Don Holder
Don Holder
Full Name:  Donald Joseph Holder
     Born:  September 29, 1928, Jersey City, N.J.
     Died:  August 31, 2015, Tallahassee, Fla.
   School:  Dickinson High School in Jersey City, New Jersey

Awards:  1994 US Gymnastics Hall of Fame

Olympics:  
   1952 - at Helsinki, Finland representing United States in Gymnastics

Legacy Bricks:  Legacy Walk Map Link
   1952, 53, 54, 55 Gymnastics AA - Loc 55
   1982 Gymnastics HOF - Loc 66


Click On Photo To Enlarge
Connie and Don Holder.   Bill Roetzheim, Coach Hartley Price, DON HOLDER


FSU Career
Gymnastics
Year  Hgt  Wgt  Cl  Ltr  Hometown
51-52 5-7  155  Fr   *   Jersey City, NJ                         
52-53 5-7  155  So   *   Jersey City, NJ                         
53-54 5-7  155  Jr   *   Jersey City, NJ                         
54-55 5-7  150  Sr   *   Jersey City, NJ                         


All-American Awards
Gymnastics
Year  Award
1952  NCAA Championships - All-Around (4th)
      NCAA Championships - Side Horse (7th)
      NCAA Championships - High Bar (8th)
      NCAA Championships - Parallel Bars (8th)
      NCAA Championships - Rope Climb (8th)
1953  NCAA Championships - Horizontal Bar (5th)
      NCAA Championships - Parallel Bars (7th)
      NCAA Championships - All-Around (8th)
1954  NCAA Championships - All-Around (2nd)
      NCAA Championships - Side Horse (4th)
      NCAA Championships - High Bar (5th)
      NCAA Championships - Parallel Bars (6th)
1955  NCAA Championships - Parallel Bars (3rd)
      NCAA Championships - All-Around (3rd)
      NCAA Championships - High Bar (8th)


Member of the FSU Hall of Fame
Elected into the FSU Hall of Fame in 1982
Don Holder was a versatile gymnast and a leader of the 1952 NCAA and 1953 AAU champion Florida State Seminoles. He won an individual NCAA championship in 1953 and was Southern Gymnastics champion in three events. Holder was named to the United States squad for the Pan American Games and in 1952 he represented the United States at the Olympic Games at Helsinki. Holder twice captained the Seminole gymnastics team and in 1954 he was top scorer in Florida State's upset victory over the world champion Swedish Olympic team. Coach Hartley Price said of Holder, "He became very, very good and was extremely consistent at everything he did." With grace, agility, and strength Don Holder brought honor to his alma mater in arenas around the world.



FSU Statistics
Gymnastics
   Date    Opponent/Meet                  Event                         Place Points
---------- ------------------------------ ----------------------------- ----- ------
            1952 Season
03/22/1952 NCAA Championship              All-Around                      4      7
03/22/1952 NCAA Championship              Still Rings                     1     11
03/22/1952 NCAA Championship              Horizontal Bar                  8      3
03/22/1952 NCAA Championship              Side Horse                      7      4
03/22/1952 NCAA Championship              Parallel Bars                   8      3
03/22/1952 NCAA Championship              Rope Climb                      8      3
04/26/1952 National AAU Championship      All-Around                      4      3
04/26/1952 National AAU Championship      Still Rings                     5      2
            1953 Season
03/28/1953 NCAA Championship              All-Around                      8      3
03/28/1953 NCAA Championship              Horizontal Bar                  5      6
03/28/1953 NCAA Championship              Parallel Bars                   7      4
05/02/1953 National AAU Championship      All-Around                      5      2
05/02/1953 National AAU Championship      Indian Clubs                    1      7
05/02/1953 National AAU Championship      Side Horse                      4      3
05/02/1953 National AAU Championship      Long Horse                      4      3
05/02/1953 National AAU Championship      Horizontal Bar                  6      1
05/02/1953 National AAU Championship      Still Rings                     5      2
05/02/1953 National AAU Championship      Parallel Bars                   5      2
            1954 Season
04/03/1954 NCAA Championship              All-Around                      2      9
04/03/1954 NCAA Championship              Side Horse                      4      7
04/03/1954 NCAA Championship              Horizontal Bar                  5      6
04/03/1954 NCAA Championship              Parallel Bars                   6      5
05/01/1954 National AAU Championship      All-Around                      3      4
05/01/1954 National AAU Championship      Horizontal Bar                  4      3
05/01/1954 National AAU Championship      Parallel Bars                   5      2
            1955 Season
03/27/1955 NCAA Championship              All-Around                      3      8
03/27/1955 NCAA Championship              Still Rings                     1     11
03/27/1955 NCAA Championship              Parallel Bars                   3      8
03/27/1955 NCAA Championship              Long Horse                      5      6
03/27/1955 NCAA Championship              High Bar                        8      3
04/30/1955 National AAU Championship      All-Around                      5      2
04/30/1955 National AAU Championship      Still Rings                     3      4
04/30/1955 National AAU Championship      Parallel Bars                   5      2