Southern Tennis Foundation

Southern Tennis Foundation

Southern Tennis Hall of Fame Inductees 1996 - 2000

Timothy M. Wilkison, North Carolina, 2000

Timothy M. Wilkison, North Carolina, inducted in 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

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

  • 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

Hugh Thomson, Alabama & Georgia, 1999

Hugh Thomson, Alabama & Georgia, inducted in 1999Hugh Thomson

  • 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

Roy R. Barth, South Carolina, 1999

Roy R. Barth, South Carolina, inducted in 1999Roy R Barth

  • 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 the1969 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 rankings 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

Dennis Van der Meer, South Carolina, 1998

Dennis Van der Meer, South Carolina, inducted in 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 State Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR), 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