History of the Game | Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame

1976

Hilary Hilton on ABC’s Superstars

Hilton was one of twelve female athletes, and the first platform tennis player asked to compete on ABC’s Women Superstars. The following year she was asked to provide commentary alongside host Al Michaels.

1976

Ken Ward (1900- 1977): A founding father of the APTA

Ken Ward at Maursing Island Club, Rye NY.

As President of the APTA from 1939-42, winner of one of the first Honor Awards in 1965, and inventor of the Scrambles tournament, Ken Ward's contributions to platform tennis were many and various. He was a friend of all the pioneers of the game in the early days and maintained his interest throughout the years. John Ware said, "Ken Ward was kind of a special man. He was a great advocator of platform tennis. He had, you might say, an acute case of the game. I remember him as being a presence at close to 40 Annual Meetings. Every year, he would get up and give the Board his personal vote of confidence and thanks. He had a graciousness and dry wit and a wonderful way of expressing himself." Ken Ward had this to say in a letter to Bob Brown, Chairman of the Presidents' Council, after the last Annual Meeting: "I thought the meeting went off very well. Everyone was well prepared. I [...]

1976

The Western Pennsylvania PTA (WPPTA) grows

The organization grew from the original five clubs in 1967 to seventeen clubs by 1976, and now included the Sewickely YMCA and the Mt. Lebanon Community Courts. The first five years saw a formation of a men's League, followed by women's A, B and C Leagues. In 1976, there were plans for an informal junior League.

1976

Squires had lead the way but now books on how to play the game were beginning to proliferate

Bob Callaway & Michael Hughes, Jay Iseman, George Sullivan, Doug Russell and Ernest Chu, Bill Ballard & Jim Hevener all had book published

1976

First New England Junior Open

In the fall, the Suburban Indoor Tennis Club in Randolph, Massachusetts held the inaugural tournament. Draws were held for both boys and girls in the 11 & under and 15 & under categories.

1976

Pro-Keds Classic to be at Burlington House plaze in Manhattan. Another Dick Squires promotional event

Source: Paddle World Vol. 1, No. 5, Fall 1976

1976

Coca-Cola commissioned Robert Sticker to do an oil painting of a platform tennis scene at the home of the game – Fox Meadow Tennis Club.

Sticker Painting commissioned by Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York

Charles Millard, President of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York and a key supporter of the game, commissioned the painting1. Source: Paddle Talk, Vol. 2 No. 2 (December) Who are the players? “My guess is that Sticker drew the players from scrap art - several pictures that he patched together with his brush. He must have visited FMTC for he beautifully and accurately portrays the Club, snow, court, bleachers, and spectators. As to the players, I've always related to the guy hitting the overhead. I recognize the posture, the pants, the green socks and the sweater. But who knows. The other player in the foreground court sure looks like the back of Paul Sullivan's grey head. And it makes sense that he would be there. Too bad Bob Brown isn't on the other side of the net, because he was usually in that FMTC group. The guy with the hat looks like Dave Jennings. It doesn't[...]

1976

Changes needed to encourage spectator interest?

APTA President Mike North expressed his view at the Annual Meeting as part of a discussion on the growth of the game: “The second necessary development is for the rules to be changed to encourage spectator interest. I agree with Dick Squires' excellent article in a recent issue of Paddle World that urged reconsideration of the rules as proficiency increases. For instance, we should consider returning to a less lively ball, introducing the return of serve before the ball hits the screen, and the provision of a winning shot.” Source: Paddle Talk, Vol. 2 No. 2 (December)

1976

Tribuno starts a Women’s Tour

The circuit proved almost as popular as the men’s. The 1976–77 season kickoff was the Tribuno Platform Tennis Tournament of Cleveland, followed by Canoe Brook (New Jersey), Norwalk (Connecticut), Bronxville (New York), Detroit, and the World Championship at Forest Hills, New York. The prize money for the Women’s World Championship was $15,000. Because Tribuno offered equal prize money to men and women for the World Championships, the women voted to play three out of five sets, like the men did. In the semifinals, the spectators got their money’s worth as they watched Gengler and Hilton beat Wendy Chase and Linda Wolf (7–6, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4).

1976

PRO-Keds Classic – Irvine and Fitz Gibbon take the $10,000 prize money. Squires creates a promotional and instructional video from the event

The PRO-Keds Classic, held in New York City, was one of the game’s greatest marketing ideas. The event was the brainchild of Dick Squires, and was co-sponsored by Uniroyal and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. A court was erected in midtown Manhattan, at the site of the fifty-story Burlington House, on 54th Street and Avenue of the Americas. The area in front of the skyscraper was offered rent free, in exchange for $5,000 worth of PRO-Keds sneakers for the New York City Urban League underprivileged children. An integral part of the tournament was the junior program. Ninety-six children were chosen from the city's boroughs to participate in lunchtime clinics on the court, given by Bob Callaway. General Sportcraft contributed paddles for the kids and Burlington Industries provided socks and lunch. And, of course there were free sneakers for the children from U[...]

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