Gene Edwards

President of the United States Soccer Federation from 1974 to 1984.

Edwards, who lived nearly his entire life in Milwaukee, played for several clubs in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas both before and after serving as a Marine in World War II, in which he was wounded on Okinawa. Those clubs included Schwaben, Falk, Swedish-American, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Sport Club. After serving in various local administrative capacities, he was elected a vice president of the U.S. Soccer Football Association in 1968, and became president in 1974 following the death of his predecessor, James McGuire. By the time Edwards became president, the organization had changed its name to U.S. Soccer Federation.

During his time as a USSFA and USSF executive, Edwards also served on several other committees, including the FIFA Amateur Committee, the CONCACAF Executive Committee and the Executive Committee of the United States Olympic Committee. He also was manager of the United States teams at the 1971 and 1975 Pan-American Games and the 1972 Olympic Games.

Inducted in 1985.