Hall of Fame
Over his four-year collegiate career, Jim Ferraro earned All-American honors twice and swam in four National Championship meets. In the 1978 meet, Jim placed 8th in the 50-yard Freestyle with a time of :22.019 for his first All-American award. Then in 1980, Jim placed 9th in the NAIA Championship Meet 50-yard Freestyle race with a time of :22.069 for his second All-American award. Primarily a sprinter, Jim broke 14 school records in both individual and relay events. In dual meets (27 races), he was undefeated in the 50-yard Freestyle as both a junior and a senior. Over his career, he was 48-7 in the 50-yard Freestyle race. He was also undefeated in dual meets in the 100-yard Freestyle as a freshman, junior and senior (36 races). Over his career, he was 52-2 in the 100-yard Freestyle. Jim was selected as MVP four times and captain twice. A 1980 Life Science major, Jim earned his Ph.D. from The Chicago Medical School and served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology, School of Medicine at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. In recognition of his service to his community and career, Jim was the recipient of the UW-Parkside Distinguished Alumnus Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1997.
