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William Kipp

1961 U.S. World Team coach

William ("Bill") Robert Kipp, 28, did not fulfill his own competitive dreams but blossomed into one of the most promising coaches in the country. The youngest child of Martin and Wilhelmina Kipp, he grew up with three older brothers and two older sisters in Allentown, Pa. He learned to skate on the ponds near his home as a boy, joined the Penguin Figure Skating Club, and traveled to Philadelphia and Lake Placid to train with coach Bill Swallender. Bill Kipp was a gold medalist in figures, freestyle and ice dancing. His ice dancing partners included Theda Beck, Janet Williams and Virginia Hoyns. Though he never won a U.S. medal, he captured the bronze at the 1955 North American Figure Skating Championships. He had an opportunity to perform in Ice Follies but instead became a coach at the Iceland rink in Paramount, Calif. His students won the 1956 and 1960 U.S. ice dancing titles. Kipp taught in Lake Placid, N.Y., during the summers, and he and professional partner Jean Westwood were the stars of the Saturday night shows. In September 1960, he began coaching the ice dancing team of Dona Lee Carrier and Roger Campbell, who placed second at the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and second at the 1961 North American Championships. Also a pairs and singles instructor, Kipp steered Rhode Lee Michelson to a third-place finish at the 1961 U.S. Championships. (She had to pull out of the World Championships due to injuries.) Kipp, who also taught 12-year-old Peggy Fleming, had become senior professional at Iceland when he left for Prague.

Bio written by Patricia Shelley Bushman, author of Indelible Tracings.