Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Charles W. Owens, Alabama, 2001

Charles W. Owens, Alabama, inducted in 2001charles owens

  • Called many things during his tennis career, but “character” is the most colorful and accurate as his on-court acrobatics and easygoing personality quickly made him one of the most entertaining players in the South
  • Ranked #1 in Alabama in the Boy’s 12’s, 14’s, 16’s and 18’s, #1 in the South in the 14’s, 16’s and 18’s and #6 in the nation in 1968 in the Boy’s 18’s when he won titles at the Georgia State Open, Southern Open, Orange Bowl, Alabama Men’s Championships, National Interscholastic and Sugar Bowl
  • Member of the United States Junior Davis Cup team and winner of the Allan B. Stowe Sportsmanship Award at the national championships in Kalamazoo in 1968
  • Attended Florida where he became the first freshman in SEC history to win both the singles and doubles titles at the conference championships before transferring to Samford where he went undefeated at #1 singles for 2 years and won the NCAA Division II Singles Championship in 1972
  • Turned professional in 1972 and played the U. S. Open on all 3 surfaces between 1972 and 1980, reaching the third round twice and a ranking of #56 in the world in 1979 when he won 4 tournaments
  • Won the USTA National 35’s Clay Courts singles and doubles championships 3 straight years and played on the United States Italia Cup team 3 years, including the 1987 world championship team
  • Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1995

Jean Clarke Johnson, Alabama, 2001

Jean Clarke Johnson, Alabama, inducted in 2001

  • Emerged as a star in Southern junior tennis during the war years, earning a #2 ranking in girls singles in 1943 and #1 ranking in 1944
  • Played for Rollins College when they were ranked #1 in the nation
  • Held a #1 or #2 Southern ranking in at least one age division for 16 straight years between 1943 and 1959 and ranked 11th in singles and 8th in doubles in the nation in 1954
  • Played on the 1954 United States Pan American Games team
  • Won the Southern Women’s Singles title 8 times along with multiple championships at the Blue-Gray, Tennessee State Championships and Georgia State Championships
  • Competed in singles, doubles and mixed doubles in the 1956 Wimbledon Championships
  • Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in with the first class in 1985

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

Newton Cox, Alabama, 1991

Newton Cox, Alabama, inducted in 1991Newton Cox

  • Begin playing tennis at age 16 and was involved in the sport as a player, coach and administrator the remainder of his life
  • Attended the University of Alabama on a tennis scholarship and after a term in the Army returned to Alabama where he coached the men’s tennis team 13 years
  • Coached and taught at the Mobile Tennis Center for over 35 years
  • Served as President of the Mobile Tennis Club, the Alabama Tennis Association, the Southern Tennis Association, the Alabama Professional Tennis Association, the Southern Professional Tennis Association and was Vice President of the United States Professional Tennis Association
  • Tournament Director for numerous prestigious tournaments including the Alabama Open, Senior Bowl Championships, Southern Junior Open and Closed Championships and several men’s and women’s professional circuit tournaments
  • Wrote a weekly column titled “Mobile Tennis Notes” in the Sunday edition of the Mobile Register for over 25 years
  • Received over 20 major awards, including the USTA Southern Jacob’s Bowl and was inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990

Roberta Alison Baumgardner, Alabama, 1989

Roberta Alison Baumgardner, Alabama, inducted in 1989Roberta A. Baumgardner

  • Accumulated numerous junior titles including the Southern Open, Southern Closed, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Kentucky State, Florida Yacht Club and Tampa Bay
  • Held the #1 ranking as a junior in both Alabama and the South, and was nationally ranked in the top 20 four times
  • Played on two National Junior Wightman Cup Teams and was a member of the Southern Intersectional Team five years
  • Received the first varsity letter and athletic scholarship awarded by the University of Alabama where she played #4 singles and #2 doubles on the men’s team
  • During her college years she won the Women’s College Championships and the USLTA National College Girls’ Tennis Championships in both singles and doubles
  • Served several years as a volunteer high school tennis coach
  • Inducted into the Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame and the National College Women’s Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987 and the University of Alabama Tennis Hall of Fame in 1988