Jean Clarke Johnson, Alabama, 2001

• Emerged as a star in Southern junior tennis during the war years, earning a #2 ranking in girls singles in 1943 and #1 ranking in 1944.

• Played for Rollins College when they were ranked #1 in the nation.

• Held a #1 or #2 Southern ranking in at least one age division for 16 straight years between 1943 and 1959 and ranked 11th in singles and 8th in doubles in the nation in 1954.

• Played on the 1954 United States Pan American Games team.

• Won the Southern Women’s Singles title 8 times along with multiple championships at the Blue-Gray, Tennessee State Championships, and Georgia State Championships.

• Competed in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in the 1956 Wimbledon Championships.

• Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in with the first class in 1985.

‍

Charles “Charlie” Owens, Alabama, 2001

• Called many things during his tennis career, but “character” is the most colorful and accurate as his on-court acrobatics and easygoing personality quickly made him one of the most entertaining players in the South.

• Ranked #1 in Alabama in the Boy’s 12’s, 14’s, 16’s, and 18’s, #1 in the South in the 14’s, 16’s, and 18’s and #6 in the nation in 1968 in the Boy’s 18’s when he won titles at the Georgia State Open, Southern Open, Orange Bowl, Alabama Men’s Championships, National Interscholastic, and Sugar Bowl.

• Member of the United States Junior Davis Cup team and winner of the Allan B. Stowe Sportsmanship Award at the national championships in Kalamazoo in 1968.

• Attended Florida where he became the first freshman in SEC history to win both the singles and doubles titles at the conference championships before transferring to Samford where he went undefeated at #1 singles for 2 years and won the NCAA Division II Singles Championship in 1972.

• Turned professional in 1972 and played the U. S. Open on all 3 surfaces between 1972 and 1980, reaching the third round twice and a ranking of #56 in the world in 1979 when he won 4 tournaments.

• Won the USTA National 35’s Clay Courts singles and doubles championships 3 straight years and played on the United States Italia Cup team 3 years, including the 1987 world championship team.

• Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995.

‍

Wendy White Prausa, Georgia, 2001

• Dominated at all levels of junior play, reaching the #1 ranking in Georgia in the 16’s and 18’s, the #1 Southern ranking in the 18’s, and the #8 ranking in the nation in the 18’s.

• Finalist in the Southern Closed 16’s, won the Southern Closed 18’s, and played on 2 Southern 18U Intersectional teams.

• Either won or was the finalist in over 30 junior and amateur tournaments in 1977-1978, 1978 Georgia Player of the Year, and was selected to play on the USTA National Junior Wightman Cup, the USTA Junior Federation Cup, the U. S. Continental Cup, and the U. S. Connolly Cup teams.

• Played college tennis at Rollins College, then ranked the #4 women’s team in the nation, where she was a finalist in the AIAW Division I Collegiate Championships as a freshman and won the event as a sophomore and was named All-American and Collegiate Player of the Year in 1979 and 1980.

• Ranked #26 in the world in 1980, the highest ranking among amateur players before she turned pro.

• Played all the grand slams and ranked in the top 100 in singles for 12 straight years, including the top 40 in 7 of those years and earned her highest world ranking of #19 in 1982 and consistently was ranked in the top 20 in doubles.

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

‍

Tim Wilkison, North Carolina, 2000

• Joined the professional tour at age 17 in 1976 and made his first big mark in 1978 when he upset Guillermo Vilas in the second round at Wimbledon.

• Noted for his toughness, tenacity, and all-out style of play, he was appropriately nicknamed “Dr. Dirt.”

• Won 6 singles and 9 doubles titles in his career on the Men’s ATP Tour and reached his higher career ranking of 21 in 1986.

• Began playing the Nuveen Senior Tour in 1995 and reached number 4 in the Masters point standings.

• Won the 1996 Wimbledon Men’s 35’s Doubles Championship.

• Served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the USTA.

• Inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.

‍

Charles B. Morris, Jr., North Carolina, 2000

• Helped spearhead the opening of the Raleigh Racquet Club and served on the Board of Directors from 1971 to 1977 and as President from 1972 to 1975.

• Volunteered at the state and section levels for 25 years, served as Treasurer of the North Carolina Tennis Association for 15 years and later as Treasurer and President of the Southern Tennis Association and Chairman of the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation.

• Received the North Carolina Outstanding Tennis Personality Award in 1983, the President’s Award in 1982, 1985 and 1990, and the Special Service Award in 1991.

• Received the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl in 1984 and the Touchstone Award in 1985.

• Served in various capacities on numerous USTA committees and chaired the Budget and Finance Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the Governance and Planning Committee.

• The Charles B. Morris, Jr. Volunteer Service Award was established by USTA Southern in his memory in 1995 and is presented to a volunteer who has contributed outstanding service at the local, state, sectional, and national levels.

• Inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983.

‍

Roy R. Barth, South Carolina, 1999

• Began winning national championships at the age 13 in San Diego and consistently maintained top national rankings throughout his junior career.

• Played #1 singles and doubles at UCLA where he was a 2-time All-American and won the 1969 Pacific Eight singles and doubles titles and was a doubles finalist at the 1968 NCAA Championships.

• Spent 7 years on the professional tour playing in all 4 grand slam tournaments and reaching a top 8 United States men’s singles rankings, top 2 United States men’s doubles ranking, and a number 45 world singles ranking before retiring and moving to Kiawah Island, South Carolina as the Director of Tennis where he has won numerous USPTR senior doubles championships and over 15 Southern senior doubles championships.

• Coached the 1975 United States Wightman Cup team, 3 USTA Southern 18U Intersectional teams (winning 1 title), and the United States Italia Cup (Men’s 35-and over) to 2 titles in 5 years.

• President of the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) for term of February 2015 – February 2018, founding member of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), past President of USPTR, President of the South Carolina Tennis Association, and past Chairman of the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation.

• Co- chaired the USTA Davis/Fed Cup/Olympic Committee as Chair of the USTA Davis Cup Committee for six years.

• Co-chaired the USTA Davis Cup Committee several terms.

• Received the USTA Southern Charles B. Morris Volunteer Service Award in 2010, the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl Volunteer Service Award in 2016, and has been inducted into the Hoover High School Sports Hall of Fame, the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame, and the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame

‍

Hugh Thomson, Alabama & Georgia, 1999

• Grew up in Australia where he started playing tennis at age 7 and captured over 50 junior titles and 20 open titles.

• Played college tennis at Mississippi State University where he had a 54-2 SEC record, won 3 SEC singles and 4 SEC doubles championships, and led the team to a top 10 national ranking all 4 years.

• Coached the men’s team at the University of Alabama-Birmingham to a Sunbelt Conference Championship and was twice named Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year and later coached Auburn where his teams won 2 SEC championships and he was named the 1983 SEC Coach of the Year.

• Played national and international tournaments for the past 45 years and has improved with age, winning over 60 southern and national titles and earning the number 1 national ranking several times.

• Played on many Southern Senior Cup teams and Southern Intersectional teams and has represented the United States over 20 times in national team competition.

• A long time USTA volunteer at the local, state and section levels, he has made numerous contributions to the sport and is a USPTA professional and USTA referee.

• Received the Alabama Tennis Family of the Year Award and has been inducted into the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame and the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame.

‍

Dennis Van der Meer, South Carolina, 1998

• Teaching professional for over 50 years during which time he coached hundreds of players ranging from beginners to world-class players, including Billie Jean King and Margaret Court.

• Founder and President of the United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR), now called PTR, headquartered on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, in 1976.

• Authored numerous instruction books and videos and taught more people to teach and play tennis than anyone in the world.

• Popularized the Stand Method of teaching, a model of stroke demonstration and teacher certification and has developed and nourished the careers of thousands of tennis coaches, both in the United States and internationally.

• Named the 1969 USTA Outstanding Educator, the 1983 Southern Pro of the Year, the 1997 United States Olympic Committee Developmental Coach of the Year for the sport of tennis and is a PTR International Master Professional.

• Founded and hosted the South Carolina Junior All-star camp for the top ranked junior players in the state in 1985 and donated his facilities and staff to host the weekend event on Hilton Head Island for over 20 years.

• Inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, the PTR Hall of Fame in 2013, and the USPTA Hall of Fame in 2015.

Dennis Van der Meer passed away in 2019.

‍

John Skogstad, Georgia, 1998

• Played junior tennis in Florida where he won multiple Florida junior singles and doubles titles, the Interscholastic High School Doubles Championship, several Florida high school singles and doubles championships, and the Boys 15’s Orange Bowl.

• Undefeated at the #1 singles position for Baylor University for 2 years.

• Transferred to the University of Miami where he was team captain and All-American in 1961.

• Helped Miami set the NCAA record for consecutive team wins.

• Continued to excel as an adult/senior player and won multiple Georgia and Southern championships.

• Served as President of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) and Vice-President of the Georgia Tennis Association.

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

John Skogstad passed away in 2021.

‍

Nehemiah Atkinson, Louisiana, 1997

• Avid tennis player since the 1940’s who specialized in singles competition.

• Director of Tennis for the City of New Orleans for 22 years.

• Won over 15 Southern Singles Championships and several Silver Balls as a finalist at USTA National Championships.

• Represented Louisiana at Senior Cup competition, captained the Southern 75’s team at the USTA Intersectional Team competition, was the 1993 USPTR Player of the Year, and was winner of the 1996 USPTR Men’s 70 singles title.

• Recipient of the inaugural Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award and the T. N. Touchstone Memorial Trophy presented annually to a Southern senior player who displays outstanding sportsmanship and support of tennis in the South.

• Played on the 1999, 2000, and 2001 United States Gardner Mulloy Cup Team which won the competition in 2001 to become world champions in the Men’s 80’s.

• Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986.

Nehemiah Atkinson passed away in 2003.

‍

Wilton McKinney, South Carolina, 1997

• An active junior player and captain of both the Greenville High School and University of South Carolina tennis teams.

• Considered the patriarch of South Carolina tennis as the first volunteer to become involved in the sport at the local, state, sectional, and national levels.

• Served as Director of Tennis at Greenville Country Club where the center court is named in his honor.

• Volunteer tennis coach at Greenville High School for 25 years, winning 16 state championships, 3 Southern championships, and finishing third in the nation twice.

• Served as President of the South Carolina Tennis Association, on the Southern Tennis Association Executive Committee, chaired the STA Umpire’s Committee, served on numerous other state, section, and national committees, coached the Junior Davis Cup team, and refereed the South Boys Open.

• Became the first person inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1982 and in 1986 the state established the Wilton McKinney Award in his honor, the state’s highest junior award.

• Attended every Southern Tennis Association Annual Meeting for over 50 consecutive years, did extensive work to document the history of Southern tennis, and was awarded the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl

Wilton McKinney passed away in 2011.

‍

Ernest Sutter, Louisiana, 1996

• All-American at Tulane University.

• Won 2 consecutive National Intercollegiate Singles Championships in 1936 and 1937.

• Won the 1936 Southern Singles and Doubles Championships and the 1937 Southern Doubles Championships.

• Ranked in the top 6 in singles in the South between 1934 and 1939 and #1 in the South in doubles in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939.

• Ranked #21 in the nation in 1936 and #22 in 1937.

• Won the 1961 National Senior Doubles Championships with his brother Cliff.

• Inducted into the National Collegiate Hall of Fame, the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame.

Ernest Sutter passed away in 1988.

‍

Jane Crofford, Tennessee, 1996

• Involved in tennis at the local, sectional, and national levels.

• Helped start junior programs in Nashville and became President of the Nashville Tennis Association and the Tennessee Tennis Association.

• Chaired the Southern Tennis Junior Tennis Council and served as the Tournament Director for the Southern Boys & Girls 16 and 18 Closed Championships for several years.

• Served on the USTA Senior Tennis Council and the Sanction and Schedule Committee.

• Began playing competitively in her mid-30’s and won over 40 national championships.

• Represented the United States at multiple international team events and was World Tennis Magazine’s Player of the Year in 1968.

• Inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993.

‍

Eugene “Gene” Ray. Georgia, 1996

• Involved as a local competitor, teacher, and organizer and known as “Mr. Tennis” in Clayton County.

• Devoted much of his time to introducing tennis to local residents, maintaining the only 2 courts in the county, giving free lessons to juniors and adults, and running tournaments.

• Began playing senior tournaments at age 60 and restricted himself to 10 tournaments per year, but still earned 21 number 1 Georgia rankings and 9 number 1 Southern rankings.

• Won all 6 Southern tournaments he entered in 1984 at age 80.

• Played few national tournaments, but earned wins over several nationally ranked players, including Bitsy Grant.

• Attained his highest national singles ranking of number 5 in the 85’s in 1990.

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

Gene Ray passed away in 2011 at age 97.

‍

Richard O. “Dick” Covington Jr., North Carolina, 1995

• Junior standout at Tate Prep School and Carolina Military Naval Academy and reached the singles semifinals and doubles quarterfinals in the National Indoor Junior Championships in the early 1920’s.

• Played tennis at the University of North Carolina.

• Selected to represent the United States in major tournaments in Europe in the late 1920’s advancing to the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon.

• Won the Asheville City Open 9 times between 1929 and 1945 and earned a ranking of #6 in Southern Men’s Singles.

• Served as a referee, an umpire, and a consultant in tennis court maintenance.

• Inducted into the Western North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977, and recognized as the Asheville Parks and Recreation Volunteer of the Year.

• Asheville Racquet Club’s tennis stadium was named in his honor in 1983.

‍