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Dec. 27, 2008 -- Maryland’s Jordan Steffy and Nevada’s Luke Lippincott receive Student Humanitarian Awards at Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl
Oct. 31, 2008 -- USC AD Mike Garrett Receives Tradition of Excellence Award
June 25, 2008 -- Warrick Dunn, Vlade Divac, Jimmie Heuga Join World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame
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Jimmie Heuga '08: The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis’ board appoints Kim Sharkey as new CEO
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Louis Zamperini
Inducted: 2005
Induction Class: Drew Bledsoe (Football), Louis Zamperini (Track
& Field), Kathy Kusner (Equestrian)
Sport: Olympic Games (Athletics)
Years Active: 1930's-1936
Born: Jan. 26, 1917
Birthplace: Olean, New York
Community Focus: Children & Youth
Foundation: Victory Boys Camp
Olympian Louis Zamperini, an All-American runner, a two-time NCAA champion, first American 5,000 meter finisher at the 1936 Berlin Games, war hero and an avid skateboarder through age 87, was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame along with Olympian Kathy Kusner and the NFL’s Drew Bledsoe as a part of the Class of 2005.
Eighty-eight years old at the time of his induction, Zamperini was enshrined in the Humanitarian Hall of Fame not for his speed on the Olympic oval but for his humanitarian efforts traveling the world -- including two trips to Japan, counseling war veterans, youth and others about forgiveness and the important role it can play in their lives.
At the Berlin Games Zamperini’s final lap time of 57 seconds impressed German Chancelor Adolph Hitler enough to command a personal audience with "...the American boy with the fast finish." True to form and before departing for home, the troublemaker turned champion runner stole a Nazi flag off the Reich's Chancellery. Caught by the Gestapo, Zamperini convincingly talked his way out of the predicament and proudly brought the flag home.
After the war, disaffected and rootless, Zamperini attended an early Billy Graham revival and found religion. He became an inspirational speaker and has dedicated his life to making a positive impact on young people around the world. In 1952 he founded the Victory Boys Camp, an organization that each year brought life skills and confidence to thousands of high-school drop-outs through outdoor skills such as repelling, skiing, water-skills and horsemanship. Today Zamperini annually reaches an estimated 30,000 young people with a message of positive attitude, resilience, and forgiveness. His book, Devil at My Heels is a living document about the brutality of war, the tenacity of the human spirit, and the power of forgiveness. In 1988 Zamperini was recognized by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on ‘Louis Zamperini Appreciation Day.’