Southern Tennis Hall of Fame Inductees 2016 - 2020

Laura DuPont, North Carolina, 2018

By M. Marashall Happer, III, 1995 Southern Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee

Laura DuPont is arguably the finest female tennis player ever from North Carolina, having reached a world ranking of No. 9. She won the 1979 Canadian Open, the 1977 German Open and 1977 US Clay Courts. Additionally, she reached the finals of seven other WTA tournaments in singles or doubles.

She also was a star basketball player in high school and in college. DuPont was the first female All-American at UNC and won the first national championship for UNC. DuPont is being inducted into her fourth hall of fame: ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame., North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and the Charlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame.

Her story and legacy is important for young girls everywhere who dream of success in sports.

DuPont was born on May 4, 1949, in Louisville, KY, lived in Chattanooga, TN, and moved to Charlotte, NC, in 1964. She graduated from Catholic High School excelling in basketball (38-point average), but there was no girls’ tennis program. However, DuPont became the North Carolina junior 16s and 18s state champion in 1965 and 1966 while in high school. In 1966, she was also the North Carolina state adult doubles champion with Julia Anne Holt. Next year, she was the North Carolina state adult singles champion and also doubles champion with Holt. In 1969, Laura was the state adult singles champion.

She attended Greensboro College for two years and then the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, graduating in 1972 with a B.A. degree in Physical Education. At UNC, Laura lettered in basketball with a 30-point scoring average. In tennis, she went undefeated in match play. UNC men’s tennis coach, Don Skakle, was unsuccessful in trying to obtain permission to have her play on the men’s team.

She captured the Mid-Atlantic Singles Collegiate Championships in 1968, 1970 and 1971. In 1970, she also won the doubles.

DuPont was the first woman at UNC to ever win a United States National Collegiate Championship, when on June 20, 1970, at New Mexico State in Las Cruces, NM, she defeated Linda Tuero of Tulane in the finals 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Tuero is also a Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee.

She almost did not get the opportunity to compete in that National Championship. Frances Hogan, her Tar Heel tennis coach had to persuade the UNC athletic administrators to send her. She remembered that Hogan,“told them to send me because I was going to win the tournament. I didn’t know that at the time. I was probably seeded fourth or fifth, and the person (Linda Tuero) seeded first, I had never beaten her.”

Hogan said “when it was over, tears were rolling down my face. I was just thinking that it almost didn’t happen. She almost wasn’t there. From that point on, Laura realized she could compete against the best. She was quick, but I think she was a good thinker on the court.”

DuPont always considered being the first female national champion at UNC to be her most memorable accomplishment. In 1998, she told the Raleigh News & Observer as Tar Heel of the Week. In 100 years or 200 years, no one will know I won the Canadian Open, but I will still be the first at UNC.”

In 1970 she was named the North Carolina AAU Athlete of the Year. In 1971, she won the Southern Championships and was ranked No. 1 by USTA Southern.

In 1977, she was ranked No. 10 in the United States. In 1980, the USTA ranked Laura and Pam Shriver No. 4 in doubles in the United States. The USTA ranked Laura and Barbara Jordan No. 8 in doubles in 1981 and No. 11 in doubles in 1982.

In recommending DuPont for induction, Shriver wrote, “We won tournaments, played against the best in the world and even qualified for the Tour Championships. … I remember losing to Laura in singles, when she beat me with her smart tactics and patience. I recall many doubles matches together when she was the level-headed team captain helping u think our way to win.”

Others who wrote in their support for Dupont were Billie Jean King, USTA President & CEO Katrina Adams, Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Mildred Southern and other notables.

Famous tennis journalist and International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Steve Flink described her as “a formidable clay-court player known to her friends as ‘Flash’.”

She earned the respect of her peers on the international world tour and was elected to serve the Women’s Tennis Association for 10 of the formative years for women’s professional tennis:

1974-1983 WTA Board of Directors
1975-1979 WTA Treasurer.
1979-1981 WTA Vice President.
1981-1984 WTA Executive Committee.

In 1974, she was a leader in the development of the first computer rankings system for women’s professional tennis.

Some of the highlights of DuPont’s professional career are:

1971 US Open Quarterfinalist while at UNC. Lost to Billie Jean King 6-3, 7-5.
1974 World Team Tennis Cleveland Nets and Pittsburg Triangles.
1975 Auckland NZ, New Zealand Open Doubles Finalist with Cecie Martinez.
1975 Toronto CA, Canadian Open, Singles Finalist. DuPont lost to Marcie Louie 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
1976 Johannesburg ZA, South African Breweries Singles Finalist losing to Brigitte Cuypers 6-7, 6-4, 6-1.
1976 Hamburg DE, German Open Doubles Finalist with Wendy Turnbull.
1977 Indianapolis IN, US Clay National Championships Singles Champion. DuPont defeated Nancy Richey, 6-4, 6-3.
1977 Hamburg DE, German Open Singles Champion. DuPont defeated Heidi Eisterlehner 6-1, 6-4.
1977 Rome IT, Italian Open Semifinalist. DuPont lost to Renata Tomanova 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
1977 #11 Colgate International Series Professional Final Year-End Point Standings behind Chris Evert (1), Billie Jean King (3), Martina Navratilova (4), etc.
1978 Buenos Aires AR, Rio de La Plata Championships Doubles Finalist with Regina Marsikova .
1978 Beckenham GB, Kent Grass Court Championships. DuPont lost to Evonne Goolagong in singles final 6-4, 6-2, and was also a doubles finalist.
1978 #14 Colgate International Series Professional Final Year-End Point Standings behind Chris Evert (1), Martina Navratilova (4), etc.
1979 #27 in WTA Points and Prize Money at end of year.
1979 Toronto CA, Canadian Open Singles Champion. DuPont defeated Brigitte Cuypers 6-4, 6-7, 6-1.
1982 World Team Tennis Chicago Aces.
1984 US 35s Singles Champion.
1985 US 35s Doubles Champion.

After retiring from the international tour, DuPont became the manager and teaching pro at Shriver’s Orchard Indoor Tennis Club in Baltimore until the club was sold in 1996. In 1997, she moved back to Chapel Hill to manage and teach tennis at the Chapel Hill Tennis Club.

Sadly, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and considered her fight against her cancer to be “the greatest match of my life.” She passed away on February 20, 2002, at Duke Hospital in Durham, NC at age 52.

Laura DuPont is survived by her mother, Pauline DuPont, who remarkably at age 101 still lives alone in Charlotte, sister, Suzette Wright of Georgetown SC, and brothers, Mark C. DuPont, Paul Y. DuPont and Greg C. DuPont, all of Charlotte.

Laura DuPont, North Carolina, 2018

Reached a world ranking of No. 9
She won the 1979 Canadian Open, the 1977 German Open and 1977 US Clay Courts
Played in the finals of seven other WTA tournaments in singles or doubles
Served on the WTA Board of Directors for 10 years and as vice president and treasurer
First female All-American at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Won the first national championship for University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Previously inducted into three other halls of fame: ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame., North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and the Charlotte Catholic High School Hall of Fame

Jeff Gray, Alabama, 2017

Jeff Gray: Exemplary Coach and Top USTA Volunteer

Even Jeff Gray doesn’t think it’s possible that he has been involved in the sport of tennis for almost 50 years.

Born in Houston, Texas, but being the son of a Shell Oil Company employee and part of a family that moved frequently in the 1940s and 1950s, Gray didn’t play organized sports outside of youth baseball. When he was set to leave for college at the age of 18, a neighbor gave him a used tennis racquet as a gift, and his life changed forever.

“(I ended) up playing daily in college,” stated Gray. “I played three years of college tennis and played on the first tennis team for the University of West Florida.”

That set the wheels in motion to be a tennis “lifer” and for soft-spoken Gray to give back in so many ways to the sport he loved. It also included a move to USTA Southern as he entered graduate school and was named the Assistant Tennis Coach at Middle Tennessee State University. Following his graduation in Murfreesboro, Gray took the position of head pro at the newly established Pensacola Racket Club. The next year he moved to Mobile and began a stint as a pro at Mirror Lake Racquet Club.

Gray would put down roots in Mobile, as he has been employed for 35 years and counting as Director of Tennis at the Country Club of Mobile.

While the tennis community is known for volunteering and lending a helping hand, Gray has been a leader in giving back. For USTA Alabama, he has been past Chair of both the Junior and Adult Ranking committees. He served as State President in 1978 and was Captain of the Senior Cup Team and currently is Chair of the USTA Alabama Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

At the section level, he has been Chairman of the USTA Southern Junior Ranking Committee and served two stints as a member and one as chair of the Nominating Committee. Gray served admirably as President of USTA Southern in 2005-2006 as well as a Delegate as Large on the Board of Directors, a member of the Executive Committee and chair of the Grievance Council.

USTA even called upon Gray to serve as Vice Chairman of the Adult/Senior Competition Committee from 2005-06, a Delegate from USTA Southern in 2007-08 and a member of the Sectional President’s Committee in 2005-06.

For many, Gray is best known for his relief work when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. Serving as USTA Southern President, Gray brought the affected states together with the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation and the USTA tennis family to raise over $1,100,000. The donated funds not only rebuilt facilities, but also assisted displaced tennis professionals and restarted adult and junior USTA programs at new or alternate sites.

As a player, Gray has been ranked No. 1 in Alabama in various age groups. He won the USTA Southern Senior Open and Closed in both singles and doubles in addition to the 45s USPTA National Doubles Championships in 1991.

“Probably the highlight of my playing career was playing on the winning Alabama Senior Cup and Intersectional teams,” explained Gray. “But it was very special to win the Country Club of Mobile Labor Day Professional Doubles in 1989.” This is an annual event and one of the most prestigious events in the South.

A distinguished member of the USPTA and Professional Tennis Registry, Gray is no stranger to Hall of Fame inductions. He is in the Mobile Tennis Hall of Fame, the University of West Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and the USTA Alabama Hall of Fame. He is a two-time winner of both the USPTA Southern Pro of the Year and USTA Alabama Pro of the Year Awards. He was also presented with the Jacobs Bowl, for his dedication to the game in 2006, by USTA Southern as well as the “Pride of the South” award from the USPTA Southern Division.

Like many other coaches and proponents of lifetime and youth sports, Gray realizes there are challenges that lie ahead with the current generation and generations to come, but he is seeing a payoff reflected in the growing usage of courts at the Country Club of Mobile. Since he started keeping figures 25 years ago, he’s seen a plateau of about 2,000 players a month (for all courts) increase to more than 3,300 players per month. Gray has set a goal of being eco-friendly and making the best use of natural resources.

“I’d put our courts up against anybody’s. They’re the prettiest clay courts you’ve ever seen,” says Gray. “Even better, they require less maintenance—always a headache with clay courts—and use one-third the amount of water that the courts were consuming before the system was installed. More play and less water is a win-win.”

Jeff Gray, Alabama, 2017

USTA Southern President from 2005-06 and Delegate at Large on USTA Southern Board of Directors
Member of the first tennis team for the University of West Florida
Inducted into Mobile Tennis Hall of Fame, University of West Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and USTA Alabama Hall of Fame
USTA Alabama State President in 1978 and served as Captain of the men’s Senior Cup Team for many years
USTA Vice Chairman of the Adult/Senior Competition Committee 2005-06
United States Professional Teaching Association, and the Professional Tennis Registry member and former Chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee for USPTA Southern
Assistant Tennis Coach for Middle Tennessee State University
Two-time winner of USPTA Southern Pro of the Year Award

Pat Devoto, Georgia, 2017

Pat Devoto: The “Mother of USTA League tennis”

In 1978, Pat Devoto was among a small group of volunteers who pioneered a new program. Growing from that grassroots innovation to the nation’s most popular tennis program, she jumpstarted USTA Leagues. Marilyn Sherman called her “the mother of USTA League tennis” when Devoto was honored with the 2005 Charlie B. Morris Jr. Service Award from USTA Southern.

This accomplishment was cited earlier in 2016 when Devoto was the recipient of the USTA League Volunteer Award. USTA Executive Director & COO Gordon Smith remarked, “Pat Devoto’s contributions to our League program are legendary. I shudder to think where our League program would be if she hadn’t been at the right place at the right time.”

Based on Devoto’s experience and vision, more than a half-million Americans gather weekly to team tennis.

But, forming an adult tennis institution was just the start of her involvement in USTA. Over thirty years she has been a consistent presence and force in promoting tennis through volunteering. For her long-time service, Devoto, of Decatur, Ga., received the Jacobs Bowl in 2013, USTA Southern’s highest honor.

On the local front, she served as the Vice President of USTA Georgia and two-time President of USTA Atlanta. On the sectional level she served as Director at Large on the USTA Southern Board of Directors, along with being a member of the League, Marketing, Olympic, Membership, School/After School, Public Relations, Community Programs committees and on the Publications Task Force.

On the national level she was appointed to the following USTA committees: Leagues, Olympic, Membership, Public Relations, Marketing, Publishing and Schools/Afterschool.

In Atlanta, she coordinated volunteers at the 1996 Olympic tennis center, co-founded Techwood GAP, an afterschool program of intercity youth and coordinated student volunteers for the Davis Cup tie. Additionally, she worked as a State League Coordinator and managed Dekalb Tennis Center for an extended period.

Devoto was the founder and tournament director of the Southern Cities Championship. This women’s competition served teams from throughout the Southern Section for 18 years and dispensed thousands of dollars to local charities by way of the winning teams.

Two other programs are close to her heart: “Reading for Racquets” based out of Dadeville, Alabama and designed to bring tennis to elementary and high school children. Additionally, she makes a monthly visit to the Montgomery Women’s Facility in Montgomery Alabama, to conduct an ongoing book club and has introduced tennis to the women there. As a result “The Alabama Slammers” are a member club of the USTA.

An accomplished novelist, her latest novel “The Team” is about – believe it or not – a women’s tennis team. Other well-known books include “My Last Days as Roy Rogers” and “Out of the Night that Covers Me.” She writes under the name of Pat Cunningham Devoto.

The Alabama native received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee. She taught high school social studies for several years. Besides earning a private pilot’s license she has served on the Board of Directors of Aid to Inmate Mothers, Alabama; Board of Directors of the Dekalb Historical Society, Dekalb County, Georgia; President, Pace Academy Parent’s Booster Club, in Atlanta and President of her neighborhood Swim and Tennis Club, in Decatur, Ga.

Pat Devoto, Georgia, 2017

Considered the founder of USTA Leagues, often described as the largest adult league in the world with more than 500,000 players
The second recipient of the national USTA League Volunteer Award, presented to her in September 2016
Founding Director of Reading For Racquets, which uses a multidisciplinary approach to teach tennis and its culture to elementary schoolchildren
Southern Cities Championship Founding Director and director for 18 years of this women’s charity tennis event that has awarded thousands of dollars to winning tennis teams to be contributed back to their designated local charity.
Served two terms as president of USTA Atlanta
Served on the USTA Southern Board of Directors as a Delegate at Large
Writing as Pat Cunningham Devoto, the author of numerous novels, including “My Last Days as Roy Rogers,” “Out of the Night that Covers Me” and “The Team,” which is about a women’s tennis team

Ned Caswell, Tennessee & Georgia, 2017

Ned Caswell: Professional Player and Successful Coach

Ned Caswell’s life story was almost titled “Hoop Dreams.” If not for a basketball scholarship to Furman University, the Atlanta native might not have had a Hall of Fame tennis career. It may seem strange now, but Caswell, the General Manager and Director of Tennis at the Manker Patten Tennis Club in Chattanooga, Tenn., went from starting guard on the Furman Men’s basketball team to a two-time All-American tennis player at Furman.

Caswell was named the Southern Conference MVP, reached the NCAA singles quarterfinals in 1987 and in many ways put Furman on the tennis map.

“I never aspired to this growing up,” said Caswell, who lettered in both sports at Furman, winning the Southern Conference singles title in both 1986 and 1987.

When Caswell talks coaches and coaching, the talk always turns to his coach at Furman, Paul Scarpa. Scarpa was himself inducted into the USTA Southern Hall of Fame in 2006, but Caswell freely admits his success was because of Scarpa’s leadership and patience.

“He took me from a walk on that should have probably been cut from his team as a freshman to the top of college tennis, while only playing part time because of basketball.”

Caswell graduated from Furman in 1987 with a degree in business administration, but the “real world” would have to wait as he set his sights on the ATP Tour. He turned professional and trained at Nick Bollettieri’s academy in Florida, and that began paying dividends immediately.

Even though he had success at Furman in college tennis, there was some question as to how Caswell would fare against the best players in the world. A stint on the USTA Junior Davis Cup team in 1987 with Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Malivai Washington, Jeff Tarango and David Wheaton was a confidence builder. He finished fourth at USTA Satellite #5 in 1988, earning 20 ATP World Tour points.

In 1989, Caswell jumped up the world rankings. A move from No. 583 to 250 and ending the year at No. 284 gave Caswell a chance to play ATP Challenger events, and he responded with semifinal showings at Lagos and Itu-Sao Paulo. He also reached the quarters at Nairobi and was a doubles runner-up at Coquitlam.

This gave Caswell an opportunity to play bigger ATP World Tour events and bring his ranking up to No. 200. Caswell notched wins over the likes of Sampras, Patrick McEnroe and Tim Wilkison.

One of Caswell’s most memorable matches was a loss to John McEnroe in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round of the 1989 Canadian Open played in Montreal.

After his professional career, Caswell turned his attention to coaching and developing players. He took the Anderson (S.C.) College team to the junior college national championship in 1992 and has led Baylor (Chattanooga) girls’ tennis to numerous TSSAA titles. He’s also won 16 gold balls on the national senior circuit. Caswell has held the No. 1 world ranking in singles and doubles in men’s 35s, for 1999-2000. He was the world champion in singles for 1999 and doubles in 1999 and 2001.

Caswell has also garnered his fair share of coaching honors. In 2010, he was named Best of Preps Coach of the Year. He also was named National Coach of the Year twice while leading Anderson College to the 1992 National Junior College title.

Always coaching, Caswell helped develop the tennis games of his twin daughters, Harper and Samantha. The Caswell daughters each played college tennis, with Harper at Furman and Samantha at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. They earned All-Southern Conference honors.

He has brought that same “family first” attitude to the club he’s been at for 20 years. Caswell made Manker Patten a place not just for great tennis but a club where families can come and spend time together. Caswell has brought a strong junior progran to Manker Patten along with a proven staff.

Caswell resides in Lookout Mountain, Ga., with his wife, Wendy.

Ned Caswell, Tennesse & Georgia, Inducted in 2017

Two-time All-American at Furman (S.C.) University, reaching the NCAA individual singles quarterfinals in 1987. He also graduated with a degree in Business Administration
Southern Conference MVP
Member of USTA Junior Davis Cup team in 1987 with Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Malivai Washington, Jeff Tarango and David Wheaton
Career-high ATP World Tour ranking of No. 200
Professional wins over Pete Sampras, Patrick McEnroe and Tim Wilkison
Has won 16 gold balls on the national senior circuit and held the No. 1 world ranking in singles and doubles in Men’s 35s, for 1999/2000. World Champion in singles for 1999 and doubles in 1999 and 2001.
2010 “Best of Preps” Coach of the Year
Twice named National Coach of the Year while at Anderson College

Mel Purcell, Kentucky, 2016

Mel Purcell won two Kentucky high school doubles titles with his older brother, Del. Not bad for a middle-school student from Murray.

The young prodigy went on to win an NCAA doubles championship, seven ATP crowns, reached No. 21 in the world in singles and No. 17 in the year-end Grand Prix standings in 1982 and 1983, arguably the best Kentucky tennis player ever. Other notable achievements include being named 1980 ATP Newcomer of the Year and reaching the quarterfinals at 1983 Wimbledon and winning the 1980 NCAA Indoors. He was inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Purcell hasn’t strayed from his Bluegrass State roots, which just may have caused International Tennis Hall of Fame journalist Bud Collins to nickname him “Huck Finn” in 1980.
His father, Bennie, was the Murray State head tennis and assistant basketball coach after a record-setting career as a MSU Hall of Fame and Washington Generals hoops player. Mel is in his 18rd year as the men’s head tennis coach, following five years in which he was his father’s assistant.

After winning the Kentucky High School championship as a senior at Murray High School, Mel moved on to the University of Memphis and won the Metro Conference singles and doubles titles in his freshman year. His coach that year was Tommy Buford, who is also being inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016.

In the next year, Purcell transferred to Tennessee and raked in two SEC titles. He captured the 1980 NCAA doubles title with Rodney Harmon and was named an All-American.

Purcell made an immediate impact on the ATP World Tour in 1980, finishing as the finalist in Indianapolis, semifinalist at the Japan Open and quarterfinalist in Atlanta and Maui. He reached his highest singles ranking of No. 21 twice, in 1980 and 1982, and finished No. 28 or higher in four straight end-of-year rankings.

The next year was his watershed season, taking the Atlanta, Tampa and Tel Aviv titles. Additionally, he advanced to the French Open round of 16 twice while also being the doubles runner-up and singles semifinalist in Denver. He reached four other ATP singles finals: 1982 Boston and Los Angeles, and 1983 Monte Carlo and Vienna. During his career, he defeated former No. 1 players Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stan Smith, Ilie Nastase and Guillermo Vilas.

Teaming up with four different partners, he was victorious in doubles in Vienna twice (Smith in 1983 and Tim Wilkison in 1987), WCT/Delray Beach (Eliot Teltscher) and Munich (Chip Hopper). He also reached four other finals in doubles. He won a senior doubles title with Borg. His career high of No. 47 in doubles came in 1984 and he won nearly $800,000 in ATP prize money.

At Murray State, he guided the program to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2001 and 2002. The team’s performance in those two seasons led to Purcell being named OVC Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002. After going 4-2 against OVC teams during the regular season in 2001, the Racers claimed the OVC Championship and earned a bid to the program’s first NCAA Tournament. In 2002, the squad went undefeated (5-0) in the OVC and captured Murray State’s 19th OVC Championship.

Induction into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame

Mel Purcell, Kentucky, inducted in 2016

Won 2 Kentucky high school doubles titles with his older brother when he was in middle school and a singles title as a senior
Played for at the University of Memphis and won the Metro Conference single and doubles titles his freshman year before transferring to Tennessee where he won 2 SEC titles and captured the 1980 NCAA Indoor Singles Championship and the NCAA Doubles titles and was an All-American
Joined the ATP tour and made an immediate impact when he was named the 1980 ATP Newcomer of the Year, was a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 1983 and earned his highest singles ranking of number 21 in the world in 1980 and 1982
Won 3 ATP singles titles in Atlanta, Tampa and Tel Aviv and reached the finals 4 other times
Won 4 ATP doubles titles and was a finalist in 4 other tournaments, reached a ranking of number 47 in the world in doubles and won a senior doubles title with Bjorn Borg
Joined his father as the assistant tennis coach at Murray State and became head coach in 1997 and his team won consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Championships in 2001 and 2002 and he was named the Conference Coach of the Year
Inducted into the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985 and the 2016 Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015