Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Richard O. “Dick” Covington JR, North Carolina, 1995

Richard O. “Dick” Covington JR, North Carolina, inducted 1995Richard O Covington Jr

  • Junior standout at Tate Prep School and Carolina Military Naval Academy and reached the singles semifinals and doubles quarterfinals in the National Indoor Junior Championships in the early 1920’s
  • Played tennis at the University of North Carolina
  • Selected to represent the United States in major tournaments in Europe in the late 1920’s advancing to the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon
  • Won the Asheville City Open 9 times between 1929 and 1945 and earned a ranking of #6 in Southern Men’s Singles
  • Served as a referee, an umpire and a consultant in tennis court maintenance
  • Inducted into the Western North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977 and recognized as the Asheville Parks and Recreation Volunteer of the Year
  • Asheville Racquet Club’s tennis stadium was named in his honor in 1983

Alexander Wellford SR, Tennessee, 1994

Alexander Wellford SR, Tennessee, inducted 1994Alexander Wellford

  • Competed successfully in six sports during his youth in Memphis, but tennis was his favorite
  • Attended the University of the South where he was team captain
  • Won the Memphis City Singles Championship at the age of 27 and again 15 years later when he was 42
  • Won numerous national senior titles from 1954 through 1984 including the 1958 National Clay Court Senior Doubles Championships with partner Slew Hester and competed at Wimbledon and the French Championships against the top players in tennis including Vic Seixas, Bobby Riggs and Bitsy Grant
  • Founded the Memphis Tennis Association and served as its first president
  • Served as President of the Southern Tennis Association and on the Board of the USTA
  • Inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame and the Memphis Tennis Hall of Fame

Harvey Terrell, Alabama, 1994

Harvey Terrell, Alabama, inducted in 1994Harvey Terrell

  • Began playing tennis as a freshman at the University of Alabama and mastered the game quickly and played the number 2 position
  • Chairman of the Board of First National Bank in Birmingham and active in his community
  • Served as President of the Southern Lawn Tennis Association and later as a Trustee on the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation Board
  • Member of the USLTA Executive Committee
  • Ranked as high as eighth in the National Parks Tennis Program
  • Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986
  • Harvey “Red” Terrell Tennis Center was built in Birmingham in 1989 and named in his honor

Zan Guerry, Tennessee, 1994

Zan Guerry, Tennessee, inducted in 1994Zan Guerry

  • Top ranked national junior player from the time of his 1960 championship in the Boy’s 11 year old division
  • Played high school tennis at Baylor School in Chattanooga and later was a 3-time All American at Rice University
  • Following college he played on the professional circuit where he reached the top 20 in the county and played in all the Grand Slam tournaments
  • Five time winner of the Southern Men’s Championships
  • Won 25 national championships in singles and doubles, at least one in each decade since his first title in 1960
  • Inducted into the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame, Baylor School Athletic Hall of Fame, Rice University Tennis Hall of Fame, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame
  • Joined his father, Alex, as the only father and son to be inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame

Henry G. “Hank” Crawford, Georgia, 1993

Henry G. “Hank” Crawford, Georgia, Inducted 1993Henry Crawford006

  • After a successful career in law and real estate he concentrated his efforts on tennis and won 12 national doubles titles in the 50, 55, 60 and 70 age divisions
  • European doubles champion with Gardner Malloy
  • Played on the 1979 United States Britannia Cup team and 1983 Crawford Cup team and was captain of the Crawford Cup team from 1985 through 1990
  • Captain of the 1992 Bitsy Grant Cup team
  • Received the USTA Senior Service Award in 1978
  • Inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame the first year it was established in 1983