National Championship participation increases with end of WW II

During World War II, the growth of platform tennis naturally slowed down. For several years, the men's doubles were the only tournaments played. By 1946, things picked up, and some tournaments draws were the “largest ever.” The Women’s event was not reinstated until 1949.

Let rule adopted for ball over the backstop

As play improved, balls were occasionally bounced over the 12-foot wiring, ending a rally and making it necessary to chase the ball for some distance. This was corrected when the APTA adopted a rule regarding balls bouncing over the backstop: "A ball which lands in court of play and bounces up and over side or back walls should be considered a 'let ball' and the point replayed."

Interest in the game from north of the border

The APTA had an inquiry from Department of Agriculture, in Quebec, Canada. “Having been in charge of this district for the Province of Quebec Lawn Tennis Association,” said the letter, “I am convinced that paddle tennis will be popular but the older members are skeptic about the whole thing.” Blanchard recalled how similar this was to Fox Meadow’s initial take on the game. Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959

Innovations to Parent-Child Tournament

In 1946, Tournament Chairman Lamar Fearing introduced an innovation to the Club's popular Parent-Child tournaments: any member who lacked a child of playing age could borrow one from another member. At Fox Meadow, paddle meant not just championship competition but an aspect of the game fostered by the Old Army Athletes, the inclusion of young and old, good and mediocre. Source: Diana Reische, Fox Meadow Tennis Club - The First Hundred Years, 1983

APTA Annual Meeting Minutes

APTA Annual Meeting Minutes 1945

National Championships

As in 1946 the Women’s was again not played. The Fox Meadow team of Moses and Grout overcame the 1942 and 1944 champions Hyde and Wiley from Hartford, CT. The New Jersey husband and wife team Elwood and Sarah Cooke easily won the Mixed over a Fox Meadow team. Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959 Historical Factoid: At the time Moses was 23 and became the youngest player in the history of the game to win a National championship; he was the recipient of the APTA Honor Award in 1976.

Robert Stubbs becomes FMTC tennis pro.

While the Club had employed tennis pros off and on since 1931, most taught only a day or two a week and remained at the Club a short while before moving on. The pattern changed when Robert Stubbs arrived to teach daily in May and June of 1947, during Charlie O'Hearn's presidency. One of the nation's leading clay court players, Stubbs won the U.S. Professional Lawn Tennis Association Singles title in 1947 and 1948, and with partner Mitch Gornto he won the Doubles title in 1953 and 1954, the second year against Bobby Riggs and Frank Kovacks. He played the pro tour with Donald Budge and Pancho Segura. Stubbs' lessons were so popular that one of the Club's five existing courts was being taken over, and the need for an extra court became urgent. When the original paddle courts on the Club's Church Street property finally were torn down, a new clay practice court and backstop were built [...]

WWII hostilities cease – Sept. 1945

Charles M. O’Hearn elected FMTC President (1947-1949)

Charley O'Hearn (1901-2001) turned down an offer to be the Red Sox's GM. Both FMTC and paddle benefitted from this decision. Charles O’Hearn dominated the game from 1935 through to 1950 and won ten National Championships—four times in Men's, five times in Mixed, partnering with his wife Ginnie for four of them, and the last Singles Championship. When he moved to New Haven, CT, in 1951, his involvement in the game declined, although he remained an excellent player. His son Michael O'Hearn was also an active FMTC member and a Club and National Champion.

Tennis matches draw large crowd to Fox Meadow

Five California tennis stars took over the exhibition court and gave expert performances before an enthusiastic gallery. The Village recreational department was instrumental in bringing Edward Moylan, Clarence Carter, Helen Pastall, Louise Snow and Beverly Baker, all of whom held honored places in the tennis world, to the club.