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Hall of Fame

Honoring Gene Scott & Eve Kraft An influential journalist and community tennis innovator are this year’s inductees into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. By Peter Francesconi

ennis journalist and player parks, thanks to group instruction,” Eugene L. Scott and community said Anne Humes, former longtime T tennis pioneer Eve F. Kraft are USTA stafer and friend of Kraft’s. “Eve the 2016 inductees into the Tennis saw that, and what she was trying to do Industry Hall of Fame. Both will be was emulate the Princeton tennis pro- inducted posthumously at a ceremony gram [which Kraft helped to found in in during the TIA Tennis 1954] around the country—she wanted Forum in August. to help other communities establish Scott, who was inducted into the service organizations for tennis with International Tennis Hall of Fame the idea that you could get quality in 2008 in the Contributor category, group instruction and learn the game was the founder, publisher and editor at afordable prices.” of Tennis Week magazine, where his The late Henry Talbert described column, “Vantage Point,” was consid- Kraft as one of the few “lonely voices ered a must-read. He ranked as high as suggesting to the U.S. Lawn Tennis No. 4 in the U.S. as an amateur tennis Association that group instruction in player in 1963 and as high as world No. parks and playgrounds were the wave 11 in 1965. He also was a member of the of the future, because there were so U.S. team, where he was both many people who fit that model than Gene Scott founded Tennis Week magazine, teammate and roommate to the late there would be people who would while Eve Kraft helped . He later served as presi- become champions.” spread enthusiasm for dent of USTA Eastern Section, a board In 2001, the USTA renamed its annu- the sport of tennis. member for the International Tennis al Community Service Award in honor Hall of Fame and on the national board of Kraft; it is the highest award given was created in 2008 to recognize of directors for the USTA. for community tennis and recognizes inventors, founders, innovators and Annually, the International Tennis volunteer tennis leaders for significant contributors who have made a signifi- Hall of Fame gives the Eugene Scott contributions to tennis development in cant impact on the sport of tennis. The Award to honor an individual “who their communities. TI Hall of Fame currently has 10 embodies Scott’s commitment to “We are excited to have Eve Kraft inductees: Howard Head (2008), communicating honestly and critically and Gene Scott as our 2016 inductees Dennis Van der Meer (2008), Alan about the game, and who has had a into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame,” Schwartz (2009), significant impact on the tennis world.” said TIA President Jef Williams, the (2010), (2011), Howard Scott passed away in 2006. chair of the Tennis Industry Hall of Gill Jr. (2013), Walter Montenegro Kraft, who died in 1999, was a vision- Fame Committee. “Their contributions (2013), Sheldon Westervelt (2013), ary when it came to bringing tennis continue to help this sport and indus- Jim Baugh (2014) and Peter Burwash into local communities. “In the 1960s try to grow, and continue to impact (2015). A plaque honoring the induct- and ’70s, tennis was starting to come peoples’ lives for the better.” ees is on display at the International

out of the country clubs and more into The Tennis Industry Hall of Fame Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. ! SCOTT POLLY TENNIS PROGRAM; GENE SCOTT IMAGE: COURTESY & PRINCETON USTA EVE KRAFT IMAGE: COURTESY

26 TennisIndustry Sept/Oct 2016 www.tennisindustrymag.com www.tennisindustrymag.com

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