John Callen, Alabama & Georgia, 2013

• Top junior player in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was undefeated in high school varsity dual matches and was consistently ranked in the top 10 in the South, with a high singles ranking of #3 in the Boy’s 14U in 1967.

• Played 4 years at Georgia Tech where he was co-captain and played number 1 to number 4 singles and number 1 or number 2 doubles.

• Began a 15-year professional career in 1974, which included coaching the winning Georgia Junior Davis Cup team while honing his skills as a player, winning numerous Southern titles, and reaching the number 1 ranking in the South in several age groups.

• Served as President of the Georgia Tennis Association, Vice-President and a member of the Management Committee for the Southern Tennis Association, and trustee for the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation.

• Named USTA Southern Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer in 1989 and has led the section through unprecedented success and growth and is respected among his peers as the top section executive director.

• Instrumental in the purchase of the sanction of the first ATP tournament on the U. S. Open Series in 2009 and his financial oversight helped turn the event into a profitable venture after only 2 years which later became a large windfall for Southern when the sanction was sold in 2015.

• Received the Touchstone Memorial Award in 1992 and was inducted into the Georgia Professional Tennis Hall of Fame, the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame.

John Callen passed away in 2022.

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Patrick Dupre, Alabama, 2013

• Born in Belgium, his family moved to the United States where he became a top junior player in Alabama winning 3 Alabama high school state tennis championships and in 1972 became the number ranked 18U junior in the nation in singles and doubles.

• Member of NCAA Championship teams in 1973 and 1974 at Stanford, named All-American all 4 years, and was awarded the Rafael Osuna Award for excellence in sportsmanship and leadership.

• Became a major force on the men’s pro circuit in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, reached a ranking of number 12 in the world in 1980, and was ranked in the top 20 in the world in doubles between 1979 and 1981.

• Won a singles title in Hong Kong, was a 9-time finalist in singles, and won 4 doubles titles on the ATP World Tour.

• Reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and the quarterfinals of the U. S. Open.

• Continued his success on the Legends Tour through 1993 and became a high-ranking teaching professional in Georgia.

• Became first tennis player inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and was inducted in the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame the following year and the International Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012.

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Diane Fishburne Barker, South Carolina, 2012

• Played number 1 singles and doubles at the College of Charleston where she won the 1978 AIAW Small College National Singles Championship.

• Played professional tennis in Belgium and taught tennis at Kiawah Island under Roy Barth when she returned to the United States.

• One of the top American senior players for more than 17 years winning over 35 USTA national singles and doubles championships and has held the number 1 United States singles ranking in numerous 35 thru 55 age groups and attained the number 1 singles ranking in the world in Women’s 55’s in 2012.

• Won 8 national titles in Mother/Son Doubles with son Matt, winning all 4 major championships (Grand Slam) in one year.

• Represented the United States on numerous international teams for over 15 years.

• Volunteer coach for special needs athletes, serves on the USTA South Carolina Adaptive & Special Olympics Tennis Committee, and helped establish the Southern Special Populations Unified Doubles tournament held each summer which teams a unified partner with a special athlete in team competition.

• Won the South Carolina Adult Female Player of the year 3 times (1992, 1998 and 2015), the Slew Hester Southern Adult Female Player of the Year in 2013, and was inducted into the College of Charleston Athletic Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.

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Don Varga, Kentucky, 2012

• Co-founded the Louisville Tennis Club in 1970 and served as managing partner for 25 years while the club grew to 12 indoor courts and 14 outdoor clay courts.

• Established the Friends of Kentucky Tennis which has raised several hundred thousand dollars over the years for scholarships, grants, and other special projects.

• Co-founded the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame.

• Served as President of the Kentucky Tennis Association and 8 years on the Southern Tennis Association Management Committee.

• Served a 3-year term as Southern Tennis Association President from 1990 to 1992, a challenging period of notable tennis expansion and leadership change in the South, and the section’s Adult League program experienced exceptional growth attracting a new group of adult players.

• Served as a USTA Delegate and member of the USTA Executive Committee in 1993 and 1994.

• Inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame.

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Emmett Paré, Louisiana, 2012

• Had a notable playing career but made his mark as the longtime men’s head coach at Tulane University.

• One of the early stars of professional tennis and traveled with the legendary Bill Tilden in his first barnstorming tour in 1931.

• Became the head pro at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club and head coach of men’s tennis at Tulane in 1933.

• His record at Tulane over a 40-year span from the 1930’s to the 1970’s is unparalleled as he coached a consistent national power and dominated collegiate tennis in the South.

• Won 18 Southeastern Conference team championships including 9 straight from 1951 through 1959.

• Coached Tulane to the 1959 NCAA National Men’s Championship.

• Died in 1973 and was inducted posthumously into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977, the International Tennis Collegiate Association Hall of Fame in 1983, and the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.

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Henry Baughman, Kentucky, 2011

• Played and coached collegiately.

• Served 3 times as president of the Bowling Green Tennis Association and as Vice-President of USTA Kentucky.

• Won the Kentucky Adult Male Player of the Year Award 5 times and the 2007 USTA Southern Slew Hester Adult Achievement Award.

• Captured 5 gold medals and a silver medal in the National Senior Olympics and won 19 Category II National tournaments and one Super Category 2 National tournament.

• Has 71 Southern “Big Four” titles and played on 7 USTA Southern Intersectional championship teams.

• Organized tournaments, volunteered, coached, umpired, donated funds to build facilities, and served as an EMT at countless tournaments and is credited with helping start the EMT program for tennis in Kentucky.

• Inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame.

Henry Baughman passed away in 2019.

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Candy Reynolds, Tennessee, 2011

• Tennessee native who attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she was an All-American.

• Became a professional after college and competed at the highest levels of the WTA tour and won 28 titles including the 1983 French Open Women’s Doubles Championships.

• Won doubles titles with Martina Navratilova at the 1982 Canadian Open, the 1983 Family Circle Cup and 2 other tournaments, and was a finalist at the 1983 U. S. Open.

• Ranked as high as number 2 in the world in doubles and number 22 in the world in singles.

• Won doubles titles at the Italian, German, Swiss, Japanese, and New Zealand Opens.

• A member of the “Final 8 Club” for all 4 grand slams having reached the semifinals or better in each event.

• Inducted into the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

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Ron Holmberg, Louisiana, 2011

• One of the leading tennis players of his day who ranked among the top 10 in the United States men’s singles 9 times during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

• Semifinalist at the United States National Championships (now the U. S. Open where he played from 1953 to 1972), quarterfinalist at the French Open, and won singles and doubles titles at the Canadian Open.

• Spent 19 years on the international circuit and won numerous doubles titles with partners like John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Pancho Gonzalez, and Arthur Ashe.

• Played on several United States Davis Cup teams.

• Retired from the pro circuit in 1971 to become the head tennis and squash coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point and gained an international reputation as one the game’s outstanding coaches.

• Served several years as Chairman of the Louisiana Tennis Patrons Foundation.

• Inducted into the International Collegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.

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Jerry Caldwell, Georgia, 2010

• Made his mark as a doubles player in the world of adult tennis, securing ranking of No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 in the South in 1981 with three different partners.

• Won the 1986 National Men’s 45s Clay Court Doubles Championship and played in 11 national doubles finals.

• Won over 25 Georgia championships and an equal number of Southern championships.

• Ranked No. 1 in the nation once, in Southern 10 times, and in Georgia 15 times in his age group and consistently ranked among the top 5 nationally.

• Served the sport as a distinguished volunteer, including President of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association, Vice-President of USTA Georgia, and a founder of the Senior Tennis Players of Georgia and the Atlanta Cup.

• Member of USTA Southern’s Olympics Facilities, Information Technology, and Marketing committees.

• Inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997.

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Al Parker, Georgia, inducted 2010

• Recognized as the most accomplished junior tennis player in history.

• Won 25 national junior titles.

• The only player to be ranked number nationally in all 4 junior age divisions - Boy’s 12U in 1981, 14U in 1982, 16U in 1985, and 18U in 1986.

• During 1980-81 won the Boy’s 12U singles and doubles titles at all 4 national tournaments, the only player ever to capture all available national championships in one age division in one year - called the “Double Grand Slam.”

• Competed in 66 national singles and/or doubles tournaments and either won or was a finalist 38 times.

• Played number 1 singles at the University of Georgia, was a 4 year All-American, and won 2 National Collegiate Singles Championships and 10 other collegiate singles and doubles titles, never losing a finals match.

• Inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

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Jack Mills, South Carolina, 2009

• Volunteer and leader at all levels of tennis since 1971 serving as Chairman of the Junior Tennis League in Columbia, President of the South Carolina Tennis Association, President of the Southern Tennis Association, and Regional Vice-President of the USTA.

• Member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports, board member of PE4Life, and Chairman of the advisory board for the College of Hospitality, Retail & Sports Management at the University of South Carolina.

• Represented the USTA on the ITF Olympic Committee before and during the 1996 games in Atlanta and was an advisor to the Atlanta Committee focusing on the construction of the tennis stadium and complex.

• Member of the U. S. Open committee in 1993, worked to improve security and chaired the U. S. Open Project Committee during the planning and construction of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the renovation of Louis Armstrong Stadium.

• Chaired the USTA Public Affairs Committee and assisted in obtaining more than $700,000 in government grants as well as pro-bono USTA advertising appearances by Donald Trump and Jeff Gordon.

• Selected as one of the 25 most influential sports figures in South Carolina and among the top 100 sports figures for the millennium in the state and received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian award.

• Inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990 and received the USTA Southern Touchstone Award in 1991.

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Chanda Rubin, Louisiana, 2009

• Turned pro after winning the 1992 Wimbledon Junior Championships and played in all the grand slams; reached the singles semifinals of the 1996 Australian Open, the singles quarterfinals of the French Open 3 times, and won the 1996 Australian Open doubles title.

• Won 7 singles titles on the WTA Tour, including Madrid, Los Angeles, and Eastbourne (twice), 10 doubles titles, 399 singles matches, the 1995 WTA Most Improved Player Award, qualified for the season-ending Tour Championships 4 times, and ranked number 6 in the world in singles and number 9 in doubles in 1996.

• Designated funds from her Federation Cup play to support the International Tennis Foundation junior circuit tournaments played in the South and founded the Chanda Rubin Tennis and Scholarship Foundation.

• Received the 1997 Arthur Ashe Leadership Award for commitment to community involvement and children’s programs and named 1998 Most Caring Athlete by USA Weekend for humanitarian efforts in working with disabled and disadvantaged children.

• Awards include 1995 ATA Athlete of the Year, 1996 U. S. Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year, 2003 USTA Service Bowl, 2008 Danzig Trophy, and 2008 Gene Scott Renaissance Award.

• Served as an Elite Athlete on the USTA Board of Directors for 3 terms.

• Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

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Steve Duffel, Arkansas, 2009

• Played tennis for the University of Arkansas from 1965 to 1967.

• Ranked number 1 in Arkansas and number 1 in the South in senior doubles numerous times and won several Southern Senior Championships in doubles and mixed doubles.

• Played on and captained Southern teams to the title at the USTA National Intersectional Championships over 15 years.

• Active volunteer for USTA Arkansas, USTA Southern, and USTA as a tournament director, serving on and chairing numerous committees and filling leadership positions since 1977, including President of Arkansas in 1981-1982, President of Southern in 1986-1987, and a member of the USTA Executive Committee in 1988-1989.

• Chaired the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation, served on numerous Foundation boards as a trustee and advisor, and (after his selection as a 2009 inductee) chaired the Hall of Fame Selection Committee for 6 years.

• Received the Victor Sheshunoff Educational Merit Award and President’s Award in Arkansas and the USTA Southern President’s Award and Jacobs Bowl.

• Inducted into the Arkansas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998.

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William “Bill” Weathers, North Carolina, 2008

• Worked a full-time job as a youngster and learned the game in Chapel Hill under the direction of longtime UNC coach John Kenfield while serving in the United States Navy.

• Learned and improved quickly and made the varsity team for the University of North Carolina at the number 4 and 5 positions.

• After serving in the Navy transferred to North Carolina State University playing the number 1 singles position 3 years.

• Won over 300 North Carolina and Southern singles and doubles tournament titles and held the number 1 singles ranking in every age group since the 55’s and won numerous sportsmanship awards.

• Served as Director of Tennis at a private country club in Pinehurst and is known for his exceptional clay court maintenance skills.

• Received the 1982 North Carolina Tennis Family of the Year Award.

• Inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005.

Bill Weathers passed away in 2019.

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Lisa Spain-Short, Georgia, 2008

• Ranked number 1 in Georgia and number 34 in the nation in the Girl’s 18U.

• Compiled a 56-1 state AAAA high school match record, winning 4 state singles championships.

• Played number 1 singles and doubles 4 years at the University of Georgia winning the Southeastern Conference Singles Championship in her junior and senior seasons and was named All-SEC 4 years and All-American 3 years.

• Won the ITCA All-American and the 1984 NCAA Singles Championships.

• Continued her tennis career on the Women’s Tennis Association pro circuit from 1984 through 1987 playing in all 4 grand slams and reaching a ranking of number 63 in the world.

• Teaching professional at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

• Inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

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