During his active playing career Bob Kingsbury's wife keep a scrapbook of tournament records, newspaper article, photographs, etc.
The scrapbook also contained information on events at Kingsbury's home club, Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale NY.
A number of newspaper articles are from local Scarsdale papers and these have been difficult to find as newspaper editions during the 1970s have yet to be digitized. As such the scrapbook provides some valuable historical records not available elsewhere.
Source: Donated to the PTMHOFF by Robert R Kingsbury
Cleveland hosts Nationals – the first time Nationals held outside of NY Metropolitan Area
Back to TopThe Cleveland Invitational directors in 1973 (from left to right): David S. Dickenson II, Richard Taylor, Willis M. McFarlane, Carrington Clark, Jr., and Robert Bartholemew. (Missing from photo: John J. Bernet and John F. Turben)
Up until 1973, all National Championships had been held in or around New York City, primarily at Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, which had the most courts. The other two founding clubs of the APTA—The Field Club in Greenwich, CT, and Manursing Island Club in Rye, NY—also hosted, as did the Englewood Club, in Englewood, NJ.
In the fall of 1971, the Cleveland Committee, headed by Carrington Clark, submitted a comprehensive proposal to the APTA Board to host the Men’s National Championship. After some consideration, the Board approved the plan to move the Nationals. The 1973 Men’s Nationals in Cleveland were highly successful, and it signified the start of an era when the Nationals moved to a different location each year. It returned to Fox Meadow from 1974 to 1979; Montclair, New Jersey, from 1980 to 1982; New Canaan, Connecticut, in 1983; and Cleveland, Ohio, in 1984.
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The 1973 Men's Championships, held in Cleveland OH, saw Kingsbury and Mangan capture their second straight title.
On the Women’s side, DeBree and Dillenback took their third victory in a row. The Mixed final was a repeat of the previous year, but this time Cecil North and Mrs. Raymond O’Connell took the title, winning the second set over John Beck and Susan Wasch 14-12.
In the Seniors, Baird and Swanberg won their second straight 50+.
In the Junior’s, Chip Baird won for the fifth time in a row, a remarkable achievement.
A full description of the events and drawsheets was given in
In the spring, the APTA announced that the Executive Committee and a specially designated By-Law Committee were going to revise the by-laws.
All member clubs in the Association were sent material concerning the changes, together with a proxy statement and an announcement of a special Association meeting to take place in July or August.
William F. Koegel elected FMTC President (1973-1975)
Back to TopWilliam F. Koegel, 1983. Photograph was taken at the celebration of Fox Meadow Tennis Club's centennial
Koegel came close to disaster and humiliation during his term as president when he realized on a Sunday afternoon a half hour before the traditional Governors'Tea, held each year in April, that neither he nor his wife, Ruth, had bought the ingredients.
One does not become an FMTC president without steady nerves and the ability to handle emergencies, however. A liquor store owner was persuaded to rush to his store, open it, and produce the urgently needed ingredients. The Koegels got to the Club and mixed the punch in time.
"No one suspected the near catastrophe," Koegel recalled, "and I thus escaped impeachment from the presidency and possible expulsion from membership."
Source: Diane Reische, Fox Meadow Tennis Club - The First Hundred Years, 1983
Gordon S. Gray: Gray discovered paddle in 1965, and right from the start, played to win. He was a fine tennis player and his natural talent, coupled with an analytical approach and hard work, quickly paid off with three National Mixed wins in a row (1966-1968), the third time this had been achieved.
He followed up this accomplishment with three Men’s title in a row, from 1969-1972, a feat done only once before by Hebard and Carver.
In compiling this record, Gray and his partner, Jesse Sammis, changed the game by introducing a whole new level of aggressive, but consistent, play. (Field Club of Greenwich).
During the summer, the APTA completed the incorporation of the Association and a redrawing of its by-laws. The financial records as of the date of incorporation, August 3, 1973 showed a net worth of $17,078
On July 30, at a special meeting of membership in New York City, the Association decided to incorporate under the New York State Not For Profit Corporation Law. The APTA was now the American Platform Tennis Association, Inc.
On August 3, the State Department of New York filed the certificate of incorporation of the American Platform Tennis Association, Inc.
On August 7, the incorporators met and adopted a new set of By-laws that the By- law Committee had developed and submitted for approval1. Paul Sullivan chaired the By-Law Committee and other members were Edmund Swanberg, Peter A. Thistle, Robert A. Brown and Howard Kafer. The Association engaged James M. Carlisle as cou[...]
Membership of the APTA as of August 3, 1973 included both voting members (clubs and individuals with courts) and non-voting members (those that did not own a court).
The Minutes covered the induction of Gordon Gray, the financial status of the APTA, and comments from incoming President, Bob Brown, on the tenure of retiring President Peter Thistle and on the challenges ahead.
APTA 1973 Minutes Annual Meeting
Back to TopFrom APTA Executive Committee Minutes, April 10, 1973
Ball quality had been a constant problem, and if anything, it seemed to get worse as time went on.
The APTA concluded that either suppliers were not making balls to its specifications, or the specifications themselves were incorrect.
The APTA invited sixteen top players to Fox Meadow to spend the day playing with balls in an organized testing program. Bob Brown and Amby Hardwick, who was the New Jersey Regional Vice President of the Association, chaired the project committee. Balls manufactured by Barr, Marcraft, Eagle Seamco and Robinson Bros. were tested and balls that met players’ approval were then further tested by the U. S. Testing Company so that they could draw up a set of specifications. Companies who met the specifications were issued approvals.
The APTA encouraged a number of manufacturers in the sporting goods field interested in making balls for platform tennis to[...]
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