CLARENCE H. DONINGER

Clarence H. Doninger, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, distinguished attorney, lifelong Hoosier, and former Indiana University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, passed away peacefully surrounded by family. He was 90.

For many across Indiana University, Clarence was best known for his decade of leadership as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics from 1991 to 2001. During that time, he guided the Hoosiers through a period of exceptional success. Under his leadership, IU teams captured 27 Big Ten regular season or tournament championships, competed in 52 NCAA championships, and won two NCAA national team titles. He also helped expand opportunities for women in athletics, overseeing the addition of four women’s varsity sports as Indiana University became a national leader in gender equity compliance.

Born on October 8, 1935, in Evansville, Indiana, Clarence grew up with a love of athletics, learning, and leadership. He attended Evansville Central High School and was a member of the varsity basketball team from 1950 to 1953.

At Indiana University, Clarence quickly distinguished himself both academically and athletically. He played for the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team under legendary coach Branch McCracken. Wearing number 25, he was a member of the 1957 Big Ten co-championship team. His athletic achievements extended beyond the basketball court. Clarence was also a member of the Sigma Nu cycling team that won the famous Little 500 bicycle race in 1957, and he served as president of both his freshman and sophomore classes and later as student body president. He graduated with honors from Indiana University in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and earned his J.D. with distinction in 1960. During law school, he served on the Board of Editors of the Indiana Law Journal (1959–1960). He was a member of Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity, the prestigious Order of the Coif, and Beta Gamma Sigma. Clarence was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1960 and began a long and successful legal career in Indianapolis, concluding as a partner in the law firm Stark, Doninger, Mernitz & Smith. Whether as a student, athlete, alumnus, attorney, volunteer, or athletic director, he answered the call to serve his alma mater with enthusiasm and humility, and he felt it was important to “call my own shots, and do what is the right thing under the circumstances.”

It was after law school that Clarence met the love of his life, Judy Lamb. The two first met when they happened to sit next to each other at an Indiana Law Journal banquet. They struck up a conversation, quickly hit it off, and began a partnership that would last a lifetime. While they were dating, Judy taught Clarence how to play tennis. The two spent their lives enjoying the game, often on the court together. Their shared love of tennis became a central part of family life and helped inspire their children, Eric and Gretchen, both of whom went on to play Division I college tennis - Eric at the College of William & Mary and Gretchen at Indiana University. Clarence and Judy were married on June 6, 1964, at First Friends Church in Indianapolis and shared 61 wonderful years of marriage together.

Clarence remained connected to Indiana University throughout his lifetime, serving the university in numerous volunteer leadership roles. He was president of the IU Men’s Club of Indianapolis, national president of the Varsity Club Board of Directors, national chairman of the IU Alumni Association, and a member of the IU Athletics Committee and IU Foundation Board of Directors. In recognition of his service and contributions at IU, he received numerous honors including the Z. G. Clevenger Award (1990), the Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion (1994), the IU Alumni Association President’s Award (2000), the Distinguished Alumni Service Award (2005), and the Indiana University Bicentennial Medal (2020). In 2011, he was inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame and the Little 500 Hall of Fame, recognizing his lasting impact on the university’s athletic programs and traditions.

Above all else, Clarence cherished his family. Nothing brought him greater joy than gathering everyone together, especially during the holidays when all eleven members of his immediate family would be around the table. He would often pause at the end of dinner, look around the table, and say with a smile, “Isn’t it great that we all just get along?” To his grandchildren, Clarence was also known for his playful sense of humor and the sayings and songs he loved to repeat.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ethel and Henry Doninger; his stepmother, Roberta Doninger; and his sisters, Mary Rose Saltsgaver and Martha Fuller.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Judy; his brother, Joe Doninger (Cilla); his son, Eric Doninger; his daughter-in-law, Michelle Staggs; and his daughter, Gretchen Doninger (David Victorson). He also leaves behind his cherished grandchildren, Lilly, Grayson, and Charlotte Doninger, and Isabella and Emmett Victorson, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Clarence’s life was defined by service, loyalty, and love - for his family, his profession, and the Glory of Old IU. His legacy lives on not only in the traditions of Hoosier athletics and the university he served so faithfully, but in the laughter, stories, and memories shared around family tables for generations to come.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 1 p.m., followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m. at First Friends Church, 3030 Kessler Boulevard East Drive, Indianapolis, IN.

Memorial contributions in honor of Clarence may be made to the Clarence H. Doninger Endowed Scholarship in IU Athletics.