Hall of Fame
President Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers became president of Grand Valley State in 1969 at the age of 37, making him one of the youngest college presidents in the nation. When he retired in 2001, he was the longest-serving public university president in the country. In the 32 years in between, Lubbers led the university’s evolution from a small, liberal arts college to a regional university. Lubbers began building the groundwork for Laker athletics shortly after his hiring and continued to build the Laker athletic programs throughout his 32 years as President. Lubbers made a major move in 1970 when he decided to begin a football program that started play in 1971. GVSU participated as a member of the NAIA until its move into the NCAA as a Division II member in the early 1980’s. Laker athletic programs continued to prosper during his tenure as President and competed at a high level on both a regional and national level.
