James “Jim” Neppl

Athlete – Track & Field
Inducted 2009

James “Jim” Neppl was a graduate of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Fonda, Iowa, and Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa (1964) with a B.A. in economics and University of Iowa College of Law (1967).  Neppl was fluent in six languages including Russian, Spanish, French, Italian and German. He was a four-year letterman in basketball while in college and is a seven-time Paralympic medalist in track & field and goalball. Neppl held the world record in the men’s shot put (B1), set in 1988, for more than 20 years. Neppl was a past regional chair for the North American Region of the International Blind Sports Association and a past chair for the Americas for the International Paralympics Committee.  He was a member of the USABA Board of Directors and served as vice-president for seven years. Neppl was an attorney with a private practice in Illinois. He passed away in January 2022.