Long Beach State University Athletics
Olympian And LBSU Hall Of Famer Don Baird Passes Away At 74
3/5/2026 11:05:00 AM | Track and Field
Baird was a national champion and Olympian in the Pole Vault.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State Hall of Fame and Australian Olympian Don Baird passed away following a stroke at the age of 74.
A gifted and determined athlete, he moved to California in the fall of 1975 to further advance his pole vaulting career after several years competing in Europe. Settling in Southern California, he joined Coach Ron Allice's track and field team at Long Beach State.
While at the Beach, Baird found tremendous collegiate and international success. Competing for two seasons, Baird was an All-American twice in both indoor and outdoor track and field in the Pole Vault. Baird finished second and third at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1976 and 1977, and after finishing 2nd in 1976, winning the 1977 NCAA Indoor Championship.
Representing Australia on the international stage, Don competed in the 1976 Olympic Games, where he finished 12th. He was the dominant Australian pole vaulter of his era, winning the 1974 Commonwealth Games, and then in addition to the Australian Championships, he won the 1975 West German, French and USA National Track & Field Championships during a time when international athletes were permitted to compete. He broke the Australian National Record numerous times, both indoors and outdoors, and in 1975 became the first Australian pole vaulter ever ranked in the world top ten by Track & Field News, earning a world ranking of seventh.
Following his retirement from competition, Don brought the same energy and vision to his professional life. He used his relationships in the track and field community to market events and secure sponsorships. In 1988, he founded School Properties, developing a network of sponsorships for high school sports programs. In recent years, he turned his creativity and determination toward revolutionizing mixed-grade plastics recycling, leading an international team of experts at Innovation Machine Technology, Inc. (IMT). On the brink of significant breakthroughs, his important work will be continued by his dedicated team.
Baird was inducted into the Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
A gifted and determined athlete, he moved to California in the fall of 1975 to further advance his pole vaulting career after several years competing in Europe. Settling in Southern California, he joined Coach Ron Allice's track and field team at Long Beach State.
While at the Beach, Baird found tremendous collegiate and international success. Competing for two seasons, Baird was an All-American twice in both indoor and outdoor track and field in the Pole Vault. Baird finished second and third at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1976 and 1977, and after finishing 2nd in 1976, winning the 1977 NCAA Indoor Championship.
Representing Australia on the international stage, Don competed in the 1976 Olympic Games, where he finished 12th. He was the dominant Australian pole vaulter of his era, winning the 1974 Commonwealth Games, and then in addition to the Australian Championships, he won the 1975 West German, French and USA National Track & Field Championships during a time when international athletes were permitted to compete. He broke the Australian National Record numerous times, both indoors and outdoors, and in 1975 became the first Australian pole vaulter ever ranked in the world top ten by Track & Field News, earning a world ranking of seventh.
Following his retirement from competition, Don brought the same energy and vision to his professional life. He used his relationships in the track and field community to market events and secure sponsorships. In 1988, he founded School Properties, developing a network of sponsorships for high school sports programs. In recent years, he turned his creativity and determination toward revolutionizing mixed-grade plastics recycling, leading an international team of experts at Innovation Machine Technology, Inc. (IMT). On the brink of significant breakthroughs, his important work will be continued by his dedicated team.
Baird was inducted into the Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
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