webmaster

Carolyn Henry, Mississippi, 2002

Carolyn Henry, Mississippi, inducted in 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

Sam English JR, Kentucky, inducted in 2002

Had a long and distinguished list of participation and involvement in tennis for over 60 years
Captain of the 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

Wendy White-Prausa, Georgia, inducted in 2001 Wendy White Prausa

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

Charles W. Owens, Alabama, inducted in 2001 charles owens

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

Jean Clarke Johnson, Alabama, inducted in 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