Donald Spero
Encyclopedia
Donald M. Spero is an American physicist, venture capitalist and a former U.S. and world champion rower
who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics
.
, in the United States, and is Jewish. 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
. Spero rowed for New York Athletic Club.
, when he won a gold medal in the coxed four
, along with teammate Allen Rosenberg
.
In 1963 he was U.S. national champion in the single scull
s and double scull
s. 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. Also in 1964, he won a bronze medal in the single sculls at the European Championships in Amsterdam.
In 1965, Spero was training on Lake Zurich
with Martin Studach
and Melchior Bürgin
and went with them to Henley Royal Regatta
where he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls
and Sudach and Bürgin won the Double Sculls. 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.
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.
, 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 In 2003 he led the launch of the New Markets Growth Fund, a $20 million venture capital fund of which he became managing director.
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
.
Early life and education
Spero was born in Chicago, IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, in the United States, and is Jewish. He studied engineering at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society. He received a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Spero rowed for New York Athletic Club.
Rowing career
His first international competition came at the World 1961 Maccabiah Games1961 Maccabiah Games
The 1961 6th Maccabiah Games attracted 1,000 athletes from 27 countries.First-time countries included Guatemala and Congo-Kinshasa.The new Kfar Ha’Maccabiah Village served as home to the competing athletes....
, when he won a gold medal in the coxed four
Coxed four
A coxed four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a cox....
, along with teammate Allen Rosenberg
Allen Rosenberg (rower)
Allen Perry Rosenberg is an American former rower and rowing coach. He won 12 international and national gold and silver medals as a rower, and teams he coached won more than 24 gold and silver medals in the Olympics and world championships.-Early life:Rosenberg, who is Jewish, was born in...
.
In 1963 he was U.S. national champion in the single scull
Single scull
A single scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand....
s and double scull
Double scull
A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, one in each hand....
s. He was US champion in the single sculls again in 1964, and competed for United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics
United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. 346 competitors, 267 men and 79 women, took part in 159 events in 19 sports....
at Tokyo in the single sculls. He was injured in the semifinals, but managed to finish sixth in the final. Also in 1964, he won a bronze medal in the single sculls at the European Championships in Amsterdam.
In 1965, Spero was training on Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
with Martin Studach
Martin Studach
Martin Andreas Studach was a Swiss rower who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 1968 Summer Olympics....
and Melchior Bürgin
Melchior Bürgin
Melchior Rudolf Bürgin is a former Swiss rower who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics....
and went with them to Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
where he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls
Diamond Challenge Sculls
The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
and Sudach and Bürgin won the Double Sculls. Spero also won the Gold Medal at the Duisberg International Regatta and the US Quadruple Sculls
Quad scull
A quad scull, or quadruple scull in full, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, one in each hand....
championship. In 1966, he was US Champion in Single Sculls again and won the World Rowing Single Sculls Championship in 1966 in Bled, Yugoslavia.
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
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
in 1993.
Business career
Spero conducted post-doctoral research in physics at the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, 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 In 2003 he led the launch of the New Markets Growth Fund, a $20 million venture capital fund of which he became managing director.