Pacific Lutheran University Athletics

MARV HARSHMAN
(Football and Coach)

An an undergraduate at Pacific Lutheran, Marv Harshman earned 14 athletic letters, starring in football, basketball, baseball and track. Perhaps best remembered for his spectacular moves as an All-American fullback on the gridiron, he was one of the "Marvelous Marvs" who helped lead Pacific Lutheran to 18 straight victories from 1939-41 and into national football prominence. His name is synonymous with Pacific Lutheran football's glory years of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Upon graduation from Pacific Lutheran in 1942, he eventually returned to his alma mater, serving as athletic director and also as football, basketball and track coach. Harshman coached collegiate basketball for 40 years, 13 seasons at Pacific Lutheran (1946-58), 13 seasons at Washington State (1959-71) and 14 years at Washington (1972-85). His 1957 Pacific Lutheran team finished with a 30-2 record and placed third at the NAIA national tournament. Harshman retired in coaching in 1985 with 642 career victories.

Clifford Olson was a legendary Pacific Lutheran athletic director, coach and supporter. In addition to serving as athletic director, he also coached football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis and track. Olson's football program compiled a 64-33-6 record during his 14 years as coach and won 18 straight games between 1939-41. His 1940 grad team was one of Pacific Lutheran's finest, finishing the season unbeaten in eight games and setting national small-college attendance records. A 16-13 upset victory in 1940 over then-major college power Gonzaga catapulted Pacific Lutheran into the national spotlight and still stands as one of the all-time great moments in Pacific Lutheran athletics history. That game was played before more than 20,000 fans at Tacoma Stadium. A 20-year servant to the University (1929-48), his priceless contribution, leadership and vision took Pacific Lutheran from athletic anonymity into national prominence.

A halfback, Marv Tommervik was one of the most prolific collegiate passers of his time, earning the nickname "Tommygun" for his aerial wizardry. One of the "Marvelous Marvs" during Pacific Lutheran football's glory years of the last 1930s and early 1940s, he averaged 17.2 yards per pass and had a .504 completion percentage, sensational in those days. A two-time All-American, he was the nation's top passer - among both large and small colleges - in 1941. He established more offensive football records at Pacific Lutheran than anyone in history, some of which stood for nearly 50 years, and was instrumental in Pacific Lutheran's 18-game winning streak between 1939-41. After graduating in 1942, Tommervik spent three wartime years in the Navy, then eventually returned to his alma mater to serve as athletic director in 1946. He coached football from 1947-50 and baseball from 1947-51.

Rhoda Young's leadership and service helped Pacific Lutheran uphold its commitment to offer athletic opportunities for both men and women. A 30-year servant to Pacific Lutheran (1938-42, 1943-67) and a 1935 graduate, she helped sustain, nurture and develop athletics for women during an era that more willingly accepted only men's programs. In addition to teaching physical education and health, she oversaw a women's intramural activity program from the late 1930s to the late 1950s. In 1938, she established Pacific Lutheran's May Festival Dancers, still a popular student folk-dancing club. Young pioneered Pacific Lutheran's first women's intercollegiate athletic program in the early 1960s, a program that included field hockey, basketball, volleyball and softball when she retired in 1967. Young's devotion to the University left an indelible mark and laid the foundation for future successes in women's athletics.