Arthur Ashe on & Off the Court
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Fried 1 Arthur Ashe On & Off the Court Interviewer: Corey Fried Interviewee: Donald Dell Instructor: Michael Chapper Date: February 17, 2009 Fried 2 Table of Contents Interview release form 2 Statement of Purpose 3 Biography 4 Historical Contextualization: Endless Determination Can Change the World 6 Interview Transcription 15 Time Indexing Recording Log 41 Interview Analysis 42 Works Consulted 46 Fried 3 I nterviewee release form Fried 4 Statement of Purpose This project serves to obtain knowledge about Arthur Ashe as a person and his success on and off of the tennis court. This task will be accomplished through an interview with Donald Dell, founder of sports marketing company ProServ and Ashe’s best friend. This unique perspective will give students researching Arthur Ashe a greater idea of Arthur Ashe than any textbook would provide. Fried 5 Biography Donald Dell was born on June 17, 1938 in Bethesda, Maryland. He grew up playing tennis every day at the Edgemoore Tennis Club. Striving to be one of the best players for his age in the local area eventually lead Dell to look at tennis competitively from a more nationwide perspective. Dell played tennis as a teenager as a member of his Landon high school team. After he graduated from Landon, he attended Yale University as an undergraduate student and played tennis there as well. Dell later joined the Davis Cup tennis team and played in tournaments around the world. Donald Dell retired before he the sport of Tennis was considered “Open” so his team was unable to receive prize money during the time that they competed. He became Davis cup captain in 1968 with Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe, and Bobby Lutz all on his cup team. Dell was captain for two years and his team won the Davis Cup in both 1968 Fried 6 and 1969. Dell is the only Davis Cup captain to never lose. He resigned as Davis Cup Captain in 1969 to practice law. Because he was could not make a living off of playing tennis because at that time, because he was technically an amateur, he attended University of Virginia and received a law degree in 1964. He then worked for a well-known law firm in Washington D.C. called Hogan & Hartson from 1966-1967. After completing law school, and working as an associate at Hogan and Hartson, Dell began what he then considered his “dream job”. He became the special assistant to Peace Corps founder Sargent Shriver. Dell carried Shriver’s briefcase and traveled with him everywhere. Dell considered those eighteen months to be the time where he learned more than he has his entire life. Dell became very close with all of his players, particularly Arthur Ashe. Ashe convinced him to become his sports marketing agent. Dell thought the idea of being Ashe and Smith’s sports marketing agent was a ludicrous idea and that it would not work. After much persuasion Dell accepted the offer. Dell was a successful sports marketer and went on to create and become a major pioneer for the successful sports marketing business ProServ (now known as SFX). In addition to generating thriving businesses he was able to form lasting bonds with both Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith. Currently living in Bethesda, Maryland Dell continues to work full time. He is happily married to Carol Dell and has twin daughters named Alexandra (Arthur Ashe’s god daughter) and Kristina (Stan Smith’s god daughter). Fried 7 Historical Contextualization Endless Determination Can Change the World Majority of historians agree that the tennis player, Arthur Ashe, conquered greater heights than thought possible and changed the world of tennis forever. Arthur Ashe however was even more than an admirable tennis player; he used his fame to project his political views that he passionately believed should be heard, opened doors for African Americans, and dedicated himself to making the world a better place. Ashe’s books contain facts, emotions, thoughts, and personal accounts about his life as an African American during the American Civil Rights era. To understand the other side of Arthur Ashe’s influence, it is necessary to listen to the perspective from someone who was close to his life, but still from the outside looking in, and was always there for him. A lawyer, a captain, an older brother, a role model, and a best friend was what Donald Dell was to Arthur Ashe, and from Dell I hope to gain a greater understanding than even this in depth research could provide for me. After World War II several African Americans took leadership roles to help propel the Civil Rights movement. The leaders of the Civil Rights movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and more had a variety of tactics and approaches to achieving black equality or power. For example Martin Luther King Jr. fought for peace and equality. He preached to his followers that his idea of a better world could be achieved without violence. Malcolm X had a more aggressive and harsh approach than King. Malcolm X fought for black power and condoned violence, if it was necessary for African Americans, to rise up and receive the power and respect he thought they deserved. These leaders all wanted improvement in society and for “all men to be created equal”. Fried 8 Life for Arthur Ashe as well as many other African Americans, from the Civil Rights Movement through the 1970’s and 1980’s was not easy. Segregation was everywhere in America and blacks and whites were separated from mostly everything. There was segregation in restaurants, in clothing stores, bathrooms, movie theaters, water fountains, and more. Arthur Ashe’s involvement within the African American community was so influential at the time because Arthur Ashe could relate to what African Americans were going through. He understood the feelings and emotions that burdened African Americans everyday that arose as a result of living as a minority. In Ashe’s books he tries to gives his readers the best idea possible of life as an African American in America, although no one can fully understand that does not live the life. As talented an athlete and as passionate about tennis as Arthur Ashe was, he still doubted himself and his ability constantly about becoming a professional tennis player. He questioned whether or not he would be able to handle it all because of his skin color. Arthur Ashe said that every black kid his age thought certain jobs were impossible to achieve and certain dreams would never come true. Ashe says in his book, Arthur Ashe Off the Court, “You grow up with this mentality. I wanted to establish myself in the tennis world, and I knew I’d have to pay a price for anything that I did well” (4). Not only was the pressure of doing well on Ashe’s mind but the obstacles he would face for getting closer to his goal would be difficult rather than just rewarding. Still with the knowledge of the hardships ahead of him, Ashe wanted to accomplish his goal of becoming a professional tennis player and would work as hard as he could to do so. Arthur Ashe grew up in the South and always had to be cautious for survival. His grandmother would teach him about whom to trust. She informed Ashe that some white people were genuine and wanted to help him (“good white people”). She also warned him about which Fried 9 white people to be careful around or watch out for (“bad white people”) especially the Ku Klux Klan. A young boy like Ashe would have to walk around his own town cautious or paranoid for survival. Situations such as Ashe’s childhood experiences were examples of what motivated activists to create change. Ashe observed people around him as a child and was conscientious. When Ashe was young he witnessed hardly and black men or women owning businesses. Ashe recalled his thoughts as a kid and said; “You knew there was something different about being black, and it even came down to gradations of skin color within the black community itself” (“Off the Court” 22). So much emphasis was put on race at the time that a lighter African American would be considered superior to a darker African American. Living in a segregated world forced Ashe to be reminded of what whites thought of him everyday. Racist Americans would never look at African Americans and see them as equal human beings. African Americans were banned from entering many public places, and even if there were no signs that permitted African Americans from entering, they still felt as though they would not be welcome. Ashe states that “[he] was aware that [he] was a Negro, colored, black, a coon, a pickanniny, a nigger, an ace, a spade, and other less flattering terms” (“Off the Court” 37). He as well as many other members of the black community was harshly labeled those terms constantly because of his skin color and nothing more. Arthur Ashe was born a leader. His views on civil rights, determined nature, and widespread popularity set Ashe up to be an influential political leader. Ashe states in his memoir Days of Grace that he grew up knowing he had a responsibility to be a leader especially a leader to African Americans. During this time in American History, many people felt the same dedication and commitment to make a difference in America and deal with the racial issues. Fried 10 Strong, independent and passionate men and women, similar to Ashe, in some respects, dedicated their lives to changing America.