Wall of Fame
Ernest J. Gershon
Athlete (1933-37)
Coach (1949-66)
Ernest "Ernie" Gershon was a four-time letter-winning gymnast on campus before returning and carrying the program to new heights. Along with being on the gymnastics team, Gershon participated in variety of intramural sprots, drama and music. After earning a bachelors degree in 1937, he taught at Spooner (Wis.) High School and Maple Park School in Ohio before joining the Navy during World War II.
When he got out of the military in 1946, he returned to campus where he taught in the physical education department until retiring in 1983. In that time he's credited with beginnning the first post-WWII men's gymnastics team on campus in 1948. He coached the team until 1966.
His teams earned an NAIA district championship in 1965, four conference championships during the four years a conference holder was named, 30 team championships and 145 individual titles. In 1982, the university's gymnastics invitational was named in his honor.
