MacArthur, Don
item
- Player Name
- MacArthur, Don
- Type
- Athlete
- Sport
- Auto Racing
- Inducted
- 2007
- Era
- 1900 – 1970
- Description
- Born Donald Rhodes MacArthur (December 13, 1928 - January 25, 2006) in a little town outside of Sudbury called O’Donell that now no longer exists. Don MacArthur moved to the Niagara area when he was about three years old and lived in Chippawa for the rest of his life. In 1946, Don MacArthur married Carol (Willick) and together they raised their two children, Rick and Sue, and enjoyed the company of five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Don, known to many as “Mac”, worked for the Norton Company and the Bridge Commission before starting an apprenticeship with J Course Signs to learn the art of lettering signs. Mac later had his own business, MacArthur Signs, which he operated until 2005. In the 1960's, Mac started pinstriping, custom painting motorcycles, and designing and laying out of paint jobs on custom hot rods. In 1957, Mac and some of his good friends started the Satan’s Car Club. The club was formed to build a dragster for competition and to promote safety at the drag strip and on public roads. They even had an O.P.P. officer, Ewart Edlington, as an advisory member. The dragster, designed and driven by Mac, was built by all the members of the Satan’s Car Club. On their first time out to the drag strip, they broke the Canadian speed record for the quarter mile and over the next five years broke and reset it many more times. In the early 60's, Mac held many records in the U.S. and Canada, and won the Canadian championship twice. In 1961, Mac was invited to the “Dinner of Champions” by the Councils of the City of Niagara Falls, the Township of Stamford, and the Village of Chippawa, to be given official recognition for persons who had achieved outstanding awards in 1960. Mac enjoyed anything mechanical. He not only drove and designed a very competitive and safe dragster, but built many street rods, custom motorcycles, and even an airplane that was flown for 28 years. Forever #1.
- Subject
-
Awards
Niagara Falls Virtual Sports Wall of Fame
Portraits - Biographical
Sports - Recreation - Leisure
