The University of Minnesota “M” Club and the University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Department will honor a group of seven outstanding individuals with induction into the University of Minnesota “M” Club Hall of Fame this September, Athletics Department officials announced today.
The 2008 class of the University of Minnesota “M” Club Hall of Fame includes Grant Johnson (basketball, 1937-38), Courtney Kennedy (women’s hockey, 1998-2001), Dave Morrison (men’s track & field/cross country, 1980-85), Aubrey Schmitt (women’s track & field, 1998-2001), Francis Twedell (football, 1936-38), Murray Williamson (men’s hockey, 1957-59) and Dan Wilson (baseball, 1988-1990), with Johnson and Twedell being inducted as Legends.
The class is the sixth since the men’s and women’s halls of fame were combined into the University of Minnesota “M” Club Hall of Fame in 2003.
The official induction of the 2008 class will take place during a ceremony to be held at the Ted Mann Theatre (2128 Fourth Street South, Minneapolis, MN 55455) on the Minneapolis campus on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008. A social hour beginning at 6 p.m. will kick off the event, with the main program starting at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the ceremony may be purchased through the Northrop Ticket Office (612-624-2345) and are priced at $50 for individuals, $40 for active “M” Club members and the family members of inductees, and $25 for students, children and athletics department staff.
The class of 2008 will also be honored at the women’s volleyball match on Friday, Sept. 19, during the Gopher Invitational and on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Gophers’ football game against Florida Atlantic.
The University of Minnesota “M” Club is a nonprofit organization representing all letterwinners from University of Minnesota athletics teams. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to honor achievements and to preserve the tradition of those athletes, coaches and athletic staff members who have contributed in an outstanding and positive way to the University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Department.
The criteria for induction to the University of Minnesota “M” Club Hall of Fame include four different categories: significant accomplishments by a former student-athlete; significant achievements by a former coach or administrator; significant contributions of time, talent or resources to the athletics department by someone other than an athlete, coach or administrator, and significant professional achievement by a former Minnesota student-athlete.
Former student-athletes inducted for significant accomplishments become eligible for selection five years after the expiration of their eligibility, while former coaches and staff members must have served the department for five years to be eligible.
Hall of Fame Inductee Bios:Grant Johnson
Men's Basketball, 1937-38
Grant Johnson epitomized the word teammate both on the basketball court and in life. A key member of Minnesota’s 1937 Big Ten champion and 1938 Big Ten runner-up men’s basketball teams and the third member of the 1937 squad to earn a spot in the “M” Club Hall of Fame, Johnson was a driving force for the Gophers at both ends of the floor throughout his career. A guard and defensive specialist, Johnson was a coaches’ dream and is best remembered as the type of hard-nosed player that always seemed to make life easier for his teammates thanks to his superior defensive abilities.
Following his playing career, Johnson dedicated his life to the service of others and always held a special place in his heart for the University of Minnesota. A National Honor Society member who graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Johnson served as a member of the University of Minnesota Alumni Board of Directors during the 1950s and later earned the board’s service award. He also received the University of Minnesota’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 1971 and organized the first University of Minnesota Sports Alumni Associations in Wanamingo, Pine Island, Detroit Lakes and Buffalo.
Johnson also strived to serve the citizens of the state of Minnesota. He was the chairman of the Governor's Commission on Health and Recreation and a permanent member of the Building Commission for the State Department of Education as well as the president of the Western School Masters and Western Division of Professional School Administrators.
The president and treasurer of the Minnesota State High School League throughout the 1960s, Johnson was also honored with the Minnesota Governor's Centennial Statehood Sports Championship award.
Johnson currently resides in Orlando, Fla., where he continues to live an active life.
Courtney Kennedy
Women's Hockey, 1998-2001
One of the top blueliners to ever don the Maroon and Gold, Courtney Kennedy is regarded among the all-time greats of Golden Gopher women’s hockey. A first team All-American and Patty Kazmaier top-three finalist as a senior in 2001, Kennedy still ranks second in school history in career points by a defenseman (112), goals by a defenseman (35) and assists by a defenseman (77), despite playing in just 106 games over three seasons at Minnesota.
The Gophers’ team MVP in 2001, Kennedy earned first team All-WCHA honors and was named both the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year as well as the overall WCHA Player of the Year while leading Minnesota to its first WCHA title.
Kennedy began her college career at Colby College in 1998 before transferring to Minnesota, where she became perhaps the most dominant blueliner of her era. She earned second team American Women’s College Hockey Alliance All-America accolades as a sophomore in 1999 while helping lead the Gophers to a third place national finish in the AWCHA tournament.
Team and individual accomplishments continued during the 2000 season as Minnesota claimed its first women’s hockey national championship behind Kennedy’s phenomenal plus/minus rating of +50. Kennedy was rewarded for scintillating junior season with second team All-WCHA honors and a spot on the AWCHA All-Tournament team.
Following her Gopher career, Kennedy went on to become a force on the blue line for Team USA. A two-time Olympian, she helped lead the USA to a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Kennedy also won a gold medal as a member of Team USA’s 2005 world championship squad.
Since the 2006 Olympics, Kennedy has shifted her focus to collegiate coaching and recently completed her first season as an assistant coach at Boston College.
Dave MorrisonMen's Track & Field, Cross Country, 1980-85 
A dominant figure in cross country and track & field at Minnesota, Dave Morrison’s distance running accomplishments continue to stand the test of time. A two-time cross country All-American in 1982 and 1984 and a 1985 outdoor track & field All-American in the 10,000 meters, Morrison consistently clocked some of the fastest times in school history during his Golden Gopher career.
Minnesota’s cross country record holder over an 8,000 meter course with his time of 23:50.4 in 1984, Morrison owns the second-fastest 10,000-meter cross country time in school history with his time of 29:45.4 in 1984. He also ranks among Minnesota’s top individual NCAA cross country finishers with 13th place finishes in both 1982 and 1984.
Morrison was also a leader for the Gophers. Minnesota’s cross country team captain in 1983 and 1984, Morrison was a multi-year All-Big Ten performer and twice won the program’s Fred O. Watson Award, which is given annually to the team’s most valuable runner.
Morrison’s running abilities were also displayed on the track. In addition to earning All-America accolades in the 10,000 meters in 1985, Morrison continues to hold Minnesota’s fastest time in the 10,000 meters with his clocking of 28:34.03 in 1985. That season, he also recorded what is today’s third-fastest 5,000-meter time (13:51.4) and was also named Minnesota’s outstanding overall track and cross country performer.
In 1985, Morrison represented the United States in the University World Games in Kobe, Japan. Later that year, he received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship to complete his MBA at the University of Minnesota.
Today, Morrison resides in Poughquag, N.Y., where he works for IBM. He and his wife, Kari, have two sons – Steven, 12, and Joseph, 9.
Aubrey Schmitt
Women's Track & Field, 1998-2001
The name Aubrey Schmitt is nearly synonymous with throwing in track & field at the University of Minnesota. One of the most versatile throwers to ever compete for the Maroon and Gold, Schmitt continues to rank among the Golden Gophers’ top NCAA individual finishers of all time in the shot put, discus, weight throw and hammer throw.
Minnesota’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2000 and 2001, Schmitt won five Big Ten shot put titles and was a four-time All-American during her Gopher career (1999 indoor shot put, 2000 indoor shot put, 2000 outdoor shot put and 2001 discus).
Schmitt started her Minnesota throwing career with a splash, capturing the 1998 Big Ten outdoor shot put title and earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors that season. She went on to stake a claim as the most dominant Big Ten shot putter of her era, winning indoor titles in 1999 and 2001 and outdoor crowns in 1999 and 2000.
In fact, Schmitt continues to hold Minnesota’s school record for the indoor shot put with her heave of 54-4 ¾ in 1999. She also owns the Gophers’ fifth-best outdoor shot put (51-9 1/4, 2000), Minnesota’s third-best weight throw (63-1 1/4, 2001), and the school’s third-best performance in both the discus (179-5, 2001) and hammer (192-8, 2001).
The 2001 Big Ten Medal of Honor winner, Schmitt was also an excellent student. She earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 and was an Academic All-American in both 2000 and 2001.
Currently, Schmitt is a senor clinical research associate at Medtronic, Inc. and resides in Maplewood, MN.
Francis Twedell
Football, 1936-38
Francis “Bud” Twedell was born and raised in Austin, Minn., but nearly didn’t become a Golden Gopher at all. An all-conference guard at Central High School, Twedell originally intended to accept a scholarship at the University of Chicago, before his father – a big fan of the Gophers – interceded and convinced him to attend the University of Minnesota.
And Gopher fans are sure glad he did. Before his Minnesota career was through, Twedell would help lead the Gophers to a national championship, two Big Ten titles and three consecutive top 10 national finishes. Individually, Twedell earned multiple All-Big Ten and All-America honors and in 1938 served as the Gophers’ team captain.
A husky 215-pounder, Twedell played both offense and defense throughout his career at Minnesota and was a fixture in head coach Bernie Bierman’s starting lineup all three seasons. The lone sophomore to start for the Gophers during the 1936 national championship campaign, Twedell earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades after emerging as a bruising blocker on the offensive line and one of the anchors of a defensive unit that allowed just 32 points for the entire season.
Twedell would go on to help lead Minnesota win back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1937 and 1938, earning first team All-Big Ten honors both seasons. He was also recognized as a second team All-American in 1937 and in 1938 was tapped as a first team All-American.
Following the 1938 season, Twedell earned a starting spot in both the College All-Star and East-West Shrine games before being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 1939 draft. He retired after one season of professional football to support his family and went on to a long successful sales and management career in the meat packing industry.
Francis Twedell passed away on May 13, 1969 in Madison, Wis.
Murray Williamson
Men's Hockey, 1957-59
Making his mark as both a successful player and coach, Murray Williamson is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of hockey in the state of Minnesota. Williamson played for the Golden Gophers from 1957-59 and was the team’s Most Valuable Player and a first team All-American as a senior. He went on to coach two U.S. Olympic teams and was a major contributor to the growth of hockey in the United States.
During his three-year playing career as a winger at Minnesota, Williamson totaled 32 goals and 47 assists for 79 points in 76 games. Playing under legendary coach John Mariucci, Williamson ranked among the team’s top four scorers in each of his three seasons and was second on the squad as a senior with 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points.
Williamson earned high acclaim in the coaching profession and began his career as the head coach of the St. Paul Steers of the United States Hockey League from 1963-67. He then moved into international hockey and was the general manager of the U.S. National and Olympic teams in 1967-68 and 1970-72. Williamson served as head coach of the 1968 U.S. Olympic team that placed sixth in Grenoble, France, with future Olympic coach and his Golden Gopher teammate Herb Brooks on the roster.
At the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, Williamson coached the United States to a surprising silver medal finish that has been labeled “the team that time forgot.” It is the United States’ only Olympic medal finish on foreign soil since 1956 and one of only three medal-winning performances since 1960.
Williamson founded the Midwest Junior league (now the USHL) and in 1972 was the coach and general manager for the first U.S. world junior team that competed in the inaugural World Junior Championships held in Leningrad Russia. He coached three US National teams that competed in the World Championships in Austria in 1967, Romania 1970 and Switzerland in 1971
Williamson was inducted into the Massachusets Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 and won the Hobey Baker Foundation Legend of Hockey award the same year. In 2001, he was named one of the 50 most significant players and coaches in Minnesota hockey history.
Dan Wilson
Baseball, 1988-90
Dan Wilson is regarded as one of the most talented and classiest players ever to come out of the University of Minnesota baseball program. In his three years with the Golden Gophers, he batted .337 with 126 runs, 17 homers, 119 RBI, 89 walks, threw out 33 of 52 baserunners, was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree and first team All-American.
Wilson burst upon the scene as a freshman batting .347 with 35 runs, 12 doubles, four home runs and 42 RBI. He also showed off his arm as a pitcher, going 4-3 with one save, while posting a 4.20 ERA in 45.0 innings. As a true freshman, Wilson was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team and also drew the start on the mound against Fresno State in the Gophers’ first NCAA Regional game. Following his tremendous freshman season, Wilson was named second team All-Big Ten as a sophomore in 1989 and played for the U.S. National Team over the summer.
In his junior season, Wilson batted .370 with 43 runs, eight home runs, 49 RBI and was named a first team All-American, joining Ron Wojcak (1964), Greg Olson (1982) and later Shane Gunderson (1995) as one of only four Golden Gopher catchers to receive first-team honors. Wilson was drafted with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 1990 Major League Baseball Draft. He remains the third-highest University of Minnesota player to be picked in the draft behind Paul Molitor (third overall pick in 1977) and David Winfield (fourth overall pick in 1973).
Wilson spent 14 years in the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds (1992-93) and the Seattle Mariners (1994-2005). During that time, he was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in Major League Baseball. When Wilson retired in 2005, he had the highest fielding percentage (.995) of any American League catcher in Major League history.
Wilson experienced many thrills over his 12-year career with the Seattle Mariners. In 1995, he was a member of the first Seattle Mariners team to make the playoffs, and was part of a dramatic five-game series victory over the New York Yankees. In 1996, Wilson was named to the AL All-Star team as a catcher. He reached the playoffs three more times with Mariners (1997, 2000 and 2001); including 2001 when he was a member of the team that tied a Major League record for wins in a season with 116. Wilson was the starting catcher for Seattle during a four-year span from 2000-03 that saw the Mariners go 393-255 for a .606 winning percentage.
His impact on the Seattle Mariners franchise was underscored on April 10, 2006, when the organization held “Dan Wilson Day” in his honor. The University of Minnesota honored him once again the following year during the final Pro-Alumni Game in 2007.
Wilson and his wife, Annie, and have been married for 17 years and have four children: Sofia (14), Josie (12), Eli (10), and Abraham (7).
Courtesy: University of Minnesota
