Donald Spero

Donald M. Spero (born August 9, 1939) is an American physicist, venture capitalist and a former U.S. and world champion rower who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Early life and education

Spero was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, and is Jewish.^[1] He studied engineering at Cornell University, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger society. He received a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University.^[2] Spero rowed for New York Athletic Club.

Rowing career

His first international competition came at the World 1961 Maccabiah Games, when he won a gold medal in the coxed four, along with teammate Allen Rosenberg.^[3]

In 1963 he was U.S. national champion in the single sculls and double sculls. He was US champion in the single sculls again in 1964, and competed for United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics at Tokyo in the single sculls. He was injured in the semifinals, but managed to finish sixth in the final.^[4] Also in 1964, he won a bronze medal in the single sculls at the European Championships in Amsterdam.^[5]

In 1965, Spero was training on Lake Zurich with Martin Studach and Melchior Bürgin ^[6] and went with them to Henley Royal Regatta where he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls and Sudach and Bürgin won the Double Sculls.^[7] Spero also won the Gold Medal at the Duisberg International Regatta and the US Quadruple Sculls championship. In 1966, he was US Champion in Single Sculls again and won the World Rowing Single Sculls Championship in 1966 in Bled, Yugoslavia.^[8]

Spero was also a founder of the National Rowing Foundation in 1966, and was its director from 1967 to 1984. He was elected to the Helms/Rowing Hall of Fame in 1966, Cornell University Hall of Fame in 1984, New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame in 1986, and International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.^[9]

Business career

Spero conducted post-doctoral research in physics at the University of Maryland, which resulted in the development of high intensity microwave lamps. This became the core technology for Fusion Systems Corporation which he founded and of which he became president and CEO. He was then a director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and in 1992 founded Spero Quality Strategies, a venture capital fund. In 2002 Spero was a co-founder of New Markets Venture Partners. He also became a board director for FortiusOne^[2] In 2003 he led the launch of the New Markets Growth Fund, a $20 million venture capital fund of which he became managing director.^[10]

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ ^{a b} New Markets Venture Partners^{[dead link]}
3. ^ [2]
4. ^ "Donald Spero". Sports-reference.com. August 9, 1939. http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sp/donald-spero-1.html. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
5. ^ "European championships Single Scull". Sports123.com. http://sports123.com/row/me-ssc.html. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
6. ^ "Rowing News". http://books.google.com/books?id=HEsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=%22Martin+Studach%22&source=bl&ots=HJQLgeODWa&sig=prriE56Co3yeMJSXXpmA2dm9fh0&hl=en&ei=B3t4S5-5LIn60wSFhP2wCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CB8Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22Martin%20Studach%22&f=false. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
7. ^ "Henley Royal Regatta Results of Final Races 1946–2009". Rowinghistory.net. http://www.rowinghistory.net/HRR%20US/hrr_1946-2000.htm. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
8. ^ "World Championships Single Scull". Sports123.com. http://sports123.com/row/mw-ssc.html. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
9. ^ "International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame". Jewishsports.net. August 9, 1939. http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/DonaldSpero.htm. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
10. ^ "Grow Fast Grow Right". Grow Fast Grow Right. http://www.growfastgrowright.com/gfgrdreamteam_don_spero.htm. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 

Persondata
Name	Spero, Donald
Alternative names
Short description	Olympic rower
Date of birth	August 9, 1939
Place of birth	Chicago, Illinois
Date of death
Place of death