were inducted into the third class of USC's Athletic Hall of Fame at a gala black tie induction dinner today at Heritage Hall on campus. A reception began at 6 p.m., followed a 7 p.m. dinner.

The event was emceed by Frank Gifford of ABC-TV, the former USC All American and NFL star footballer who is a member of the USC Athletic Hall of Fame 1994 charter class.

Alphabetically, the 1997 inductees were: Johnny Baker, Ricky Bell, Raymond "Tay" Brown, Peter Daland, Charlie Dumas, Arnold Eddy, Ron Fairly, Mort Kaer, Allan Malamud, Ron Mix, Jess Mortensen, John Naber, Alex Olmedo, Nick Pappas, Aaron Rosenberg, Ambrose Schindler, Bob Seagren, Scott Simpson, Ernie Smith, Paul Westphal, and Ron Yary.

Baker, Bell, Brown, Eddy, Kaer, Malamud, Mortensen, Rosenberg, and Smith are deceased. All other inductees were in attendance.

Eddy and Pappas received a Spirit Award, while Malamud was honored for his contributions as a sportswriter to college athletics in Los Angeles.

"This is an exceptional group of Trojan greats," said USC athletic director Mike Garrett, who is a member of the inaugural USC Athletic Hall of Fame class. "All have played a key role in USC's outstanding athletic history. They'll join our first two classes of Hall of Famers to form a real Who's Who in USC sports."

The Hall of Famers are selected by a 52-member voting panel consisting of media and USC alumni and athletic department supporters. To be eligible for election, athletes must have completed their last season of eligibility at USC 10 years ago.

The 1997 inductees, who will have commemorative plaques installed at Heritage Hall, join the 16 inaugural inductees (Jon Arnett, Clarence "Buster" Crabbe, Rod Dedeaux, Braven Dyer, Mike Garrett, Al Geiberger, Frank Gifford, Marv Goux, Howard Jones, Fred Lynn, John McKay, Parry O'Brien, Bill Sharman, O.J. Simpson, Stan Smith and Norman Topping) and the 24 members of the 1995 second class (Marcus Allen, Dean Cromwell, Morley Drury, John Ferraro, Mal Florence, Jess Hill, Julie Kohl, Ronnie Lott, Marlin McKeever, Mike McKeever, Cheryl Miller, Orv Mohler, Charles Paddock, Mel Patton, Giles Pellerin, Erny Pinckert, Dennis Ralston, Roy Saari, Tom Seaver, Gus Shaver, Dave Stockton, Brice Taylor, Irvine "Cotton" Warburton, and Charles White).

Biographies of Hall of Famers

Baker: Johnny Baker provided one of the most dramatic moments in the early era of USC football. He kicked a 33-yard field goal with 1:00 remaining in the game to give USC a 16-14 victory at Notre Dame in 1931 (Troy's first-ever win in South Bend), snapping the Irish's 26-game unbeaten streak and propelling the Trojans to the national championship. Upon their return to Los Angeles, USC was greeted by a crowd of several hundred thousand Angelinos in a downtown tickertape parade. Baker, a 3 year letterman (1929-31) who played on 2 victorious Rose Bowl teams (1929 and 1931), also was a highly-regarded guard who earned All-American first team honors as a 1931 senior. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. He went on to be a head football coach collegiately at Iowa State, Omaha, Denver and Sacramento State (he also served as Sacramento State's athletic director). He died in 1979 at age 72.

Bell: A 2-time (1975-76) All-American first team tailback, Ricky Bell was the runner-up for the 1976 Heisman Trophy. A 4-year letterman (1973-76) who came to USC as a linebacker, Bell--known for his punishing running style--ran for 3,689 yards in his career (still No. 4 on Troy's all-time list). He led the nation in rushing with 1,957 yards as a 1975 junior and he set a USC single game record with 347 yards against Washington State in 1976. He played on 3 Rose Bowl teams, was on USC's 1974 national champions (and the 1976 team which was ranked No. 2) and captained the 1976 squad. After being the No. 1 pick in the 1977 NFL draft (selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Bell played 6 years in the NFL with the Bucs and the San Diego Chargers. He died at the age of 29 in 1984 of a rare muscular disease of the heart.

Brown: Raymond "Tay" Brown was an All-American first team tackle in 1932 and starred on USC's 1931 and 1932 national championship squads which won a pair of Rose Bowls. He captained the 1932 team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. Brown went on to a successful coaching career, first as an assistant at Cincinnati and then at Compton (Calif.) College for 17 years, where he posted a 140-33-9 record while winning 5 national championships and appearing in 4 Junior Rose Bowls (winning 3). He also was the athletic director at Compton College. He died in 1994 at age 82.

Daland: Regarded as one of the greatest college and international swim coaches ever, Peter Daland guided the USC men's swimming team to 9 NCAA team championships (and 11 runner-up finishes) during his 35-year (1958-92) Trojan career. Under Daland, USC also won 17 league crowns and posted a 318-31-1 (.917) dual meet record. A 6-time national Coach of the Year, his swimmers captured 93 NCAA individual and relay titles. He coached the U.S. men in the 1972 Olympics and the U.S. women in the 1964 Games. Before coming to USC, Daland was a successful prep and club coach, guiding the Los Angeles Athletic Club to a pair of AAU outdoor championships. He founded Swimming World magazine.

Dumas: Charlie Dumas will forever be known as the first human to clear 7 feet in the high jump, which he did as a Compton (Calif.) College athlete at the 1956 Olympic Trials in the Coliseum. He went on to win the gold medal in that event at the 1956 Olympics. He then enrolled at USC, where he lettered for 3 seasons (1958-60) and helped Troy to the 1958 NCAA title (the Trojans placed second in 1960). He captained the 1960 squad and also participated in the 1960 Olympics, finishing sixth while hampered by a knee injury. From 1955 to 1959, he was ranked among the Top 3 in the world in the high jump (twice No. 1). He was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1990. After retiring from competition, Dumas taught and coached at the high school level in Los Angeles.

Eddy: Arnold Eddy, considered to be one of the most loyal Trojans and among the most respected USC athletic and university administrators ever, served the USC athletic department in a variety of capacities in the 1930s and 1940s. Among his positions were graduate manager, ice hockey coach (1930s and 1940s), tennis coach (1943), business manager and athletic director (early 1940s). His 1941 Trojan ice hockey team won the national championship. He also was a member of the Coliseum Commission and helped run the Coliseum for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He was the executive secretary of the Southern California chapter of the Amateur Athletic Union from 1925 to 1945. He then became the director of USC's alumni association from 1945 to 1960, founding several alumni support groups and the David X. Marks Foundation (which helps provide funds for athletic scholarships). After he left USC, he was involved with the Al Malaikah Shrine Temple and the Catalina Island Boys and Girls Camps, and he was a director of California Federal Savings. He died in 1992 at age 88.

Fairly: Ron Fairly played varsity baseball only 1 season at USC (1958), but made the most of it. He hit .348 with team highs of 9 home runs and 67 RBIs while lettering as a sophomore center fielder on the 1958 Trojan baseball team which won USC's second College World Series championship. He was an All-District 8 selection that season. Fairly went from USC to the major leagues (after 2 brief minor league stops), where he played 21 years in 3 decades (1958-78) with the Dodgers (for the first 12 years), Expos, Cardinals, A's, Blue Jays and Angels. He played in 4 World Series with the Dodgers. In his 2,442-game pro career, he hit .266 with 1,913 hits, 931 RBI and 215 home runs. Fairly is a radio and television baseball commentator.

Kaer: Mort Kaer, one of USC's first great running backs, was Troy's second football All-American. He earned All-American first team honors in 1926. He led the Trojans in rushing and scoring in 1925 and 1926 (he was the nation's leading scorer in 1925 and set a USC career scoring mark that stood until 1971). He still ranks 21st on USC's career rushing list with 1,588 yards. His 183 yards against California in 1926 established a USC single game rushing record. A 3-year letterman (1924-26), USC went 28-6 during his career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972. He played professionally with the Philadelphia Frankford Yellow-Jackets (later the Eagles) in 1931. He also lettered in track at USC in 1926 and placed fifth in the pentathlon at the 1924 Olympics. He died in 1991 at age 88.

Malamud: Allan Malamud, whose "Notes On A Scorecard" column was required reading for L.A. sports fans, was one of Southern California's most popular, hardest working and talented sportswriters. He was a friend of athletes, coaches, journalists and fans alike. He was a fixture at local sporting events, particularly those of his beloved Trojans. A 1963 USC graduate who was sports editor of the Daily Trojan, he worked for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner from 1964 until it folded in 1989 (he started his "Notes" column in 1974), then moved over to the Los Angeles Times. Malamud also was a friend of producers and actors. He even made a name for himself in Hollywood, appearing in bit parts in 15 films. Fittingly, the last sporting event he attended was USC's 1996 home game against Oregon State. He died 2 days later. He was 54.

Mix: One of USC's great offensive tackles, Ron Mix earned All-American first team honors in 1959. He lettered for 3 seasons (1957-59) and captained the 1959 Trojans. He was known as one of the strongest and smartest offensive linemen of his time. A first round pro draft pick, he then starred professionally for 11 years, mostly with the Chargers (1960-69), then with the Raiders (1971). He was a member of the Chargers' 1963 AFL championship squad. In 1979, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, one of the first AFL players so honored. He was inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. After his playing career, he became a lawyer.

Mortensen: Jess Mortensen was that rare combination of outstanding athlete and legendary coach...in a variety of sports all at the same school. He was a 3-sport USC letterman in football (1928-29), basketball (1928-30) and track (1928-30). He won the 1929 NCAA javelin title and set a world record in the decathlon in 1931, earned All-American honors in basketball in 1930, and was a member of the 1928 national championship Trojan football team and played in the 1930 Rose Bowl. After a 14-year coaching stint at Riverside Junior College, he returned to become coach of the Trojan track and field team in 1951. He led Troy to 7 NCAA titles in his 11 years (1951-61). His teams never lost a dual meet (64-0) and never finished worst than second in the conference meet. He was an assistant U.S. men's coach in the 1956 Olympics. He also served as an assistant football coach at USC from 1951 to 1955. He coached track at Denver and West Point, too. He died in 1962 at age 54.

Naber: John Naber is USC's most highly-decorated swimmer. He won 10 NCAA individual titles (second most in collegiate history) as a backstroker, freestyler and relay team member. USC won 4 NCAA team championships during his career. He also was the swimming star of the 1976 Olympics, taking home 4 gold medals and a silver while setting 4 world records. He won the 1977 Sullivan Award as America's top amateur athlete. He was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984. Naber, also an outstanding student, was the recipient of an NCAA Today's Top Six Award in 1977. He now is a motivational speaker and television commentator.

Olmedo: Alex Olmedo was a 2-time NCAA champion in singles and doubles, claiming both titles in 1956 and again in 1958. The 3-time USC letterman (1956-58) then went on to a successful professional career, including winning 3 Grand Slam titles (the Wimbledon and Australian singles in 1959 and the 1958 U.S. Open doubles). He also was the runnerup in singles in the 1959 U.S. Open. Born in Peru, he played for the 1958 U.S. Davis Cup champions. He is a member of the Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He has been the head pro at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 30 years.

Pappas: Perhaps nobody has had a longer or more valued association with USC athletics than Nick Pappas, known as "Mr. Trojan." He has served as a player, coach and athletic department administrator at Troy for 44 years. A 3-year (1935-37) tailback for coach Howard Jones' Trojans (he led the squad in rushing in 1935), Pappas played professionally with the Hollywood Bears in 1938 and 1939. He returned to Troy to coaching the freshmen teams in 1939 and 1940. He scouted for pro teams for 6 seasons and for USC for 2 years, then was a Trojan assistant varsity football coach from 1953 to 1956 under Jess Hill. After that, he built USC's Trojan Club booster group into the most successful organization of its type in the nation. He rose to the position of associate athletic director in charge of athletic development. Although he retired from his fulltime position in 1981, he remains active in the department, working on the endowment fund through wills and estates.

Rosenberg: Aaron Rosenberg, a 2-time (1932-33) All-American first teamer, was a devastating blocker as a pulling guard in Howard Jones' single wing system. He lettered 3 seasons (1931-33) while Troy compiled a 30-2-1 record, winning a pair of national championships (1931 and 1932) and Rose Bowls. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966. Rosenberg went on to be a noted television and movie producer and director. He died in 1979 at age 67.

Schindler: A 3-time (1936-37 and 1939) letterman tailback, Ambrose "Amblin' Amby" Schindler led USC to a victory in the 1940 Rose Bowl over Tennessee, 14-0 (it was the Vols' first loss in 24 games and the only points scored on Tennessee all season). He ran for a TD and threw for the other one in that game. Schindler topped Troy in rushing, scoring and total offense in 1937. He went on to teach at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif.

Seagren: Bob Seagren was one of the world's greatest pole vaulters, setting 15 world records and winning a gold medal (1968) and a silver (1972). A 3-time (1967 69) letterman at USC and the captain of the 1969 Trojans, he led USC to a pair of NCAA outdoor team titles (1967-68) and the 1967 NCAA indoor crown. He won the NCAA pole vault title 3 times, twice outdoors (1967 and 1969) and once indoors (1967). He is a member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. He also gained famed by winning ABC-TV's Superstars competition. He then went on to be a model, actor and television host, as well as a businessman.

Simpson: Scott Simpson is the only Trojan golfer to win a pair of NCAA individual championships, which he did in 1976 and 1977 (only seven collegiate golfers in history have been repeat winners). A 2-time All-American first teamer and Pac-10 Golfer of the Year (1976-77), he won the 1977 Haskins Award as college golf's top player. He then went on to compete on the U.S. Walker Cup team in 1977, beginning an outstanding pro career which includes 6 PGA tour victories and nearly $5 million in earnings. In 1987, he won the U.S. Open and was on the Ryder Cup team.

Smith: Ernie Smith, one of the top tackles of his era, earned 1932 All-American first team honors. The 3-time (1930-32) letterman played on a pair of national championship and Rose Bowl-winning teams (1931 and 1932). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970. Besides his talent on the football field, he also played trombone in the Trojan band (he continued to play in public throughout his life). Smith, who coached the Trojan freshman footballers in 1933 and 1934, played professionally with the Packers for 4 seasons (1935-37, 1939). He then had a successful life insurance business. He died in 1985 at age 75.

Westphal: Paul Westphal was a key member of the 1971 USC men's basketball team which posted a 24-2 record, a school mark for wins and winning percentage. The next year, he was an All-American first team guard and team captain. A 3-time letterman (1970-72) who averaged 16.9 points a game in his career, he led the Trojans in scoring in 1972 with a 20.3 average. The 10th pick of the 1972 draft, he starred in the NBA with the Celtics (including the 1974 NBA champions), Suns, SuperSonics and Knicks. He scored 12,397 points during his 12-year NBA career and was a 5-time NBA All-Star. He was the NBA Comeback Player of the Year in 1983. He then began his coaching career, first at several small colleges (his 1988 Grand Canyon College team won the NAIA national championship), then as an NBA assistant with the Suns. He was the Suns' head coach for 4 seasons (1993-96), guiding the 1993 club to the NBA Finals.

Yary: Ron Yary, who set the standard for the modern-era offensive tackles at USC and professionally, is the only Trojan Outland Trophy winner (he did so in 1967). He was a 3-time letterman (1965-67) who earned All-American first team honors twice (1966 and 1967). Blocking for tailback O.J. Simpson, Yary helped lead USC to the 1967 national championship. He played in Rose Bowls as a junior and senior. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. He was the No. 1 pick of the 1968 NFL draft and then starred 14 seasons (1968-81) with the Minnesota Vikings (he also was with the Rams in 1982). He was a 6-time NFL All-Pro and appeared in 4 Super Bowls with the Vikings. He currently owns sports photography and publishing businesses.