Don Boven

Donald E. Boven


Born:
March 6, 1925
Kalamazo, MI

Died:
March 10, 2011
Kalamazo, MI


Career
1941-42 Kalamazoo Central High School - Michigan (High School)
1942-43 Kalamazoo Central High School - Michigan (High School)
1946-47 Western Michigan University (College)
1947-48 Western Michigan University (College)
1948-49 Western Michigan University (College)
1949-50 Waterloo Hawks (NBA)
1950-51 Waterloo Hawks (NPBL)
1951-52 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1952-53 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1952-53 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1952-53 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach
1959-60 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach
1960-61 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach
1961-62 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach
1962-63 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach
1963-64 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach
1964-65 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach
1965-66 Western Michigan University (College) Head coach

From Kalamazoo, Boven graduated high school and entered the military, serving his country in World War 2. He arrived at Omaha Beach in Normday two days after the initial invasion, and later saw battle at the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, he returned home at enrolled at Western Michigan, where he was a three-sport letterman (baseball, football and basketball). After graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Educaton, he signed with the Waterloo Hawks in the NBA, and remained on the team when the Hawks left the NBA and played in the NPBL. He returned to the NBA in 1951, this time with the Milwaukee Hawks, and after a season with the Pistons, returned to WMU as a teacher and coach. He was named the head coach of the basketball team in 1958, and was at the helm for 8 seasons. He remained at the school as an instructor until his retirement in 1985.

He married Charlotte Kniese (d. 2010)  in 1953 and they had two daughters and a son.


Source:
Obituary
MLive Obituary, March 14, 2011


Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bovendo01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=bovendo01