Friends of Basketball

Don Smith

Year Inducted: 1993

Category: Friends of Basketball

Schools / Organizations:

Freeburg High School

Biography:

At the time of his induction, Don Smith had been driving the Freeburg High School basketball bus since 1951.  He had driven for 12 different head coaches during that time.  The trip that Don had most looked forward to occurred in 1992 when he drove the Midgets to their first ever state tournament appearance in the Charleston IHSA Super-sectional.  Even though the Midgets lost to Fairview HS, it was a high point in this former soft drink distributor’s bus driving career. 

Don was a 4-year varsity basketball letterman for the Midgets from 1942-1945.  He earned all conference player honors in 1944.  Don also kept the scorebook for all Freeburg away games beginning in 1951.  Don kept the home scorebook from 1951-1989, including the Freeburg Holiday Tournament games since 1967 and all IHSA tournament games hosted by the school.  It is estimated Don kept the scorebook and drove to more than 750 away games and scored more than 900 home games.  His wife Marjorie said of the many trips she accompanied him on with the team, “When the kids were little we used to take them and go along.  We planned our lives around the basketball schedule for quite a few years.”  Due to the team’s succcess in 1992, the pair even postponed their annual trip to the St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training.  Don explained the delay quite simply, “We’re not leaving until the tournament is over.”