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Dallas "Larry" Pierce

1961 U.S. ice dancing champion

Dallas Larry Pierce, 24, was one of the most popular male ice dancers of his era. The second child of Dallas and Nellie Pierce, Larry was raised in Indianapolis with his older sister, Jan, and younger brother, Russell. Larry was a recreational skater at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum and didn't start competing until he graduated from high school - the same time that coach Danny Ryan moved to the Winter Club of Indianapolis. Ryan put Pierce and Marilyn Meeker together as a dance team. Together, they won the 1957 Midwestern Sectional bronze medal, placed third in junior at the 1958 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and captured the 1959 U.S. junior title. During the summers, Pierce and Meeker trained with Ryan in Cobourg, Ontario, and Lake Placid, N.Y. Pierce generously partnered with other dancers for their tests at Lake Placid and in many other Midwestern cities. He prepared for the 1959-60 season while simultaneously serving in the Marines. Pierce and Meeker placed second at the 1960 U.S. Championships in Seattle and fifth at the 1960 World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver. Seven weeks before the 1961 U.S. Championships, Meeker had an accident in practice and broke her ankle, eliminating her from competition. Ryan invited Diane Sherbloom of Los Angeles to compete with Pierce. After five weeks of training, they won the 1961 U.S. title at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and placed fourth at the 1961 North American Figure Skating Championships in Philadelphia.

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