Julie Ditty, Gordon Smith, Mary Hatfield

Here are the 2019 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductees..

Julie Ditty

Here is a little known but telling fact about Julie Ditty: She played high school tennis – in the second grade!
From then on, her accomplishments grew with her.
The Kentucky resident would go on to success at the high school, college and professional levels, finishing with a top WTA ranking of No. 89 in singles and No. 65 in doubles and earning the honor of representing her country on the U.S. Fed Cup team.

Gordon A. Smith

The pinnacle of Gordon Smith’s leadership at the top of the USTA national staff may be the complete transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including two roofed stadiums. As USTA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Smith also oversaw the construction of 100 courts and the nation’s largest and most advanced tennis facility at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

Mary Hatfield

Mary Hatfield has come full circle. She started in the USTA family as a volunteer, moved into the office as a staffer, and is now back giving her time as a committee chairman.
In all those roles – paid and unpaid – Hatfield excelled as a consummate professional.
Beginning in her local community, Hatfield made contributions on the state, sectional and national levels.