Historical information

Don McClanen, who founded the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in 1954, has died at the age of 91.
“Don’s unwavering commitment and vision truly enabled FCA to grow to where it is today, encouraging millions of coaches and athletes to lead lives that are dedicated to Christ,” said Les Steckel, FCA president and CEO, in a statement. “Sixty-two years later, that vision is alive and well through FCA, influencing lives for Christ across the globe—an amazing legacy.”
McClanen was born on February 3, 1925, in Trenton, New Jersey. He served in the Navy during World War II, then attended Oklahoma State University. After graduation, McClanen coached high school basketball before becoming the athletic director and men’s basketball coach at Eastern Oklahoma University.
McClanen’s dreams of using sports to influence young people began after a speaker at a physical education conference he attended warned the audience that they could either lead youth “up a mountain or down a drain.” From FCA’s statement:
McClanen was challenged to be a better model of his Christian life and told the Lord he would surrender to His will. Inspired by the conference, he began saving newspaper and magazine articles about Christian athletes and coaches.
After reading that 30 million American youth had no religious training, McClanen began posting his articles in the locker room and praying before games. Soon, he was dreaming of a way for well-known Christian athletes to advertise their faith on television and in magazines the way they advertised other household products.
McClanen’s relationship with Louis H. Evans, who later became the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood and the leader of the Presbyterian Board of National Mission, helped spark what later became FCA. From FCA:
Evans...encouraged McClanen to write to Christian athletes who were strong in their faith—greats like football stars Doak Walker and Otto Graham; baseball players Carl Erskine, Robin Roberts and Alvin Dark; Olympians Bob Mathias and Bob Richards; coaching and front office legends Amos Alonzo Stagg, Bud Wilkinson and Clarence “Biggie” Munn; and even broadcasters Tom Harmon and Red Barber.
Fourteen of those 19 men told McClanen they were interested. But [Branch] Rickey, the then-Pittsburgh Pirates general manager who had signed Jackie Robinson when he led the Brooklyn Dodgers, didn’t answer the letter. McClanen, however, pressed on for a meeting with him. He promised to drive to Pittsburgh to meet with Rickey on his own dime for a five-minute face-to-face conversation. The meeting lasted five hours, and three months later and with a $10,000 gift from a Pittsburgh businessman, FCA became a reality, chartered in Oklahoma on Nov. 10, 1954. Died February 2016.

Physical description

Don McClanen, head & shoulders portrait.

Inscriptions & markings

Don McClanen