Hicks started playing platform tennis at the Manursing Island Club in Rye back in the 1930’s and in 1940 he captured the APTA National Men's doubles title with Witherbee Black. He had been featured in a 1940 Life Magazine article of the game that had been arranged for by Ken Ward. The photographs for the article were by the noted Albanian-American photographer Gjon Mili who was a pioneer in the use of stroboscopic instruments to capture a sequence of actions in one image.
Hicks died suddenly at his home in Rye, NY, on September 24, 1977. The 74-year old insurance executive, a paddle pioneer, was a member of the Class of 1926 at Princeton and had enjoyed many tennis triumphs. He captained his college team in his senior year when his doubles partner was sophomore John Van Ryn ('28). Van Ryn gained later fame on the courts by winning both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open doubles champions[...]
The APTA Concept:
A Grand-Prix tour of Men's and Women's APTA sanctioned tournaments leading up to a Grand Prix playoff Championship. Players would earn points at each tournament during the season to become eligible to play in the Grand- Prix event at season's end. Each tournament would have a purse with a larger purse to be apportioned at the Grand-Prix Championship. A "leader-board" would be posted at each tournament to show the current standings of the competing teams.
For the men's tour, the number of qualifying tournaments might be as many as eight - for the women, as many as five. They might be selected from the following markets:
Chicago: November 5 & 6
Philadelphia: November 12 & 13
Cleveland: November 19 & 20
Boston: December 3 & 4
Rye: January 7 & 8
Short Hills, N.J.: January 21 & 22
New Canaan, Conn.: February 4 & 5
Washington: February 11 & 12
The proposed bu[...]
The Manhattan Platform Tennis Club on East 48th Street in New York City was the venue. Eight teams competed for $4,000 in prize money.
Tournament Brochure
The APTA established the relationship with Hertz to stimulate interest in the “Amateur” regional circuit of tournaments that had been conceived as competitive opportunities for the “weekend player.” The Hertz Corporation, the largest vehicle rental and leasing company in the world, agreed with the APTA that these players deserve support.
The agreement called for Hertz sponsorship of the four Regional Championships and the Presidents' Cup. Prize money was not a part of this tour, but the cost of the trophies for the Regional Championships was to be underwritten by the Hertz Corporation. In addition, travel expenses for the regional teams to the Presidents' Cup, as well as a reception honoring all former APTA Presidents, would also be paid for by Hertz.
This event grew out of the support from Hertz for the "week-end" player. The event was initially just for Men and was to become one of the highlights of each season with great competition and camaraderie. The Women's President's Cup was started in 1983
Former paddle champion and Hall of Fame member Bill Pardoe died on February 10 at his home in Stratton, VT, at the age of 62.
A graduate of Brigham Young University and Fordham Law School, he was senior vice president and senior financial officer for the Union Carbide Corporation.
Bill Pardoe and his partner, George Harrison, won the National Men's Doubles championship in 1956 and again in 1960. He won the National Mixed Doubles with Charlotte Lee in 1965. In the Senior Men's Doubles, he and his partner George Lowman won the championship three years in a row - 1966, '67 and '68.
In 1969, William Pardoe received the APTA Honor Award given to those individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of platform tennis.
Source: Paddle Talk, Vol. 3 No. 5 (April-May)
British Open International Platform Tennis Tournament - February 3, 4, 5.
An invitation International Tournament under the joint auspices of the International Platform Tennis Association and the BPTA, to be held at Silvermere Country Club, Redhill Road, Cobham, Surrey. Sponsored by Racquet Sports International Limited. Teams from the United States, Holland and the United Kingdom.
The First European Open Championships - February 10, 11, 12.
Hapert, Holland, the site of last year's Dutch Open Championships. Sponsored by Bellfires Corporation and its President, Nico de Wal. Teams from the United States, United Kingdom and Holland.
Program and Drawsheets
British National Platform Tennis Championships
Sponsored by En-tout-cas Limited, it involved regional competitions at a number of centers for all entrants, culminating in a National Final for regional winners. Men's, women'[...]
FMTC hosted the event (its 41st National Championship) commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of platform tennis.
The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of sterling silver trays by APTA President Dick Hornigold to members of the “first families” of platform tennis, Mrs. Fessenden Blanchard and Do Cogswell Deland.
In the Men’s, Herb Fitz Gibbon and Hank Irvine won their second straight title as did Hilary Hilton and Louise Gengler in the Women’s. Paddle Talk covered the event
Clark Graebner (Russell’s partner in the Men’s final) and Louise Gengler (Hilton’s partner in the Women’s) won the mixed over Russell and Hilton.
In the Senior’s, Bob Brown won his first of many Senior titles with George Reynolds over the winners of the past two years, Baird and Lankenau.
Source: Paddle Talk Vol. 3 No. 5 (April-May)
Golden anniversary of founding of platform tennis celebrated at Fox Meadow
Back to TopGolden anniversary of platform tennis celebration at Fox Meadow
The event was chaired by Joan and and Paul Doyle, with assistance from Roxanne and Rodman Zilenziger and twenty-two other members.
Charlie O'Hearn—who with his wife, Ginnie, won four national Mixed Doubles championships— recalled the game's origins:
"No paddle tennis player in the early thirties could have dreamed how far the game would develop over the ensuing fifty years. And yet it was such a great, fun game that perhaps we should have known. With one court in Scarsdale, at Jim Cogswell's, only a handful of players were available and many a weekend I can recall Fess Blanchard phoning to say, 'It’s stopped snowing. Come on over and help shovel, and we can be playing by two o'clock'—and we were. I haven't played for years, but I still owe the game a lot. I'll always be in its debt for the pleasure it gave to Ginnie and me."
Source: Diana Reische Fox Meadow - The First [...]
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