Donald M "Don" Spero was born on August 9,1939 and is an American physicist, venture capitalist, and a former US and world champion rower who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics and won the single sculls 1966 World Rowing Championships.
14 Facts About Donald Spero
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Donald Spero won a gold medal at the 1961 Maccabiah Games in the coxed four, and won the 1963 and 1964 US national championships.
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Donald Spero received his degree in Engineering Physics with honors in 1962 from Cornell University, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger society and elected to Tau Beta Pi.
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Donald Spero was in the Cornell freshman eight that won the 1958 Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship under coach Carl F Ullrich.
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Donald Spero took up sculling in 1963, winning the US National Championships in single sculls against the former national champion Seymour Cromwell.
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In 1964 Donald Spero joined the New York Athletic Club and won his second US Single Sculls Championship.
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Donald Spero then represented the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics at Tokyo in the single sculls.
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In 1965, Donald Spero trained on Lake Zurich with Martin Studach and Melchior Burgin and went with them to Henley Royal Regatta, where he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls and Studach and Burgin won the Double Sculls Challenge Cup, both setting new Henley course records.
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Donald Spero won the gold medal at the 1965 Duisburg International Regatta and the US Quadruple sculls championship.
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Donald Spero was a founder of the National Rowing Foundation in 1966, and was a director from 1967 to 1984.
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Donald Spero conducted post-doctoral research in physics at the University of Maryland, which resulted in the development of high intensity microwave lamps.
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Donald Spero had a successful initial public offering in 1994, and was acquired by Heraeus Technology Group.
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In 2000 Donald Spero was recruited to be Director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Maryland, Smith School of Business.
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In 2002 Donald Spero co-founded New Markets Venture Partners, of which he is a General Partner.