Donald E. Young Papers

Donald E. Young was born in Edgemont, South Dakota, on Sept. 24, 1914, and graduated from high school there in 1933. He attended Spearfish Normal School from 1935 to 1940, during which time he was the quarterback for Coach Paul Rose's undefeated football team, participated in numerous other activities including basketball, newspaper staff, and yearbook staff, and received many honors including "Most Representative Man" in 1938. He joined the Naval Reserve upon graduating from college in 1940 and served as a member of the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team during World War II. He returned home with a Bronze Star in 1946 but served again in the Korean War from 1951 to 1953 and did not retire from the United States Naval Reserve until 1974. Young began teaching history and coaching at Spearfish High School, where he met his future wife Darleen Furois, in 1947. The two were married in 1948, the same year that Young began teaching at Black Hills State College. During his time at the college, he served as coach for football, basketball, and track; director of the Extension Division; and social science teacher, primarily in geography. Young was active in the Spearfish community in addition to the college and served as mayor of Spearfish from 1967 to 1976. He and his wife, Darleen, received the first Spirit of Spearfish Award in 1986. After 31 years, Young retired as a teacher at the college in 1979 and began working for the Alumni Association where he continued his work on campus for many years. Young also volunteered as coordinator of the Field Historians for Leland D. Case Library for Western Historical Studies beginning in 1979. He was elected to the South Dakota Coaching Hall of Fame in 1987, and in 1990 he was honored with the dedication of the Donald E. Young Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of Black Hills State University. Young died at Lookout Memorial Hospital in Spearfish on Dec. 12, 1997, at the age of 83.