Football and Basketball
A two-sport standout for Carleton from 1934-37, Sydney Larson was just 27 years old when he was killed in an airplane crash on a training exercise at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station on August 24, 1942. All-told, he earned letters twice in football and three times in basketball during his stellar career. As a senior in 1937, Larson even served as C-Club president.
As a fullback on the Carleton football squad, Larson was a member of teams that put together back-to-back 6-1 records in 1935 and 1936. The latter squad won the Midwest Conference title, while the former gave up just 14 points all season.
In basketball Larson was a versatile player, earning a letter as a sophomore guard before moving to forward during his junior and senior years. In 1936-37, Larson helped lead the Carls to a Midwest Conference championship.
in the 1937 Algol, Larson’s entry notes that he was regarded as the “highest ranking athlete in the class,” and that “Syd has left behind a record of athletic achievement which will stand through many years.”
Larson, an economics major, was a native of Winona, Minnesota.