Don Boven was born on March 6, 1925 to Thomas Boven and Jessie Knapper in Kalamazoo, MI. The second of four sons, Boven grew up in Kalamazoo where he attended Kalamazoo Central High School. After graduation from high school in 1943, Boven joined the Army, and was honorably discharged in October 1945. Boven then attended Western Michigan University where he played basketball, baseball, and football. Receiving offers to play all three sports professionally after college, Boven decided to play professional basketball with the Waterloo Hawks, and later played for the Fort Wayne Pistons. After his career playing professional sports, Boven joined the staff of Western Michigan University, and eventually became the head coach of the varsity basketball team and later a professor in the Men’s Physical Education Department. Boven was honored as an inductee of both the Kalamazoo Central Hall of Fame and the Western Michigan University Hall of Fame for his outstanding success athletically at both schools and in professional sports. Boven was elected and served as Texas Township clerk. Boven died on March 10, 2011.