Donald J.B. Dufour
Graduating class:
Inducted into Hall of Fame: 2019
Hall of Fame Category: Lifetime Achievement
Donald Dufour was educated at St. Joseph’s School in New Bedford, Assumption Prep, in Worcester and Assumption College. He began his teaching career at Dematha Catholic High School in Maryland then served in the military. Following his discharge from the military, he was hired by the Town of Fairhaven to teach at the Rogers School and also coach the grade seven basketball and football teams. Eventually he taught foreign languages at the high school level and became head of that department in 1962. He remained in those positions until his retirement at the end of the 1989-90 school year.
While at Fairhaven High School, he began a long association with the American Field Service’s foreign exchange program and served as the school’s AFS coordinator for 28 years. Over almost three decades Mr. Dufour was responsible for placing scores of FHS students in the homes of families in countries all over the world while they attended school and expanded their education in another culture. He also coordinated the placement of a similar number of foreign students with Fairhaven families while they spent the entire school year at FHS immersing themselves in our American culture. He also organized memorable summer field trips to Quebec (for students studying French) every other year.
He was an outstanding tennis player at Assumption College and brought his expertise to the Fairhaven High School Girl’s Tennis program in 1981. He ultimately led the team to the Division 2 Championship of the Southeastern Massachusetts Conference with a victory over Bourne High School. This was the first and only Fairhaven Girl’s Tennis Team to accomplish this feat. Members of that championship team included Chris Louganis, Sue Nolette, Debbie Rapoza, Joanne Reedy, Jennifer Young, Sue Jacobson, Cindy Mark, Lee Vaudry, Tammy Pereira, Anne Gonsalves and Carol O’Brien.
Currently the 91 year old Dufour and his wife Muriel reside in Fort Myers, Florida where he has served as the captain of the 50-plus-year-old tennis team and continues to play tennis at a high level three times a week. He also was president of his condo association in Fort Myers for five years and presently carries the title of President Emeritus and is “on call as needed.”