TEXAS TENNIS MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME - Key Persons
Al Hill, Jr (1945-2017) was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, oilman and developer but he will forever be remembered for his involvement in modernizing tennis into the professional circuit we have today. In 1968, Hill co-founded World Championship Tennis (WCT) with his uncle, Lamar Hunt, and promoter Dave Dixon. In the span of one decade, they transformed tennis from an amateur sport into a professional powerhouse watched by millions on network television.
While growing up in Dallas, Hill was one of the top 10 juniors in the nation in both singles and doubles. As an eighth grader at St. Mark's School of Texas, his tennis skills were so good that he was placed on the varsity team where he became an unprecedented 5-year letterman. Trinity University signed him to a tennis scholarship. As a Trinity Tiger, he was a team captain who amassed a singles record of 38-11. Today, varsity home matches are played in Al G. Hill Jr. Tennis Stadium, thanks to a generous donation by Hill in 2011 that helped fund a complete renovation of the varsity tennis courts.
As a highly ranked amateur player, Hill played in many prestigious events, including Wimbledon. He was a member of the United States Junior Davis Cup Team in 1962 and won the 1964 Canadian National Men's Doubles Championship.
Beverly Bowes-Hackney was one of the most decorated tennis players in Southwest Conference (SWC) history. A four time All-American selection at the University of Texas in singles (1984, 1985, and 1987) and doubles (1984), Bowes was selected to the All-SWC team four consecutive years from 1983-1987 and made the All-SWC doubles team twice. She was also named the SWC Player of the Year twice (1984-85 and 1986-87) and was named to the SWC-All Decade Team for the 1980s. Bowes was a member of the inaugural class of the UT Women's Hall of Honor in 2000. She was inducted into the SWC Hall of Fame in 2017. While competing professionally on the WTA Tour from 1987-1995, she achieved a top 50 ranking and played in 25 Grand Slam events.
Cathy Beene has played competitive tennis on all levels and has dedicated her efforts to the betterment of tennis through teaching and collegiate administration. A native of Kingsville, Beene was a member of the Junior Wightman Cup Team from 1967-1969 and was ranked #1 in Texas 18 and under in 1969 while playing her tennis career in Harlingen, Texas. At Lamar University, Beene won the USTA-AIAW National Tennis Doubles Championship in 1973 and was voted All-America.
Beene turned professional in 1973 and went on to play the Avon Professional Circuit from 1977-78. She also coached the Texas Jr. Wightman Cup Team from 1974-1979. Beene has taught at three different tennis clubs in Texas and has coached tennis at four universities: the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, the University of Texas at Arlington and Georgia Southern University. She has coached five All-America athletes and was the Coach of the Year in the Southwest Conference in 1990 and the Southern Conference in 1998. Beene has worked as an athletic administrator for over twenty years investing her time and efforts in the development of student athletes. Beene was the chair of the NCAA Tennis Committee from from 1993-1997 and in 2011-12 while serving two different terms on the committee. Beene is also a member of the Lamar University Athletic Hall of Honor (1993) and the Rio Grande Valley Hall of Fame (2012).
Cliff Drysdale is a former championship player and an outspoken and influential leader on issues on and off the court. While a top-ranked professional tennis player in the 1960s and early 1970s, he was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, was in the top 10 six times and won 35 singles titles. Drysdale was one of the "Handsome Eight," a group of players signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 to play in the newly formed World Championship Tennis (WCT) series.
Drysdale was instrumental in the founding of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and served as its first president from 1972-1974. During that time, Drysdale moved his family to Lakeway to serve as the touring professional at "The World of Tennis,"a very unique first class tennis facility. He put the facility on the tennis map by hosting resort clinics, professional tournaments and a number of high profile events throughout his tenure.
Drysdale has been an ESPN tennis commentator for more than 40 years, since the network's very first tennis telecast. He is the founder of Cliff Drysdale Tennis tennis manages 32 tennis related facilities now under the umbrella of Troon golf company. In 1998, he was awarded the USTA William Johnston award for his contributions to men's tennis. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.
Dr. Lewis Hilley began his long association with tennis at Waco High School where he lettered in basketball and tennis. In late 1930s, he played varsity tennis for Baylor University. During World War II, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps becoming an officer and leader in physical training and recreation. While in the service, he continued playing tennis in the South Pacific, winning a prestigious doubles championship with his brother, John Gordon Hilley. While working on his doctorate at the University of Texas, he was hired as the first tennis professional at Caswell Tennis Center in Austin. At Lamar Tech, Hilley coached the tennis and golf teams from 1952 to 1962. He won twenty championships, nine in golf and eleven straight in tennis in the Lone Star Conference. Lamar dominated the NAIA with six consecutive tennis championships from 1955 to 1960, and five national golf crowns. He coached six undefeated tennis team, and his last four squads won nineteen straight dual matches. Coach Hilley broke new ground by recruiting foreign players into his tennis program. Notable recruits include Cliff Drysdale (South Africa), Tim Heckler (South Africa), Warren Jacques (Australia), Pedro Bueno (Brazil), and James Schmidt (USA).
Howard Edward Butt Sr. (1895-1991) was born April 9, 1895 in Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for founding the HEB supermarkets located throughout Texas.
Butt's father was a pharmacist, who because he suffered from tuberculosis and wanted a drier climate, moved the family to from Tennessee to Kerrville, Texas in 1905. In order to support the family, Butt's mother, Florence, borrowed $60 to open a small grocery store. It was called Mrs. C.C. Butt's Staple and Fancy Grocery.
From the time he was a young boy, Butt loved to play outdoors. Since there were no tennis courts in his hometown, he and a friend cleared a vacant lot to make a court. They used salt to kill the grass and hung a net from two posts. By age sixteen Butt, the youngest of three boys, began to manage the store. He graduated valedictorian of Tivy High School in 1914.
Butt joined the army during World War I. When he returned in 1919, he went to work expanding the grocery business. Although some of the early stores failed, his stores survived the Great Depression and grew by offering low-priced goods. In 1929 Butt moved the headquarters of his developing grocery business to Harlingen. During the 1930s, Howard's business, HEB Grocery, grew to more than 28 stores in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. When Butt died in 1991, there were 175 stores.
Throughout his life, Butt felt that the things that contributed so much to his own well-being, such as tennis, should be shared with others. Butt established the HEB Foundation in 1933, one of the earliest philanthropic foundations in Texas. It provided libraries and recreational facilities-swimming pools and tennis courts-to many South Texas communities, particularly in low-income areas. He also began developing the HEB Foundation Camp in 1954.
Butt supported the building of public tennis courts in Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Donna, Edinburgh, Mission, Mercedes, Laredo, Victoria, Kerrville, Fredericksburg and New Braunfels, often donating land or money. Butt also promoted and supported collegiate tennis at the University of Corpus Christi. In 1975 his company became the major sponsor of one of the largest college tournaments in the country, the HEB Collegiate Team Tennis Tournament.
On March 30, 1972 the Texas Senate gave Butt a special commendation for his contributions to the state. He died at age ninety-five on March 12, 1991.
Jerry D. Geyman (born 1941) has dedicated much of his life to the development of tennis in Texas. As a player, Geyman played in and won a number of both professional and amateur tennis events. From 1972 to 1976, Geyman served as the Program and Research Director for World Championship Tennis (WCT) in Dallas. During that time he established twelve WCT tennis academies in the United States and Europe. He also coordinated twelve professional tournaments in international locations, including Sao Paulo, Brazil and Canada.
Jim Chaffin was born in Bryan, Texas on May 27, 1943 and graduated from Harlingen High School. He received a degree in economics from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from UCLA.
Jim Parker (born 1943) grew up in a tennis family in the Missouri Valley. He came to Texas to play tennis for Rice Institute. He earned a B.A. in political science in 1965 and an M.A. from the University of Texas in 1968. The winner of more than 80 USTA National Championships and 14 ITF World Championships, Parker played the first match of the Open Era at the 1968 U.S. Open. He was the winner of 11 USPTA national championships and was ranked No. 1 in the ITF World Senior Rankings five times. Parker was also a member of World Championship U.S. Dubler, Perry, Austria and Von Cramm Cup teams. In 2003 Parker won a "Gold Slam" by capturing national titles on all four surfaces: hard, clay, indoor and grass.
Parker returned to the Rice campus to coach the men's tennis team from 1973 to 1976. In 1976, he joined the Houston Racquet Club, serving as head pro until 2006. He was inducted into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 and has remained involved with Rice.
Parker also contributed to tennis off the court, serving on the board of directors of the Texas Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame and as president of the USPTA Texas Division. He continues to compete in senior tennis and is the youngest man to reach 100 gold balls for winning Super National tennis tournaments.
Margaret Varner Bloss (born 1927) was a three-sport champion and led a remarkable career as a player, educator and international goodwill ambassador. She attended the University of Southern California and received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Texas Women's University in 1950. Her tennis accomplishments include winning the National Girls' 18 Doubles Championship in 1944 and 1945 and the Texas State Women's Championship five times from 1947-1951. In 1958 Bloss reached the finals of Wimbledon with doubles partner Margaret Osborne DuPont losing to Althea Gibson and Maria Bueno.
Bloss could win with any racquet and represented the United States at the highest level of international competition in three racquet sports. She was a member of the Wightman Cup Tennis Team in 1961 and 1962 and with partner, Margaret DuPont, won doubles matches for the team that defeated Great Britain. She captained the team in 1966. In badminton she was a two-time World Champion and member of the U.S. Uber Cup Team. She was also a four-time National Squash Champion and member of the U.S. Wolfe-Noel Team.
At the same time she pursued a 20-year college teaching career, teaching physical education in El Paso, Texas. She retired to join her former doubles partner, Margaret DuPont, in raising thoroughbred racehorses including aptly named winners "Super Set" and "Tie-Breaker".
Ron Fisher (born 1940) was a member of the Rice Institute tennis team that won the Southwest Conference Championship in 1958 and 1959. An NCAA All-American, Fisher won the SWC Singles and Doubles Individual Championships in 1958 and 1959. He also defeated U.S. Open finalist Frank Froehling in the finals of the first Rice Intercollegiate Championship. Fisher graduated from Rice with a degree in mathematics. While competing on the international tennis tour, he defeated five Grand Slam champions. He played at Wimbledon and at several other international events.
He designed and implemented STAR, a computerized tennis ranking system for players of all ages and levels, which is used across the U.S.
Fisher remained involved with tennis both at Rice and throughout Texas. He was served as president of the Texas Tennis Association (now USTA Texas) in 1976. He was inducted into Rice's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981 and is a member of the U.S. Open Final 8 Club. The first Texan to serve on the board of directors of the United States Tennis Association, he received a 40 Years of Service volunteer award from the national organization in 2010. He remains active on the Executive Committee of the USTA Texas.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ITA Hall of Fame
Steve Denton (born 1956), a native of Kingsville, Texas, played tennis for Bishop High School where he won the Texas state high school championship four straight years, from 1972 to 1975. He played college tennis for the University of Texas from 1976 to 1979. He earned all-American honors in 1978. Along with teammate Kevin Curren, Denton won the U.S. Tennis Association amateur indoor and SWC doubles title in 1979. After college he and Curren played together on the professional tour.
In addition to the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, Denton is a member of the ITA Hall of Fame, the Blue-Gray Tennis Class Hall of Fame and the Longhorn Hall of Honor.
Sue Bramlette got a late start in tennis, but has made up for that with her passion for competition, teaching, and organizing tournaments. Starting at age 32, Sue was taught by Texas Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Parker. After only five years of mentorship, in 1987 Sue won her first national title and also became certified by the USPTA. As a member of the Houston Racquet Club pro staff, Sue set learning objectives for age-appropriate tennis instruction from peewee level through high school. She coached young juniors at HTA Excellence Camps, USTA Junior Development Camps, and served as the McKinley Cup coach for Texas 12s. Bramlette received the HTA Samson Award in 1994 as a result of site directing numerous junior tournaments, serving from 1992-1994 as tournament director for the USTA Zonals, and writing "Entering Junior Tennis," a booklet for parents. Bramlette's daughter Christie benefited from these efforts, receiving a full tennis scholarship to the University of Virginia.
Tommy Connell has a lifetime of service to the tennis industry and the state of Texas. A Texas A&M University graduate and four year tennis letterman, Connell has served Texas tennis for over 40 years. He earned Professional of the Year honors twice while serving as director of tennis at the following facilities: Beaumont Country Club, Galveston Racquet Club, Royal Oaks Racket Club and Lakeside Country Club. Connell was president of USPTA Texas Division and served as a board member for twelve years and a national executive board member for two years.
A native of Michigan, Bos (1926-2016) received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Kalamazoo College and his Master's degree from the University of Michigan. He started his coaching career as a member of the advisory staff for Wilson Sporting Goods, traveling the tennis circuit, umpiring matches for the world's top players and conducting clinics for kids and adults in schools and cities across the country. While maintaining his involvement with Wilson during the summers, he became Varsity Tennis Coach for the United States Naval Academy, leading the team to a winning record every year.
In 1963, Bos moved to Dallas as head pro of Dallas Country Club. He spent 12 years at DCC before moving on to new challenges at Brookhaven Country Club, where he became Director of all Racquet Sports. From Brookhaven, Bos moved to a position as Director of Tennis at Lakewood Country Club. With each move, he has left a legacy of a more spirited tennis program and an improved facility in which to play the game. It was estimated that Bos coached more people in Texas than any other pro and those people were the most exciting aspect of his career. He played with and coached a star-studded cast of celebrities from Bill Cosby to Rod Stewart, Roger Staubach to President George Bush.