Donna Arlene Atwood(February 14, 1925 – December 20, 2010) was an Americanfigure skater.She was born inNewton, Kansas,to pharmacist Chester Atwood and Allie Atwood, his wife. The family moved toAlbuquerquebefore relocating toLos Angeleswhen she was 9. She died on December 30, 2010, aged 85, at theMotion Picture & Television Country House and HospitalinWoodland Hills, California.[1]
| Donna Atwood | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Born | February 14, 1925 | ||||||||||||||
| Died | December 20, 2010(aged 85) | ||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | |||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||
| Partner | Eugene Turner(former) | ||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1956 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
editDonna began taking dancing lessons at age 3. Her skating began at age 13, when she was inspired by seeing aSonja Henieice show, and was given her first pair of skates by her older brother. At age 15, she won two medals at the 1941U.S. Figure Skating Championships:the seniorpairstitle with partnerEugene Turner[2]and the junior ladies title.[1][3]
That same year,John H. Harris,operating owner of theIce Capades,offered her a contract with his show. She signed with the Ice Capades at age 16, and within a year she was its star, billed as "The Queen of the Ice". She toured with the show for fifteen years, giving over 6,000 performances in two dozen venues. She was so famous that newspaper headlines of the day referred to her only as "Donna".[1]Her partners were Jimmy Lawrence and, for almost 20 years,Bobby Specht,the U.S. men's champion in 1942.[3]On her farewell tour, she starred in a production ofPeter Pan,making her entrance flying above the audience. She often spoke of it as her favorite role.[1]
Donna Atwood retired from the role of lead skater in 1956 at age 31, moving into a custom-builtBeverly Hillshome complete with a piano that folded into the wall.[1][4][5]She made a single television appearance in 1961 as Phyllis Merrill in thePerry Masonepisode, "The Case of the Renegade Refugee."
In the 1970s, when her children were grown and she was "tired of doing nothing," she began coaching young figure skaters in California.[1]
Family life
editIn 1949, Donna married her mentor John H. Harris, 27 years her senior, with whom she had twin sons in 1950 and a daughter in 1952.[1][6]
To facilitate her travel with young children, the Ice Capadespropsdepartment used a 10-foot traveling trunk to build a portable nursery that could be rolled into her hotel room. When her sons reached school age, she retired from skating. She was 31 years old, and at the peak of her career.[1]
Atwood and Harris divorced in 1959. Donna never remarried, eventually moving to Marina del Rey andPalm Desert, California.[1]
Results
edit(pairs withEugene Turner)
| Event | 1941 |
|---|---|
| North American Championships | 2nd |
| U.S. Championships | 1st |
References
edit- ^abcdefghi"Donna Atwood dies at 85; longtime Ice Capades Star".Los Angeles Times.2011-01-21.Archivedfrom the original on April 25, 2011.Retrieved2013-08-04.
- ^"AP Story in Palm Beach Post, 3 Feb 1941".Archived fromthe originalon 6 May 2020.Retrieved27 June2015.
- ^abHines, James R. (2011).Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating.Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 25.ISBN978-0-8108-6859-5.
- ^"Ice Capades' Donna Atwood to Retire Soon",Los Angeles Times,8 Apr 1956[1]
- ^"Skaters' Waltz: 'Hollywood' Cast Joins Other Icers", Billboard, 22 Sep 1956[2]
- ^"Obituaries: John H. Harris, Showman, Dies; First Owner of Ice Capades",The New York Times,13 Feb 1969[3]