Legend Lt. Col. Edward B. "Burt" DeGroot, Jr., passes away

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

The USA Volleyball family lost another member last week when Lt. Col. Edward B. "Burt" DeGroot, Jr., (USAF, Ret.) passed away on Thursday, Oct. 2, in Santa Maria, Calif. He was 96.

Earlier this year, Richard "Cappy" Caplan, who played in 52 consecutive national open championships, and Wilbur H. Peck, a long-time member and former president of the USVBA, both passed away.

"The passing of Col. DeGroot causes me pause to reflect on how many of our great leaders from the post-World War II era we have lost recently-Wil Peck, Jim Coleman, Mert Kennedy to name three, and now Burt DeGroot," said USA Volleyball President Al Monaco. "Burt's greatest contributions to volleyball were made during his military career, which started in World War II and ran for almost 20 years."

"Burt is really one of the icons at the national team level in this country," said Doug Beal, head coach of the USA men's national volleyball team. "Like Jim Coleman, like Wil Peck.it will be pretty hard to replace Burt's commitment to the game, his experience, his knowledge. That leaves a great void."

DeGroot, a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Mass., was born in Kenilworth, Ill., on Dec. 17, 1906, but lived in California for most of his life. A former Eagle Scout and high school student-body president, he earned nine varsity letters in football, basketball and track at Pasadena and Monrovia high schools.

DeGroot was a 1932 graduate of Stanford University, where he earned All-America honors in track and field as a pole vaulter. He later earned a master's degree in education from Stanford in 1937.

He was a teacher, coach and administrator at high schools in California and Hawaii from 1933-1939 before becoming an instructor and coach at the University of Kansas from 1939-41.

In March 1942, DeGroot entered active duty as a 2nd Lt. in the Army Air Corps. He served with distinction-earning nine campaign and service medals and a USAF commendation medal-until he retired from the U.S. Air Force in January 1960.

While stationed in San Francisco early in his military career, DeGroot-who was already an active player-saw top-level competitive volleyball in local YMCA's and open competition and became actively involved in the sport. Recognizing the game's potential for physical training as well as for recreation, he included volleyball as a major activity in the P.T. program of the 4th Air Force. This initiated thousands of Air Corps personnel as active participants in the highly skilled, competitive game of volleyball.

When DeGroot served as athletic officer for the U.S. Air Forces Europe from 1946-48, he established volleyball as a major competitive sport from unit and installation to European Command championship levels. For his own recreation, he played and coached his USAFE team to three consecutive European and Mediterranean Theatre Championships.

In 1946, following the USVBA's first steps to gain Olympic recognition for volleyball (with the counsel of IOC Vice President Avery Brundage), an International Volleyball Congress was organized in Paris early in 1947. DeGroot was designated as one of the two USVBA delegates. Soon thereafter, the International Volleyball Federation (now the FIVB) was formed with the USVBA one of the 14 charter members.

"He was one of the first people that saw the global nature of the sport," Beal added. "He pushed for the United States to be a regular participant internationally."

Following his European service, DeGroot remained actively involved in volleyball and with the USVBA as a coach, player, official and a three-time member of the Board of Directors (1950-56, 1963-65, 1972-78). He was a USVBA Vice-President from 1950-56. From 1960-78, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic Games Volleyball Committee, and from 1973-75 he served as the USVBA Men's National Training Director.

DeGroot also served as the manager of the USA men's national volleyball team at the 1963 and 1971 Pan American Games and the 1964 Olympic Games.

Not surprisingly, DeGroot received many awards during his storied military and volleyball career. When he retired from the Air Force, he was presented the USAF Special Award "For Outstanding Services to the U.S. Air Force in Developing and Promoting the Sports of Volleyball, 1953-1960."

DeGroot was also a highly decorated member of the USVBA. He was recognized as a "Leader in Volleyball" in 1950, presented with the USVBA's top honor, the "Frier Award," in 1978 and selected as an "All-Time Great Coach" in the Pioneer Division in 1995.

In 1990 he was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame.

After he retired from the USAF, DeGroot was a teacher, counselor, coach and dean at Santa Monica College prior to moving to San Clemente, Calif., in 1972. It was at Santa Monica College that DeGroot enjoyed his greatest collegiate coaching successes: along with co-coach Harlan Cohen, his teams won four-straight USVBA Collegiate Championships from 1961-1964.

Following his tenure at Santa Monica College, DeGroot coached volleyball with Cohen at Pepperdine University from 1972-74.

"Burt was instrumental in starting the men's volleyball program at Pepperdine, which is now one of the premier volleyball programs in the country," said Beal. "He was an outstanding coach in his own right."

Even in his later years, DeGroot remained highly active. He was a Senior Olympics discus champion in 1972 in the 65-69 age division and a discus and shot put record-holder well into his '80s. In 1987 and 1988, he captured Masters "Field Athlete of the Year" honors from The Athletics Congress in the 80-84 age division.

"It was an honor to have played for Burt DeGroot in college and an equal honor to have coached under him," recalled Marv Dunphy, head coach of the men's volleyball team at Pepperdine University. "I will always admire how he cared for his wife, Ruth, during her final years. She had some long-term health issues, and Burt took care of every little need of hers. He was just a wonderful, caring husband."

DeGroot, who lost his wife of more than 50 years, Ruth, in 1994, is survived by his three sons: Colonel (Ret.) Edward B. DeGroot III, Dr. Donald F. DeGroot and David P. DeGroot; his brother Hugo; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; six nieces; and one nephew.

"Burt DeGroot and Abe Lincoln are my favorite Americans," Dunphy added. "Burt was a great American. He did great things for our sport for decades."

"He was best known as a coach to most, but to me he was a mentor, always there when I needed him without imposing himself or being self promoting," added Monaco, who became the USVBA's first executive director in 1973. "A special part of my volleyball memories is gone.but not forgotten."

For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.