Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

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 the 1969 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 no. 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), founding member and past President of USPTR, President of the South Carolina Tennis Association and 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, the UCLA Sports 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 1998Dennis Van Der Meer

  • 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

John C. Skogstad, Georgia, 1998

John C. Skogstad, Georgia, inducted in 1998John Skogstad

  • Played junior tennis in Florida where he won multiple Florida junior singles and doubles titles, the Interscholastic High School Doubles Championship, several Florida high school singles and doubles championships and the Boys 15’s Orange Bowl
  • Undefeated at the #1 singles position for Baylor University for 2 years
  • Transferred to the University of Miami where he was team captain and All-American in 1961
  • Helped Miami set the NCAA record for consecutive team wins
  • Continued to excel as an adult/senior player and won multiple Georgia and Southern championships
  • Served as President of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) and Vice-President of the Georgia Tennis Association
  • Inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985

Wilton McKinney, South Carolina, 1997

Wilton McKinney, South Carolina, inducted in 1997Wilton McKinney

  • An active junior player and captain of both the Greenville High School and University of South Carolina tennis teams
  • Considered the patriarch of South Carolina tennis as the first volunteer to become involved in the sport at the local, state, sectional and national levels
  • Served as Director of Tennis at Greenville Country Club where the center court is named in his honor
  • Volunteer tennis coach at Greenville High School for 25 years, winning 16 state championships, 3 Southern championships and finishing third in the nation twice.
  • Served as President of the South Carolina Tennis Association, on the Southern Tennis Association Executive Committee, chaired the STA Umpire’s Committee, served on numerous other state, section and national committees, coached the Junior Davis Cup team and refereed the South Boys Open
  • Became the first person inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1982 and in 1986 the state established the Wilton McKinney Award in his honor, the state’s highest junior award
  • Attended every Southern Tennis Association Annual Meeting for over 50 consecutive years, did extensive work to document the history of Southern tennis and was awarded the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl

Nehemiah Atkinson, Louisiana, 1997

Nehemiah Atkinson, Louisiana, inducted in 1997Nehemiah Atkinson

  • Avid tennis player since the 1940’s who specialized in singles competition
  • Director of Tennis for the City of New Orleans for 22 years
  • Won over 15 Southern Singles Championships and several Silver Balls as a finalist at USTA National Championships
  • Represented Louisiana at Senior Cup competition, captain of the Southern 75’s team at the USTA Intersectional Team competition, 1993 USPTR Player of the Year and winner of the 1996 USPTR Men’s 70 singles title
  • Recipient of the inaugural Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award and the T. N. Touchstone Memorial Trophy presented annually to a Southern senior player who displays outstanding sportsmanship and support of tennis in the South
  • Played on the 1999, 2000 and 2001 United States Gardner Mulloy Cup Team which won the competition in 2001 to become world champions in the Men’s 80’s
  • Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986