Don Canham
Encyclopedia
Donald Canham was a track and field athlete and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director
at the University of Michigan
from 1968 to 1988. There, he became nationally renowned for his ability to market and sell products bearing the name or logo of the school. In December 1968, he hired Bo Schembechler
as head football
coach, beginning a new era of success for Michigan's football program
. The combination of Canham's aggressive marketing efforts and Schembechler's winning teams helped Michigan set many national attendance records at Michigan Stadium
. Since 1975, the school has sold over 100,000 tickets for every home football game — a string of more than 200 contests.
One of Canham's first priorities upon being named athletic director was to address the dwindling attendance at Michigan home football games, which by 1967 had declined to an average of 67,000 fans per game. Canham's good friend, Notre Dame
athletic director Moose Krause, knew a sure-fire way to fill Michigan Stadium — by playing Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish
and the Wolverines had not met on the gridiron since 1943 when Fritz Crisler
, Michigan's then football coach and athletic director until 1968 when Canham succeeded him, became so incensed at the intensity of Notre Dame's Frank Leahy
that he never scheduled Notre Dame again. Canham and Krause worked out an agreement to renew the series, which resumed in 1978 and is scheduled to continue until at least 2031.
In 1969, Canham had AstroTurf
installed in the Michigan Stadium to replace its grass playing surface. The school continued to use similar artificial fields until 1990. This accounts for Canham's mention in Michigan radio sportscaster Bob Ufer
's phrase for the stadium: "The hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham carpeted and Schembechler fills up every Saturday!"
Canham himself was an athlete for the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
team, earning All-America
n honors by winning the 1940 NCAA
title in the high jump
and was both the indoor and outdoor Big Ten Conference
champion in both 1940 and 1941. From 1950 to 1968, he served as the school's head track coach. His teams won 12 Big Ten Conference
championships, seven indoor and five outdoor. He left the post after 21 seasons to become the school's athletic director.
Michigan's swimming
, diving
, and water polo
teams compete in the Donald B. Canham Natatorium, named for Canham upon his retirement in 1988.
Canham died May 3, 2005 at the age of 87 in a compact car accident after rupturing his abdominal aorta
. However, his death was not caused by trauma from the accident. He had been feeling sick the day before and was on his way to see a doctor. Canham was unaware that he had an abdominal aorta problem. Canham was preceded in death by his first wife, Marilyn, and was survived by his brother, Robert Canham, his son, Don Canham Jr., his daughter Clare Canham-Eaton, and grandchildren, Amelia and Donnie Eaton.
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1968 to 1988. There, he became nationally renowned for his ability to market and sell products bearing the name or logo of the school. In December 1968, he hired Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
as head football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach, beginning a new era of success for Michigan's football program
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
. The combination of Canham's aggressive marketing efforts and Schembechler's winning teams helped Michigan set many national attendance records at Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
. Since 1975, the school has sold over 100,000 tickets for every home football game — a string of more than 200 contests.
One of Canham's first priorities upon being named athletic director was to address the dwindling attendance at Michigan home football games, which by 1967 had declined to an average of 67,000 fans per game. Canham's good friend, Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
athletic director Moose Krause, knew a sure-fire way to fill Michigan Stadium — by playing Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
and the Wolverines had not met on the gridiron since 1943 when Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
, Michigan's then football coach and athletic director until 1968 when Canham succeeded him, became so incensed at the intensity of Notre Dame's Frank Leahy
Frank Leahy
Francis William Leahy was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive...
that he never scheduled Notre Dame again. Canham and Krause worked out an agreement to renew the series, which resumed in 1978 and is scheduled to continue until at least 2031.
In 1969, Canham had AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
installed in the Michigan Stadium to replace its grass playing surface. The school continued to use similar artificial fields until 1990. This accounts for Canham's mention in Michigan radio sportscaster Bob Ufer
Bob Ufer
Bob Ufer was the lead broadcaster for the Michigan Wolverines football team for 37 years, starting in 1944. He has been inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.-Early years:...
's phrase for the stadium: "The hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham carpeted and Schembechler fills up every Saturday!"
Canham himself was an athlete for the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
The Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team is the intercollegiate men's track and field program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
team, earning All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors by winning the 1940 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
title in the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
and was both the indoor and outdoor Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
champion in both 1940 and 1941. From 1950 to 1968, he served as the school's head track coach. His teams won 12 Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championships, seven indoor and five outdoor. He left the post after 21 seasons to become the school's athletic director.
Michigan's swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
teams compete in the Donald B. Canham Natatorium, named for Canham upon his retirement in 1988.
Canham died May 3, 2005 at the age of 87 in a compact car accident after rupturing his abdominal aorta
Abdominal aorta
The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of the descending aorta .-Path:...
. However, his death was not caused by trauma from the accident. He had been feeling sick the day before and was on his way to see a doctor. Canham was unaware that he had an abdominal aorta problem. Canham was preceded in death by his first wife, Marilyn, and was survived by his brother, Robert Canham, his son, Don Canham Jr., his daughter Clare Canham-Eaton, and grandchildren, Amelia and Donnie Eaton.