{{Short description|American professional golfer (1914–1990)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Helen Dettweiler | image = Helen Dettweiler at Palm Beach (cropped).jpg | imagesize = | caption = Dettweiler tees off at Palm Beach in 1937 | fullname = Elizabeth Helen Dettweiler | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|12|5}} | birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|11|13|1914|12|5}} | death_place = Palm Springs, California, U.S. | height = <!-- {{height|ft=|in=}} --> | weight = | nationality = {{USA}} | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = Trinity College | yearpro = 1939 | retired = | extour = LPGA Tour (Founder) | prowins = | lpgawins = | otherwins = | majorwins = 1 | western = '''Won''': 1939 | titleholders = 2nd: 1940 | nabisco = | lpga = | wusopen = 4th: 1950 | dumaurier = | wghofid = https://www.worldgolfhalloffame.org/press_releases/world-golf-hall-of-fame-announces-induction-class-of-2024/ | wghofyear = 2024 }}
'''Elizabeth Helen Dettweiler''' (December 5, 1914 – November 13, 1990) was an American professional golfer. She was one of the co-founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. She won the Women's Western Open in 1939.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usga.org/news/2010/March/Lest-We-Forget/ |title=Lest We Forget: Helen Dettweiler in World War II |first=Rhonda |last=Glenn |work=USGA |date=March 2010 |accessdate=May 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511040350/http://www.usga.org/news/2010/March/Lest-We-Forget/ |archivedate=May 11, 2011 }}</ref>
==Biography== Dettweiler was born to Helen (nee Berens) and William E. Dettweiler, a restaurant and bakery owner, on December 5, 1914, in Washington, D.C. She had two younger brothers, and all three Dettweiler children played sports, with Helen playing tennis, football, baseball, and softball.<ref name=sabr>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/helen-dettweiler/ |title=Helen Dettweiler |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |first=Warren |last=Corbett |access-date=February 3, 2021}}</ref> Her brother Billy, who qualified for the National Amateur Golf Championship at age 14, got her into golf when he bet her that she could not hit a golf ball four consecutive times, and she lost.<ref name="lost soda">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/172763089/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20jacqueline%20cochran&match=1 |title=Lost Soda Spur to Stardom For Golf's Miss Dettweiler |page=49 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Pennsylvania |first=Fred |last=Byrod |date=June 11, 1952 |accessdate=February 3, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Within two years of beginning to play golf, she began to win amateur championships.<ref name="sabr" /> After graduating from Trinity College, Dettweiler began traveling to play in amateur golf tournaments.<ref name=sabr/>
Dettweiler became friends with Clark Griffith, the owner of the Washington Senators of Major League Baseball. During a round of golf, she told him of her interest in being a baseball broadcaster, which led Griffith to connect her with Arch McDonald.<ref name=report/><ref name=":0" /> She toured as a guest announcer in Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball in 1938, becoming the first female baseball broadcaster.<ref name=sabr/><ref name=report>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/182432373/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20baseball&match=1 |title=Girl will give sports report |page=9 |newspaper=The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune |location=Minnesota |date=September 4, 1938 |accessdate=February 3, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/228870129/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20baseball&match=1 |title=Femme Sports Announcer Got Baseball Training As Sandlot Player |page=9 |newspaper=The Akron Beacon Journal|location=Ohio |first=Dorothy |last=Doran |date=July 28, 1938 |accessdate=February 3, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Dettweiler continued to play golf during the broadcasting tour.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/619012576/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20baseball&match=1 |title=Radio Won't End D.C. Girl's[sic] Golf |page=A11 |newspaper=Evening Star |location=Washington D.C. |first=Walter |last=McCallum |date=July 4, 1938 |accessdate=February 3, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}</ref> She won the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Mid Atlantic championships.<ref name=clinic/> In 1939, Dettweiler turned professional. She won the 1939 Women's Western Open,<ref name="lost soda"/> and finished in second in the 1940 Titleholders Championship.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/349288193/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20titleholder&match=1 |title=Mrs. Harb Wins Titleholders' Golf Tourney |page=23 |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|location=Illinois |agency=Associated Press |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=January 19, 1940 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref>
During World War II, Dettweiler joined the United States Army Air Forces' Air Transport Command as a cryptographer.<ref name=obit/> In 1943, she joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP),<ref name=sabr/> and was one of 17 women selected to pilot the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/130308957/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20decoder&match=1 |title=LPGA founders |page=10C |newspaper=The Palm Beach Post |location=Florida |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=January 9, 2000 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1943-10-23 |title=WASPs Wing Way Through Sky in Fortresses |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/176827575 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |location= |pages=1, 6 |id={{ProQuest|176827575}} |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> recording 750 flying hours. Dettweiler became Jacqueline Cochran's assistant. After the war, she went with Cochran to Indio, California, to write a book on the history of the WASP. There, she designed a nine-hole course that later became a part of the Indian Palms Country Club. As the golf pro, she instructed Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Danny Kaye, and others.<ref name=sabr/><ref name="lost soda"/> She also trained Beverly Hanson.<ref name=clinic>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/96867384/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20%22world%20war%20ii%22&match=1 |title=Helen Dettweiler To Hold Golf Clinic Here Tuesday |page=3 |newspaper=Medford Mail Tribune |location=Oregon |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=August 17, 1952 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref>
Dettweiler co-founded the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) in the 1940s, and was elected as its second president. After the WPGA folded,<ref name=sabr/> she was one of 13 founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950.<ref name=hist-golf>{{cite web |url=http://historywomensgolfam.com/professional.htm |title=History of Women's Golf in America – From Amateur to Professional |accessdate=March 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615015937/http://www.historywomensgolfam.com/professional.htm |archive-date=June 15, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lpga.com/careers-about/about-our-founders |title=About the LPGA – Our Founders |publisher=LPGA |access-date=August 31, 2020 |archive-date=February 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207182907/https://www.lpga.com/careers-about/about-our-founders |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1952, she joined the staff of the Thunderbird Country Club.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/239181544/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20jacqueline%20cochran&match=1 |title=Helen Dettweiler at Thunderbird |page=12 |newspaper=The Desert Sun |location=Palm Springs, California |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=March 27, 1952 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref> She also taught at a golf course in Neskowin, Oregon,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/140187823/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20Neskowin&match=1 |title=Highclimber |first=Dick |last=Strite |page=1B |newspaper=The Eugene Guard |location=Oregon |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=September 13, 1959 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref> and organized an invitational tournament there.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/109309126/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20Neskowin&match=1 |title=Highclimber |first=Dick |last=Strite |page=1D |newspaper=The Eugene Guard |location=Oregon |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=May 24, 1962 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref>
Dettweiler remained on the LPGA Tour until the 1960s. After her retirement, she opened a clothing store in Palm Springs, California. Dettweiler died from cancer on November 13, 1990, in Palm Springs.<ref name=obit>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/244875116/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20%22world%20war%20ii%22&match=1 |title=Helen Dettweiler, pro golfer, World War II flier, dies at 74 |page=4 |newspaper=The Desert Sun |location=Palm Springs, California |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=November 15, 1990 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref>
==Major championships== ===Wins (1)=== {|class="wikitable" !Year!!Championship!!Winning score!!Runner-up!!Ref |- style="background:#fc9;" | 1939 ||Women's Western Open ||align=center|4 & 3 ||{{flagicon|USA}} Bea Barrett (a)||<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/180127758/?terms=helen%20dettweiler%20bea%20barrett&match=1 |title=Helen Dettweiler Beats Bea Barrett in Western, 4 and 3 |page=Sports–1 |newspaper=The Minneapolis Tribune |location=Minnesota |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription |date=June 18, 1939 |accessdate=February 3, 2021}}</ref> |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{LPGA player|helen-dettweiler/80411}}
{{Women's Western Open Champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dettweiler, Helen}} Category:American female golfers Category:LPGA Tour golfers Category:Winners of LPGA major golf championships Category:Golfers from Washington, D.C. Category:Women Airforce Service Pilots personnel Category:Air Transport Command personnel Category:United States Army Air Forces bomber pilots of World War II Category:Military personnel from Washington, D.C. Category:Military personnel from Riverside County, California Category:Women baseball announcers Category:Sportspeople from Palm Springs, California Category:Deaths from cancer in California Category:1914 births Category:1990 deaths Category:20th-century American sportswomen