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Don Kennedy

1932 – 2014

American paralympic athlete, weightlifter and wheelchair basketball player

Wheelchair racerWheelchair basketball player
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About Don Kennedy

Lived 1932 – 2014 (aged 81). Don Kennedy was a wheelchair racer and wheelchair basketball player.

Donald M. Kennedy (November 4, 1932 – October 16, 2014), also known as John Kennedy, was an American paralympic athlete, weightlifter and wheelchair basketball player. He competed at the 1960 and 1964 Summer Paralympics.

Life and career Kennedy was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of James Kennedy and Mary Frances McCarthy. At an early age, he was hospitalized with polio, which left his legs paralyzed. During his years in hospitalization, he was educated by Dominican nuns, which after his release from hospitalization, he attended and graduated from Newtown High School. After graduating, he attended Queens College, City University of New York and Brooklyn Law School.

Kennedy competed at the 1960 Summer Paralympics, winning the gold medal in the men's wheelchair basketball tournament A event.

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Important facts

Born
4 November 1932
Birth century
20th century
Died
16 October 2014
Occupation
Wheelchair racer, wheelchair basketball player

People in Don Kennedy's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Portrait of John
John
1881 – 1963
Latin Catholic priest
 Portrait of James Kennedy
James Kennedy
b. 1963
Columnist
 Portrait of John Kennedy
John Kennedy
b. 1983
Association football player

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Don Kennedy's

Portrait of Arthur Holly Compton
Arthur Holly Compton
1892 – 1962
Physicist
 Portrait of Chao Yuen Ren
Chao Yuen Ren
1892 – 1982
Linguist
 Portrait of George Paget Thomson
George Paget Thomson
1892 – 1975
Physicist
 Portrait of Marston Morse
Marston Morse
1892 – 1977
Mathematician
 Portrait of Albert Szent-Györgyi
Albert Szent-Györgyi
1893 – 1986
Biochemist
 Portrait of Gaston Julia
Gaston Julia
1893 – 1978
Mathematician

Frequently asked questions

Who was Don Kennedy?

American paralympic athlete, weightlifter and wheelchair basketball player

When was Don Kennedy born?

Don Kennedy was born on 4 November 1932.

When did Don Kennedy die?

Don Kennedy died on 16 October 2014.

What was Don Kennedy's occupation?

Don Kennedy was a wheelchair racer and wheelchair basketball player.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Don Kennedy

· Wikidata: Q135287666

· DBpedia: Don Kennedy (athlete)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Don Kennedy. https://biography.guide/don-kennedy-wheelchair-racer/

MLA: "Don Kennedy." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/don-kennedy-wheelchair-racer/.

Chicago: "Don Kennedy." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/don-kennedy-wheelchair-racer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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