The North Park athletic department announced its 2012 Viking Hall of Fame Class this week.  The inductees will be honored at a reception in Hamming Hall Friday evening, Oct. 12 during Homecoming weekend.

This year's inductees include: John Douglass (A'1964), Nels “Art” Edstrom (C'1953), Austin Person (C'2007) and Laura Mount (C'2007). North Park Athletic Director Dr. Jack Surridge will emcee the Hall of Fame presentation.

John Douglass                                   North Park Academy  1964
John Douglass was a student leader from the day he arrived on campus at North Park.  John was active in student government for four years, serving as Student Senate President his senior year.  He played football, basketball, and ran track all four years and  was co-captain of the football and basketball teams.  Led by Coach Dan McCarrell,  the 1963 football team won the Private School League championship and Douglass was named  All Conference and All State as a fullback. He was also a member of the National Honor Society.  After graduating from North Park Academy John had an outstanding undergraduate career at DePauw University where he lettered three years as a linebacker and continued his record of high academic achievement.  After receiving his Bachelor's degree from DePauw in 1968, Douglass earned his JD from Northwestern School of Law in 1971 and also completed an MBA from the University of Minnesota in 1983. After distinguished careers in law and finance at Green Giant and  Ecolab, John retired and is currently the managing general partner of the Rice Family LP. He has served on the North Park University Board of Trustees and the Minnehaha Academy board, serving as Chair of Minnehaha from 2001-2005.

Nels “Art” Edstrom                         North Park College 1953
Art Edstrom was a multisport athlete when he attended North Park as a freshman and sophomore lettering in basketball and baseball. He was recognized by classmates as “the most popular male” and the “most athletic male” in his class. His playing career continued at Taylor University and also with the 2nd Army basketball team.  North Park was blessed by Art's coaching career where he received CCIW Coach of the Year honors. Art coached multiple sports during his career and also served as the acting athletic director at North Park. He led an academic campaign at North Park which resulted in the North Central Accrediting Association approving our Physical Education degree.  As a high school swimming coach at Deerfield High School, Art Edstrom is one of the most honored in Illinois history. He served as the president of the Illinois Swimming Association for 25 years, is a member of the Illinois Swimming Hall of Fame, was awarded the NISCA National Coach of the Year Award and the John Newman Award for outstanding service in 1992. He has served the community as Co-director of Special Olympics Swimming and as the site director for the NCAA Division III championships.  Art and his wife Sandy are both North Park alums and all four of their children have attended North Park . Two of ten grandchildren have attended and a third entered North Park this fall.

Laura Mount                                      North Park University 2007
Laura Mount was a four-year starter on the women's basketball team. She was named to multiple all tournament teams including four tournaments her senior year when North Park captured four championships at Lakeland, Manhattanville, Rockford and Whittier. Mount scored in double figures in all 24 games averaging 18.2 points per game in her senior year.  She currently ranks fifth all-time in scoring with 1,204 points, second all-time in made free throws with 407, second in steals with 228 and fifth in assists with 295. She was named to the CCIW first team by unanimous vote in both 2006 and 2007 by the conference coaches. D3hoops.com selected Mount to the All-Region team in 2007. Following graduation as an athletic training major Laura accepted an assistantship at Minnesota State in Mankato where she completed her Master's degree and served as the trainer for the national championship women's basketball team. Laura was the head athletic trainer and adjunct professor at Trinity International for two years and is currently pursuing a degree as a physician assistant from Rosalind Franklin University.

Austin Person                                   North Park University 2007
Austin Person is the most dominant goal keeper in the history of North Park University and CCIW men's soccer. A biology major from Omaha, Nebraska, Austin distinguished himself in the classroom as an outstanding student. He is a Jack Swartz award winner and a multiple year academic all-conference recipient graduating with a 3.613 cumulative grade point average.  On the playing field as he led the Vikings to conference and tournament championships in the CCIW in 2004, 2005 and 2006, Person was named three times to the CCIW first team, three times to the All-Region team, two times as a National Soccer Coaches Athletic Association Academic All American, and one time as an NSCAA All American. In 2005 Person was named the CCIW Player of the Year when the Vikings won the CCIW championship at Wheaton advancing to the NCAA national tournament. As a senior in 2007 Austin was named North Park University Male Athlete of the Year. After graduation Person did mission and service trips to Bolivia and Zambia. He is currently completing a dual MD / Master of Public Health degree at the University of Nebraska.  He has recently received an award for his research on healthcare with the underserved in youth correction facilities.  Austin and his wife Lisa are the proud parents of twins Annabelle and Oliver born this past June.