Kay McDaniel, Louisiana, 2007

• Purchased her first tennis racquet at age 11 in Shreveport with 50 Green Stamp books and soon became a top junior player earning the number 1 ranking in the USTA Southern 14U, 16U, and 18U girls divisions.

• Played number 1 singles at Louisiana State University, earned 3-time All-American honors, and reached the singles semifinals of the National Collegiate Tournament.

• Joined the professional tour and competed in 6 Wimbledon Championships, 6 U. S. Opens, and 3 French Opens and earned a world ranking of number 30 in singles and number 20 in doubles.

• Won a Virginia Slims singles title in Atlanta and doubles titles in Houston and Las Vegas.

• Won the award for the “Fastest Serve in Women’s Tennis.”

• Coached the Lee University tennis team and was named the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

• Honored by the Louisiana governor and Council on Physical Fitness and Sport with an Outstanding Achievement Award.

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Stan Smith, South Carolina, 2007

• Tennis legend and highly touted as one of the best male tennis players to ever play the sport, but perhaps is best known for sportsmanship and dedication to the game and the world-famous Stan Smith tennis shoe by Adidas with over 30 million sold.

• 3 time All-American at the University of Southern California winning the 1967 Intercollegiate doubles title and 1968 singles and doubles titles.

• Dominated the pro tour in the early 1970s, ranked number 1 in the United States 4 years and number 1 in the world in 1971 and 1972, won the 1971 U. S. Open and 1972 Wimbledon singles titles, won 4 U. S. Open and 1 Australian Open doubles titles, and appeared in the finals of 8 other grand slam tournaments.

• Top Davis Cup player, competing on the United States team 11 years, finishing with a 22-2 record, and winning 7 Cup victories.

• Won 4 grand slam senior titles, including the 1984 and 1985 35’s at Wimbledon and the 1984 U. S. Open and the 2002 and 2004 55’s U. S. Open.

• Moved to Hilton Head Island in the late 1970’s and launched a coaching career, serving as Director of Coaching for the USTA Player Development program from 1988 to 1995, 2000 head coach of the Men’s Olympic team, and founded the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy.

• Inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and 2 other California Hall of Fames.

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Sharon Gault, Mississippi, 2006

• Involved in tennis as a recreational player, volunteer, tournament director, and administrator since the early 1970’s.

• Named to the Mississippi Tennis Association Board in 1978 and elected President in 1983.

• Chaired several Southern Tennis Association committees, including Adult Leagues, Adult/Senior Competition, Senior Cup, and Strategic Planning and was elected to the Management Committee as Vice-President in 1989.

• Appointed to numerous USTA committees, chaired the USTA League Committee for 4 years, served as the USTA Division Council Chair for the Competitive Play Council, and chaired the Committee on Committees for 4 years.

• Received the 1985 state (Mississippi), section (Southern) and national (USTA) Family of the Year awards.

• Other recognition includes the USTA Southern Gerrie Rothwell Award, the Southern Volunteer Service Award, the USTA Jacobs Bowl, the Charles Morris Volunteer Service Award, and the USTA Barbara William Leadership Award.

• Inducted into the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996.

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Paul Scarpa, South Carolina, 2006

• Top junior player in the 1950’s, ranked number 1 in South Carolina and number 3 in the South and won the Southern Boy’s 18U Sportsmanship Award.

• Played number 1 singles and doubles at Florida State University and won the NCAA Eastern Intercollegiate Championships.

• Became head tennis coach at Florida State and the United States Naval Academy before being named the head tennis professional at Greenville Country Club and head men’s coach at Furman University in 1966.

• Coached at Furman for 45 years winning over 800 matches with a winning percentage of over .625 and the school proclaimed April 10, 1999, as Paul Scarpa Day before his 1,000th Furman match.

• First college coach in South Carolina to develop a tennis camp on a college campus in 1970 which became one of the highest regarded camps in the South drawing the best young talent in the region and nation.

• Awards include 1990 and 2000 South Carolina Coach of the Year, numerous Southern Conference Coach of the Year, and Furman named their championship court and have endowed a scholarship in his honor.

• Inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, the Furman University Athletic Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame.

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John Peddycord, North Carolina, 2006

• Spent 45 years volunteering to improve tennis in his community, state, section, and nation and served as a board member for the Winston-Salem Tennis Association for 40 years and as President in 1974.

• Co-chairman of the North Carolina Junior Qualifying Tournament twice, Chairman of the USTA Boy’s 12U Clay Court Championships 4 times, and Chairman of the Zanne Meads Awards Banquet for 10 years.

• USTA North Carolina Board member for over 35 years, including President in 1979 and 1980 and helped establish the North Carolina Tennis Foundation and North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame.

• Elected to the Southern Tennis Association Management Committee and spent 2 years as USTA Delegate, 3 years as Vice-President, 5 years as chairman of the Junior Tennis Council, and 8 years as chairman of the Investment and Finance Committee.

• Served on numerous USTA committees and chaired the Junior Competition Committee and the Nominating Committee.

• Received the North Carolina Family of the Year, the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl, and the Charles Morris Volunteer Service Award.

• Inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990.

John Peddycord passed away in 2017.

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Lester Sack Jr., Mississippi & Louisiana, 2005

• Played number 3 singles and number 1 doubles for Tulane University from 1956 to 1958 when the Green Wave won 3 Southeastern Conference Championships and was ranked number 1 in doubles in the conference with partner Ron Holmberg.

• Joined the professional tour and won singles titles in England and Germany, won the 1965 Canadian Open Doubles Championships, and reached the 3rd round of the 1966 French Open.

• Mississippi resident until 1977 and one of the most dominant players of his generation, winning the Mississippi Open or Mississippi Closed every year and ranked number 1 in Mississippi Men’s Open Singles and top 10 in the South every year from 1959 to 1975.

• Won numerous state and section age group tournaments and ranked 2nd in the nation in Men’s 45 singles in 1984, won the 1984 Men’s 45 Singles National Championship and ranked 7th, and was a finalist at the Men’s 55 National Clay Court Singles Championship in 1987.

• Represented the United States on the Dubler Cup, Gordon Cup, and Stevens Cup teams.

• Served as the head coach of the USTA New Orleans Area Training Center and was an assistant pro for the Racquet Club of Memphis and the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club.

• Inducted into the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

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Lucy Garvin, South Carolina, 2005

• Moved to South Carolina in 1974 and managed several tennis facilities, volunteered with USTA South Carolina and USTA Southern, and worked as a certified referee for over 35 years at local, state, section, and national tournaments, including the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

• Chaired numerous committees for the South Carolina Tennis Association and served as President and Chairman of the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation.

• President of USTA Southern in 1999 and 2000, chaired the Section Presidents, Section Delegates, USA Tennis, and Adult/Senior Recreation national committees and was honored with the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl and the USTA Southern Charles Morris Service Award.

• Elected to the USTA Board of Directors in 2003, Vice-President in 2005, Executive Vice-President in 2007, and President and Chairman of the Board in 2009 and served a 2-year term with the theme “One Team...One Goal.”

• Served on the Board of the International Tennis Federation and chaired the Junior Committee.

• Earned numerous awards, including USTA South Carolina Official of the Year, 2 USTA South Carolina President’s Awards, and in 1996 USTA South Carolina established the Lucy Garvin Volunteer of the Year Award and made her the first recipient.

• Inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998 and received the 2010 USTA Barbara Williams Leadership Award.

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James “Jim” Russell, South Carolina, 2005

• Begin playing tennis at age 25 but quickly became a good player and was a member of the 1979 National Champion Cobb’s Glen Adult League team.

• Volunteered to help with the 1974 Palmetto Championships, South Carolina’s state junior qualifying tournament, and became the tournament referee in 1976 and served 32 of the next 33 years in that position leading the tournament to tremendous growth and Junior Tournament of the Year awards from both South Carolina and USTA Southern.

• Joined the South Carolina Tennis Association Board in the 1970’s and was elected President in 1982 and established the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation and the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in the Belton Depot during his 2-year term.

• Elected to the Southern Tennis Association Management Committee in 1984, became President in 1993, and received the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl in 1994 and Charles Morris Volunteer Service Award in 1999.

• USTA Southern Delegate in 1995 and 1996, elected to the USTA Board of Directors in 1997-1998, and served as a member of the USTA Executive Committee in 1995-1996 and 1999-2000.

• Well known official and referee, especially at the college level and refereed the Atlantic Coast Conference, College All-American, and NCAA Men’s Championships.

• Inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association College Hall of Fame in 2003.

• Known to many as “Big Jim.”

Jim Russell passed away in 2012.

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Nancy Yeargin Furman, South Carolina, 2004

• A star for the Greenville High School and Christ Church School tennis teams, leading both to several state championships and was consistently ranked number 1 in South Carolina and the top 5 in the South in her age division from 1968 to 1973, including number 1 in the South in the Girl’s 18U in 1972 and number 1 in the nation in the Girl’s 16U and 18U.

• Won 6 singles and 2 doubles titles at the Palmetto Championships in Belton as well as many other state and section championships.

• Played at Rollins College and won the Southern Collegiate Sportsmanship Award in 1974, 1975, and 1976; named All-American in 1976 and 1977, Scholar Athlete of the Year, and team captain.

• Member of the 1974 USTA Junior Wightman Cup and 1976 and 1977 USTA Junior Federation Cup teams.

• Played the WTA women’s professional circuit from 1977 to 1985 and competed in all 4 grand slams, was consistently ranked in the top 100 in the world (with a high ranking of number 53), and in 1982 was selected to receive the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award.

• After retiring from the tour became the Head Tennis Professional at the Greenville Country Club and was name a National USTA Junior Coach.

• Inducted into the Rollins College Hall of Fame in 1988 and the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989.

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Bill Tym, Tennessee, 2004

• Involved in tennis as a player, coach, and administrator for over 50 years and regarded as one of the most influential and respected people in the game.

• Dominant player in Tennessee and attended the University of Florida, winning the Southeastern Conference Championship.

• Joined the men’s professional tour in the late 1960’s and won 10 international titles.

• Following the pro tour, became head pro at Manker Patten in Chattanooga and became known as a top coach and teaching professional; later served as President of the United States Professional Tennis Association, was one of the first members to receive the distinguished Master Professional Classification, and was honored with the USPTA Lifetime Achievement Award.

• Won numerous USTA national championships and repeatedly ranked number 1 in his age group by USTA and USPTA.

• Coached at Baylor School, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and Vanderbilt University winning the National Interscholastic Championships, the Southern Conference title, the National AIAW Small College Women’s Championship, and making numerous NCAA Championship appearances.

• Inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame, and the USPTA Southern Division Hall of Fame.

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Edgar “Ned” Neely III, Georgia, 2003

• Started playing tennis at age 8 and won local, state, and section championships in the early 1950’s, culminating with his first national singles and doubles titles at the 1955 National Boy’s 15U Singles Championship followed by a title at the National Junior Clay Court Championships.

• Finalist at the 1956 National Interscholastic Championships and ranked 8th in the nation in the Boy’s 18U in 1958.

• 2-time All-American at Georgia Tech leading the Yellow Jackets to the 1960 Southeastern Conference team title, winning SEC championships in singles and doubles and finishing with a doubles record of 55-13.

• After serving in the Marine Corps, joined the professional world tennis circuit making 3 appearances at Wimbledon, 5 at the U. S. Open, and playing in every major tennis stadium in the United States, Europe, and Australia and ranked number 11 in United States Men’s Singles in the mid-1960’s.

• Gave up the professional circuit to become a lawyer and primarily competed in local and state tournaments after the late 1960’s.

• President of the Georgia Tennis Foundation, board member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and established the Tennis Academic Program to provide academic and tennis instruction for disadvantaged children ages 8 to 12 at community centers throughout Atlanta.

• Inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1969 and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.

Ned Neely passed away in 1999.

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Leslie "Les" longshore Jr., Alabama, 2003

• Played for Tulane University where he won the 1946 Southeastern Conference singles championship.

• A North Carolina state singles champion for 3 years, an Alabama state singles champion once, and was ranked in the top 10 in the south for 10 years, including one year as number 1.

• Competed in the United States National Championships (now known as the U. S. Open) between 1952 and 1959 and reached the round of 16 in 1958.

• Coached college tennis for 5 at years Clemson University and 13 years at Samford University.

• Worked as a teaching professional and founded the Southern Professional Tennis Association in 1962 and served as President for 7 years.

• President of the United States Professional Tennis Association in 1974 and 1975.

• President of the Alabama Tennis Association and helped found the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986 and was inducted into his state’s hall of fame in 1991.

Les Longshore passed away in 2013.

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Ann Etheredge, Alabama, 2003

• One of the greatest women’s players to come out of Alabama and the south, winning 22 USTA Gold Balls and 2 USTA Silver Balls.

• Member of numerous Alabama Senior Cup and Southern Intersectional championship teams.

• Played on the winning United States Young Cup and Margaret Court Cup teams.

• Held the number 1 national ranking in both singles and doubles in several age divisions.

• Instrumental in opening the Pelham Racquet Club, a public facility with 20 clay courts and 5 hard courts where she served as Director of Tennis.

• Considered to be one of the top instructors in the South.

• Became the youngest person ever inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997.

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Sam English Jr., Kentucky, 2002

• Had a long and distinguished list of participation and involvement in tennis for over 60 years.

• Captain of his Louisville High School team and the Yale University team where he was honored with the tennis sportsmanship award.

• Won over 100 singles and doubles titles between 1945 and 1975 including 4 Kentucky Men’s Singles Championships, 4 Kentucky Doubles Championships, and the Southern Parent/Child Doubles Championships.

• Outstanding promoter of the game who was responsible for bringing 70 tournaments to Kentucky, including the USTA Boy’s 18 National Clay Court Championships (where he served as Tournament Director for 35 years), the Louisville International Professional Tennis Classic, and the Virginia Slims of Louisville.

• President of the Kentucky Tennis Association for 7 years and a board member for over 20 years.

• Served on the Board of the Kentucky Tennis Patrons Foundation for 45 years and as President in 2001 and 2002.

• Inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.

Sam English passed away in 2002.

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Carolyn Henry, Mississippi, 2002

• Devoted her life to playing and promoting the game in Mississippi and the Southern Section.

• Highly ranked as a junior player at the state, section, and national levels, played high school tennis at Crystal Springs High School, and went on to play #1 singles and doubles at Mississippi State College for Women where she graduated in 1945.

• Placed first or second in over 190 state, section, and national USTA championships since 1972, ranked in the top 3 at the state and section levels every year between 1968 and 2002 and in the top 10 in the nation in singles and doubles between 1987 and 2002.

• Competed on numerous Mississippi Senior Cup and national intersectional teams, including the winning United States team at the Bundy-Cheney Cup in 2001.

• President of the Mississippi Tennis Association and served on many state and section committees.

• Teaching professional for 28 years and a high school tennis coach for 18 years.

• Received the 1988 USTA Southern Touchstone Award and was inducted into the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

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