Don Paup (1939-2012) was a U.S. badminton player who won national and
international titles from the mid-1960’s to the early 1980’s, and led a
renowned badminton summer camp for many years at George Washington
University.
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Stan Bischof.
Don was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1939, one of four sons, and graduated from Wilson High School. He earned a B.A. from Occidental College, and an M.S. and PhD from Tulane University with post-doctoral fellowships at Michigan State University and the University of California at Los Angeles. He played badminton as a teenager, winning his only Junior National title in Under-19 Boy’s Doubles with Ted Ebenkamp in 1957. He and Jim Poole were ranked #1 in U.S. Men’s Doubles for 11 consecutive seasons, 1965-1975, world-class athletes. His titles included:
Don played on the U.S. Thomas cup team in 1963-64, 1966-67, 1969-70, and 1972-73. He was Coach and Captain in 1972-73. He also played on the U.S. Devlin Cup team, and the U.S. Touring Team to South Africa in 1971. Don, his wife Helen, and his two daughters moved to Vienna, Virginia, where Don was Chairman of the George Washington University Exercise Science department in 1973. He also led the Cardiac Rehab Lab and Runner’s Clinic during his tenure. He retired in 2006 after 33 years at GWU, and was named a Professor Emeritus of Exercise Science.
Don was elected to the USA Badminton Hall of Fame in 1973, and was chosen for the Ken Davidson Award in 1976. He also served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports from 1968-1997. He was a service judge for the Thomas Cup in 1967, an umpire for the 1981 World Games, and a line judge for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Don authored badminton skills books and teaching films, and wrote over 50 publications in the field of exercise and sport science. He was also a coach at the Connecticut and GWU Badminton Camps.
Don was a doubles specialist known for his quick racket and his tactical astuteness. He was also known for his strong faith, character, integrity, kindness, and sportsmanship, and was a devoted family man. He died of complications from Parkinson’s disease at age 73 in 2012.
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