Sad news to report this week out of Oklahoma as one of the key figures who helped softball get into the Olympic Games, Don Porter, has passed away.
Softball luminaries such as Kirk Walker, the UCLA coach and director of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, have paid tribute to Porter; here’s what Coach Walker said via social media:
“Very sad news in the softball world. Don was a driving force in getting softball in the Olympics and elevated the game of softball for decades and decades. I will always value and appreciate that he was responsible for so much of the growth of our sport. RIP Don Porter.”
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USA Softball honored Porter with a release today:
USA Softball joins the softball community in mourning the loss of former Executive Director, Don Porter (Oklahoma City, Okla.), who passed away on Sunday, June 7, 2020. He was 90 years old.
“We are deeply saddened to hear about the loss of Don Porter, a visionary leader and advocate for the sport of softball,” said USA Softball Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Craig Cress.
“His passion, dedication and perseverance to make softball an international leader in the sports community played an instrumental role in where we are today. His vision for our sport led to softball participation in over 130 countries around the world, and his impact and influence, not only for our organization but for the sport of softball as a whole, will continue to live on in every participant, administrator and fan. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Jean, as well as his family and friends from all across the world during this difficult time.”
Porter’s influence and contributions to the sport of softball extend across the globe. Beginning his career with USA Softball (formerly Amateur Softball Association) as a Commissioner of Southern California, Porter joined the National Office staff in May of 1962 before being appointed the Executive Secretary-Treasurer in January of 1963, a position which eventually merged into the Executive Director title.
Don Porter, international softball leader, past WBSC Co-President dies at 90
https://t.co/j2V5roDFpT— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) June 9, 2020
Porter served as Executive Director of USA Softball for over 35 years before retiring in 1997 and continuing his role as President of the International Softball Federation (ISF).
During his time as Executive Director, USA Softball had outstanding growth and development, including building of the National Office, the National Softball Hall of Fame and the historic USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City.
Not only was Porter influential within the growth of USA Softball, he also helped conceptualize and launch the first-ever Softball World Championship in 1965, which led to the foundation of the ISF (now known as the World Baseball Softball Confederation).
Porter was known throughout the international sports community as a champion for softball’s inclusion in the Olympic Games and campaigned for more than two decades to get softball onto the Olympic program.
That dream became a reality in 1991 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially confirmed that softball would be played in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. That dream lived on through four Olympic Games until a 2005 decision from the IOC to cut softball from the Olympic program following the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Porter’s dedication, determination and tireless efforts resumed in a renewed effort to see the sport of softball reinstated into the Olympic Games platform, which once-again became a reality in 2016 when the IOC approved the inclusion of softball in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
For those efforts, Porter was awarded the Collar of Honour, the WBSC’s highest recognition of people who contributed to the foundation of the WBSC and its success, in front of the full WBSC General Assembly in 2017. Porter was also honored in 2019 in front of the entire USA Softball Council to celebrate his legacy and service to the sport.
“I am saddened to hear about the passing of Don Porter,” said U.S. Olympic Softball Team Head Coach, Ken Eriksen. “He was impactful not only on the history of softball in the United States but he influenced the spread of the game internationally. His tenacity in promoting softball to the International Olympic Committee for its inclusion in the games was rewarded in the announcement in 1991 that softball would be in the Games of Atlanta in 1996.”
“I was happy to not only share that moment with him but also to spend time with him in Cuba in 1988 as part of a USA Select Team that opened the door for the 1991 Pan Am Games to be held on communist soil. Because of Don Porter, softball once again has been given the chance to be in the Olympics. He told me how proud he was of our program, and I made sure to have him address our team in Reno, Nev. this past November because context is important for our young people. USA Softball is a very close-knit family. He was a class act and as a Military Veteran he took pride in doing things the right way. History should never forget those that paved the way for many to enjoy what they have today, on and off the field.”
Below are just some of the highlights of Porter’s storied career:
- USA Softball Executive Director (1963-1997)
- ISF Secretary General (1965-1987), President (1987-2013)
- Co-President of the WBSC (2013-2014)
- United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Board of Directors (1968-1988)
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of great NFCA friend and terrific supporter of softball, Don Porter. He was a driving force to get softball into the @Olympics and behind the construction of @USASoftball Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC, among MANY other accomplishments. pic.twitter.com/RgpEJbkazT
— National Fastpitch Coaches Association (@NFCAorg) June 8, 2020
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Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman also wrote a great article summarizing Don’s life and contributions to the sport…
Don E. Porter, who more than anyone else made Oklahoma City the nation’s softball mecca, died Sunday at the age of 90, with his wife of 70 years, Jean, by his side at their OKC home.
Porter spent 35 years as executive director of the Amateur Softball Association, 1963-98. ASA moved to Oklahoma City in 1966 and eventually built Hall of Fame Stadium, which became the home of the ultra-successful Women’s College World Series and which for many years was named for Porter.
Porter also served as the first Secretary-General of the International Softball Federation, in 1965. He was president of the organization for 26 years and its chief executive officer from 1998-2013.
Porter championed softball as an Olympic sport, both with its first entry into the Games (1996) and again for 2020. He constantly petitioned the International Olympic Committee on softball’s behalf.
“It was an amazing 20-year struggle, and only his refusal to be shoved to the sidelines and his ability to get on the IOC finally produced the dream,” said John Brooks, the legendary Oklahoma sportscaster who first was associated with ASA in the 1960s. “The WCWS is not here today if not for Porter and Stanley (Draper Jr., of the All Sports Association), and softball is not an Olympic sport if not for the relentless battle he (Porter) never gave up on.”
Softball icon Don Porter dies at age 90 https://t.co/YGkvLXKtz1
— The Oklahoman (@TheOklahoman_) June 9, 2020
Porter grew up in San Fernando, California. He played two years of California semi-pro football and played both football and baseball at East Los Angeles College, majoring in journalism, and studied law at LaSalle Extension University. Porter became a football official and called games in both the Big Eight and the NFL.
Porter served in the Army during the Korean War (1951-52), and was awarded the Korean War Medal in 2001 by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Korea.
During his softball administration, Porter was one of the founding members and served as the first secretary general of the World Games, a multi-sport event initially involving 16 sports representing 59 countries. In 1994, Porter was appointed by IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch to the IOC Press Commission. Porter was awarded the Olympic Order by the IOC in 1997. He served on the U.S. Olympic Committee board of directors from 1968 to 1998.
Within the state, Porter served as president of the Oklahoma Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, appointed in 1995 and 1997 by Gov. Frank Keating, and served as the first chairman of the Sooner State Games, a multi-sport event encompassing some 35 sports.
In 2007, as part of the state’s centennial, The Oklahoman named Porter one of the top 100 contributors to sports in the state’s history.
Porter had three children, 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in the next few weeks.
