Dan Topping

Daniel Reid Topping

• School University of Pennsylvania
• High School Hun School

• Born June 11, 1912 in Greenwich, CT USA
• Died May 18, 1974 in Miami Beach, FL USA

Biographical Information

Dan Topping became part owner of the New York Yankees in 1945, when he was part of a group that purchased the team from the estate of the late Jacob Ruppert. The group, which also included Del Webb and Larry MacPhail, sold majority interest in the club to CBS in November 1964. Topping, who was the club's President, sold his remaining stake in the Yankees to CBS in 1966.

Topping also owned the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League in the 1930s. When the football New York Giants refused to allow Topping to move the team to Yankee Stadium, he did so anyway and moved his team to the rival AAFC and renamed the team the New York Yankees.

He came from a very wealthy family. He was married six times, including to Olympic figure-skating champion and actress Sonja Henie from 1940 to 1946. He served in the Marines during World War II, achieving the rank of colonel. He died of lung disease at age 61.

His son Dan Topping, Jr. was a General Manager for a short period of time.

Related Sites

• Dan Topping at the SABR Bio Project