EP Sport: Trials Bike Riding

by Don Smith

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Don Smith


Donald Gregory Smith was born on the island of Manhattan, December 1, 1926, to Harry & Marjorie (Mahon) Smith. After graduating from Flushing High in Queens (Class of '44), he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. He achieved the rank of 2nd Class Petty Officer and was a part of the Naval Intelligence responsible for monitoring and decoding Japanese radio transmissions. After his discharge he returned to New York and graduated from New York University. He also studied at Columbia's Russian Institute, adding Russian language proficiency to the Japanese he had acquired during the war. While still attending college he became a reporter for the Long Island Star-Journal, beginning a life-long career in sports journalism. As a young man he also had a short coaching career, heading up the basketball and football squads at Long Island's Holy Cross High School. Donald was married to Mary Helen Deer on September 1, 1961 in New York City. In the late1950's, he became Public Relations Director for the New York Football Giants, at the time being the youngest person in the league to hold that position. During his years with the team he wrote three books; 'The Frank Gifford Story", "Y.A.Tittle: I Pass", & "Defensive Football with Sam Huff." Don was in the press box for 37 of the first 40 Super Bowl games. In 1972 he became vice-president at Stadia Sports Publishing and authored several more titles, including "How Sports Began." In 1975 he founded Don Smith Consultants. His first project was with Seagram's Seven Crowns of Sports which annually awarded a trophy and check to the standout male and female athlete in the seven major American sports. In the early 1980's he became involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee and was instrumental in the preparation for the 1984 Los Angeles Games. This began a decade long involvement in amateur sports and he worked with many various sports federations before and during the Olympic Trials and Games of 1988 & 1992. He also handled media relations for the Southland Corporation's 7 Eleven Cycling Team during the 1980's. In the 1990's he worked for the New York City Sports Authority and was involved with the Goodwill Games held in New York and St. Petersburg, Russia. Before his retirement he spent several years working with the Florida Athletic Commission, and edited their journal "Sports In Florida." During his five decades in professional and amateur sports, Don Smith was known, admired, and respected by countless numbers of Hall of Fame athletes. He and Whitey Ford were childhood friends, and others he had special friendships with were Gary Player, Martina Navratilova, Mary Lou Retton, and so many more. You could hardly mention a notable from his years in sports that he would not have a personal anecdote to share with you about them. Don was an accomplished athlete himself , earning All-City honors in Track & Field as a prepster. He began studying Judo during his service in the Pacific (including time at the famous Kodokan Dojo in Tokyo) and eventually earned the rank of Black Belt, 2nd Dan. After the war he was a minor league first baseman for the St. Louis Browns organization, assigned to (of all places!) the Muskogee Oklahoma Reds. In his prime, he was a low-handicap golfer. He also enjoyed the game of Squash for many years, even continuing to play after a hip replacement surgery.

source: Dignity Memorial