Louis Zamperini (1999) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

Louis Zamperini

Induction:
1999

Louis Zamperini was not only one of USC’s greatest distance runners, but he gained international acclaim for his amazing exploits during World War II. A 3-year letterman (1938-39-40) who co-captained the 1940 Trojan squad and was a member of 3 NCAA championship teams, he was the NCAA champion in the mile run in 1938 and 1939. The collegiate mile record (4:08.3) that he set lasted for 15 years. He placed eighth in the 5,000-meter run at the 1936 Olympics. In 2016, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team. He was lost at sea during World War II, spending 47 days adrift and then two-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in Japan (his experience was the subject of a best-selling book, “Unbroken,” and a CBS-TV feature, which was shown during the 1998 Winter Olympics). He later became a Christian evangelist and worked with at-risk youths. He died on July 2, 1914, at age 97.