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Donald Harper

1932 – 2017

Olympic diver

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About Donald Harper

Lived 1932 – 2017 (aged 85). Donald Harper was an American competitive diver.

Donald de Wayne "Don" Harper (June 4, 1932 – November 30, 2017) was an American diver who competed for Ohio State University and won a silver medal in springboard diving at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Harper was born in Redwood City, California on June 4, 1932, to Owen and Sarah Harper.

Between 1950 and 1955, Harper won five US National championships, two NCAA championships, and five National AAU championships in the 3m springboard.

Ohio State Harper attended Ohio State University, enrolling in 1953, where he dove for Hall of Fame Coach Mike Peppe who also served as his 1956 U.S. Olympic Diving Coach. During his diving career, Harper captured AAU titles on the 1 metre springboard in 1959 and 1960. He won AAU titles in the 3 metre springboard indoors in 1956 and 1958, also winning the team title in 1956, his Olympic year.

He took the 3-metre outdoor title in 1955 and 1959. He won AAU platform diving honors in 1961. In 1956, he was NCAA champion on the 3-metre springboard, and on both the 1- and 3-metre springboards in 1958. In January 1962, he received Diver of the Year honors from the Columbus Touchdown Club for his performance in 1961.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Don Harper, Donald de Wayne Harper

People in Donald Harper's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Donald Harper's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Donald Harper?

Olympic diver (1932–2017)

When was Donald Harper born?

Donald Harper was born on 4 June 1932 in Redwood City.

When did Donald Harper die?

Donald Harper died on 30 November 2017 in Upper Arlington.

What was Donald Harper's occupation?

Donald Harper was a competitive diver.

What nationality was Donald Harper?

Donald Harper was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Donald Harper

· Wikidata: Q5294487

· DBpedia: Donald Harper

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Donald Harper. https://biography.guide/donald-harper/

MLA: "Donald Harper." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/donald-harper/.

Chicago: "Donald Harper." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/donald-harper/.

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