Don Boven
Encyclopedia
Donald E. Boven was an American
basketball
player, coach, and university instructor. He was a World War II
veteran who was a standout athlete at Western Michigan University
. After playing professional basketball, he served as an instructor at the University for more than 30 years. In the 1980s, Boven retired from his teaching duties but remained active in sporting circles and became involved in voluntary public service in his Michigan
township.
in 1925. He was the second of four sons born to Thomas Boven and Jessie Knapper. His parents were immigrants from the Netherlands
, having come from Groningen
. Boven was raised on the north side of Kalamazoo and attended Lincoln Junior High School. He then developed into a successful athlete at Kalamazoo Central High School
where he lettered in football, baseball, and basketball. He graduated from Central in 1943 and, after his graduation, enlisted in the United States Army
to serve in Europe
during World War II. He was a Gunnery Sergeant
with the American Third Army
and arrived at Omaha Beach
on D-Day plus two. He also fought with the Third Army at the Battle of the Bulge
. Following World War II, Boven returned to Kalamazoo where he enrolled at Western Michigan University with the help of the G.I. Bill to study for a degree
in education.
from 1946 to 1949. He was an athletic standout while at Western and earned 11 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. In his final year at Western, he received the University's Academic-Athletic Excellence Honor Medal. On the basketball court at Western Michigan, Boven set the career scoring record with 1099 points between 1946 and 1949, though this record has since been broken. He is remembered as having successfully competed against players that were much taller than he was, such as Bowling Green's Don Otten
. Boven also remains among the top ten for free throw
s made and free throws attempted. As a junior, Boven was named a second team All-American and in 1949, the senior was named a first team All-American. After college, Boven received offers to play professionally from the Detroit Lions
in football, the Chicago Cubs
in baseball, and several professional basketball teams. He chose to play basketball and was selected by the Indianapolis Olympians
in the 6th round of the 1949 BAA Draft
.
Boven began his career playing for the Waterloo Hawks
in 1949. During his college and professional playing days, he stood 6'4" (1.93 m), weighed 210 pounds (95 kg), and played most of his career as a small forward
. The team finished fifth in the NBA Western Division with a 19–43 record. Boven averaged about 10 points and two assists per game and was in the top 20 in the league making 37% of his field goal
s. The following season, the Waterloo franchise left the NBA to join the original National Professional Basketball League during its only season in existence. Boven led the entire league in scoring with 781 points. He was also named a member of the league's all-star team. More than half of the league's teams folded over the course of the year and no championship game was played. Boven's Hawks and the Sheboygan Red Skins made claims to being the champions, but the league was dissolved before the matter could be resolved. Waterloo finished the season with the most wins of any team behind Boven's scoring, but Sheboygan defeated the Hawks in 8 of their fifteen meetings.
When the Waterloo franchise folded along with the NPBL, Boven was signed with the Milwaukee Hawks
for one season. This team finished fifth in the NBA's western division and Boven put up numbers similar to his first year in the NBA. One lasting distinction came during that season. Boven was tied for third most personal fouls in the NBA behind George Mikan
and Vern Mikkelsen
. He also set a league record by fouling out of six consecutive games that season. Though this record was nearly broken in 1982 and skirted by Shaquille O'Neal
in 2007, it still stands as of 2011.
For the 1952–53 season, Boven was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons
by way of the Baltimore Bullets. Though his stats were slightly lower than his previous seasons, the Pistons made it to the playoffs after finishing with a record of 36–33. Boven and the Pistons competed in the Western Division semifinals, beating the Rochester Royals
two games to one. The Pistons then lost to George Mikan and the eventual NBA champion Minneapolis Lakers
in the western division finals. This was Boven's last season in the NBA and he finished his professional career with averages of 10.2 points, 2.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.
While he was working at Western, Boven also earned a master of arts degree in education from the University. He also played semi-professional baseball during the summer months for the Sutherland Paper Company team until the late 1950s. After his semi-professional career ended, Boven worked during the summers for the Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department as the director of the city's summer playground program. Boven was inducted into Western Michigan's hall of fame in 1975, at which time the school's athletic director noted "He commands respect with the history he represents in our university. He was an outstanding teacher and coach who continued to support Western.”
. He served as Texas Township Clerk for 12 years and was very active in his retirement. Boven had remained involved in basketball in his later years, playing in reunion games with the Waterloo Hawks as late as 2004. He was also a member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association. Charlotte Boven died in June 2010 and Donald died as a result of heart disease on March 10, 2011. He is buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, coach, and university instructor. He was a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran who was a standout athlete at Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
. After playing professional basketball, he served as an instructor at the University for more than 30 years. In the 1980s, Boven retired from his teaching duties but remained active in sporting circles and became involved in voluntary public service in his Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
township.
Early life and military service
Boven was born in Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
in 1925. He was the second of four sons born to Thomas Boven and Jessie Knapper. His parents were immigrants from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, having come from Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
. Boven was raised on the north side of Kalamazoo and attended Lincoln Junior High School. He then developed into a successful athlete at Kalamazoo Central High School
Kalamazoo Central High School
Kalamazoo Central High School is a public high school in Kalamazoo, Michigan serving students from ninth through twelfth grades. It was the first public high school in Michigan. It began operating in 1858 and graduated its first class of five men and three women in 1859. It moved to its current...
where he lettered in football, baseball, and basketball. He graduated from Central in 1943 and, after his graduation, enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
to serve in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during World War II. He was a Gunnery Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
with the American Third Army
United States Army Central
United States Army Central is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and is also dual-hatted as the "United States Third Army". It is the Army Component of U.S...
and arrived at Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
on D-Day plus two. He also fought with the Third Army at the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. Following World War II, Boven returned to Kalamazoo where he enrolled at Western Michigan University with the help of the G.I. Bill to study for a degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in education.
Western Michigan
Don Boven attended Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
from 1946 to 1949. He was an athletic standout while at Western and earned 11 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. In his final year at Western, he received the University's Academic-Athletic Excellence Honor Medal. On the basketball court at Western Michigan, Boven set the career scoring record with 1099 points between 1946 and 1949, though this record has since been broken. He is remembered as having successfully competed against players that were much taller than he was, such as Bowling Green's Don Otten
Don Otten
Donald F. Otten was an American professional basketball player.A 6'10" center from Bellefontaine High School and Bowling Green State University, Otten began his professional career in 1946 with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball League...
. Boven also remains among the top ten for free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s made and free throws attempted. As a junior, Boven was named a second team All-American and in 1949, the senior was named a first team All-American. After college, Boven received offers to play professionally from the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in football, the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in baseball, and several professional basketball teams. He chose to play basketball and was selected by the Indianapolis Olympians
Indianapolis Olympians
The Indianapolis Olympians were a National Basketball Association team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. They were founded in 1949 and folded in 1953. Their home arena was the Hinkle Fieldhouse.-Franchise history:...
in the 6th round of the 1949 BAA Draft
1949 BAA Draft
The 1949 BAA Draft was the third annual draft of the Basketball Association of America , which later became the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 21, 1949 before the 1949–50 season. In this draft, eleven remaining BAA teams along with the Indianapolis Olympians who...
.
Professional career
Waterloo Hawks
The Waterloo Hawks were a National Basketball League and National Basketball Association team based in Waterloo, Iowa. The Hawks remain the only sports franchise ever based in Iowa from any of the Big Four Leagues.- Franchise history :...
in 1949. During his college and professional playing days, he stood 6'4" (1.93 m), weighed 210 pounds (95 kg), and played most of his career as a small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
. The team finished fifth in the NBA Western Division with a 19–43 record. Boven averaged about 10 points and two assists per game and was in the top 20 in the league making 37% of his field goal
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
s. The following season, the Waterloo franchise left the NBA to join the original National Professional Basketball League during its only season in existence. Boven led the entire league in scoring with 781 points. He was also named a member of the league's all-star team. More than half of the league's teams folded over the course of the year and no championship game was played. Boven's Hawks and the Sheboygan Red Skins made claims to being the champions, but the league was dissolved before the matter could be resolved. Waterloo finished the season with the most wins of any team behind Boven's scoring, but Sheboygan defeated the Hawks in 8 of their fifteen meetings.
When the Waterloo franchise folded along with the NPBL, Boven was signed with the Milwaukee Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
for one season. This team finished fifth in the NBA's western division and Boven put up numbers similar to his first year in the NBA. One lasting distinction came during that season. Boven was tied for third most personal fouls in the NBA behind George Mikan
George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
and Vern Mikkelsen
Vern Mikkelsen
Arild Verner Agerskov "Vern" Mikkelsen is an American former professional basketball player. He was one of the NBA's first power forwards in the 1950s and was known for his tenacious defense.-Early life:...
. He also set a league record by fouling out of six consecutive games that season. Though this record was nearly broken in 1982 and skirted by Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
in 2007, it still stands as of 2011.
For the 1952–53 season, Boven was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
by way of the Baltimore Bullets. Though his stats were slightly lower than his previous seasons, the Pistons made it to the playoffs after finishing with a record of 36–33. Boven and the Pistons competed in the Western Division semifinals, beating the Rochester Royals
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
two games to one. The Pistons then lost to George Mikan and the eventual NBA champion Minneapolis Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the western division finals. This was Boven's last season in the NBA and he finished his professional career with averages of 10.2 points, 2.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.
Western Michigan University
After retiring from professional basketball, Boven began a long career as a coach and instructor at Western Michigan University. He initially taught taught sports and physical education classes while serving as assistant coach for the football, basketball, and baseball teams. During the 1958–59 season, Boven was promoted to head coach of the Bronco's basketball team. Boven's first season was not very successful and the Broncos went 2–20. In 1959–60 Boven put together the first of two winning seasons (12–11). The other came in 1961–62 when the team went 13–11. Boven coached at Western Michigan until 1966 ending his coaching career with a record of 75–112 . His record in the Mid-American conference was 36-60 . His relatively poor winning percentage has been explained by the fact the he scheduled his team to play the best competition available in order to improve their skills on the court.While he was working at Western, Boven also earned a master of arts degree in education from the University. He also played semi-professional baseball during the summer months for the Sutherland Paper Company team until the late 1950s. After his semi-professional career ended, Boven worked during the summers for the Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department as the director of the city's summer playground program. Boven was inducted into Western Michigan's hall of fame in 1975, at which time the school's athletic director noted "He commands respect with the history he represents in our university. He was an outstanding teacher and coach who continued to support Western.”
Retirement and personal life
Boven retired from Western Michigan University in 1985 after 32 years of working with the institution. After he had completed his professional basketball career, Boven married Charlotte Kniese on 25 April 1953 and the couple had three children. The two had met while both were students at Western Michigan University. The family lived on a small lake near Mattawan, MichiganMattawan, Michigan
Mattawan is a village suburb of Kalamazoo, in Antwerp Township, Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,536.-History:...
. He served as Texas Township Clerk for 12 years and was very active in his retirement. Boven had remained involved in basketball in his later years, playing in reunion games with the Waterloo Hawks as late as 2004. He was also a member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association. Charlotte Boven died in June 2010 and Donald died as a result of heart disease on March 10, 2011. He is buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery
Fort Custer National Cemetery
Fort Custer National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located just outside of the Village of Augusta in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 20,656 interments.- History :...
.