APTA Annual Meeting Minutes

1952 Annual Meeting Minutes

APTA Annual Meeting Minutes

1953 Annual Meeting Minutes

Number of courts continues to grow despite losses to disrepair and Hurricane Carol

In the early days, courts often fell into disrepair as the original construction techniques and choice of materials were poor. Often these courts were torn down, but the court at Riverside Yacht Club in Riverside, CT, was the first to be lost to an “Act of God.” Despite the fact that courts were being lost, many more were being built and the number of operational courts was expanding rapidly.

National Championships

The 1953 winners all repeated. Guernsey and McNeill staged a fine recovery against Hebard and Carlisle after being two sets down. The match, one of the longest on record, lasted 71 games. For Madge Beck and sister, Maizie Moore, this was their fifth title and the fourth in a row. Madge had now won ten out of the last eleven events played from 1938-1954 (no events were held from 1943-1948 because of WW II and the aftermath). Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959

Edward S. Cooke elected APTA President (1955-1957)

New York Times covers Men’s Nationals

The article covered the coming of age of the game when the APTA's 21st birthday was marked by the Men's Nationals at Fox Meadow, and described the hard-fought finals between Hebard and Carlisle, the winners, and Moses and Deland. Source: The New York Times, March 14, 1955

National Championships

Carlisle and Hebard, the finalists in 1954, prevailed in a close match against Moses and Deland. Elfie Carroll collected her second Women's title with Louise Ganzenmueller (their first win had been in 1950 and they were finalists in 1952 and 1953). John Moses sweetened his loss in the Men's by winning the Mixed with Fritzi Smith over the very strong team of Madge Beck and Dick Hebard. Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959

Robert R. Kingsbury, a preview of things to come

The first time Bob Kingsbury's paddle abilities came to public attention was in 1955, when a newspaper article noted that Oliver Durrell and his son Bill had defeated Oliver Kingsbury and his son Bob in a Club tournament. Bob was a multiple winner of Club tennis and platform tennis tournaments (see Kingsbury, as well as a two-time national champion in platform tennis. He served as APTA President from 1978-1980 and was inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003. Source: Adapted from Diana Reische, Fox Meadow Tennis Club – The First Hundred Years, 1983

Elliott Wilson Elected FMTC President (1955-1957)

Elliott Wilson (1899-1962) was an executive with the paper products division of the Owens-Illinois Glass Company

World Tennis Magazine covers Nationals

The article included some excellent pictures of players and galleries taken during the national doubles championships at Fox Meadow in Scarsdale. Source: World Tennis, April 1956