Tennis
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High School State Team & Singles Champions
1927 N/A
1928 Hope - Ray Chase (Hope) 1929 Classical - Peter Talbot (Hope) 1930 Classical - N/A 1931 Classical - Francis Fitzpatrick (Classical) 1932 Classical - Francis Fitzpatrick (Classical) 1933 Classical - Albert Barrows (Classical) 1934 De La Salle - Albert Barrows (Classical) 1935 De La Salle - N/A 1936 De La Salle - Robert Low 1937 De La Salle - William Gillepsie 1938 De La Salle - Dino Martin (De La Salle) 1939 De La Salle - Dick Cooley (Portsmouth) 1940 Hope - Dick Cooley (Portsmouth) 1941 E Prov - Jerry Dwyer (Portsmouth) 1942 E Prov - George Taylor (East Providence) 1943-1945: None 1946 N/A - Ralph Carson (St. Georges) 1947 Rogers - N/A 1948 De La Salle - N/A 1949 De La Salle - Jack Corcoran (Rogers) 1950 Hope 1951 Hope 1952 Hope - Walter Hackett (Pawtucket East) 1953 De La Salle - Walter Hackett (Pawtucket East) 1954 De La Salle - Hamilton Meserve (St. Georges) 1955 De La Salle - Tom Sullivan (De La Salle) 1956 La Salle - Leo Connerton (La Salle) 1957 La Salle - Jack DeVereaux (La Salle) 1958 La Salle - Gerry Dupont (La Salle) 1959 De La Salle - John Churchwell (De La Salle) |
Rhode Island is synonymous with America's tennis roots. The Casino in Newport, Rhode Island is the site of the first United States Lawn Tennis Association Singles Championship which occurred in 1881. For thirty-one years, until 1914, the tournament continued there, to be replaced by the Newport Casino Men’s Singles Invitation Tournament. The Casino now houses the National Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame and Tennis Museum. Jimmy Van Alen successfully lobbied the leadership of the United States Lawn Tennis Association to sanction the establishment of a National Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. The venerable Newport Casino became the National Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum and was officially recognized by the International Tennis Federation in 1986. Malcolm Greene Chace of Central Falls at age 14 became Rhode Island's youngest state tennis champion and four times placed among the top ten amateur tennis players. He was national college champion in 1893, 1894, and 1895. Malcolm played for both Brown and Yale and when he graduated from Yale in 1896, he also retired from tennis, but not before setting a record by winning the US Intercollegiate Singles and Doubles titles for three consecutive years (1893–95). High school tennis teams started forming in the 1900s. Later high school teams in the City High School league started vying for the Tilden Cup. Many matches were played at the East Side Tennis Club in Providence. Classical High won five championships in a row in the 1930s. When the new Interscholastic league formed De La Salle in Newport won the state championship an impressive six straight seasons. In 1931 the Kent County League also formed with neighboring schools. Charlie Swanson (Pawtucket High & Bryant College) was the No. 2 ranked amateur tennis player in New England in 1937 and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the National Men’s Singles Tournament at Forest Hills. By the early 40s, he became one of the leading tennis teachers in New England. Due to a U.S. Tennis Association rule that forbid teaching professionals from playing in national tournaments, he didn’t have an opportunity to play competitive tennis during the decades of the 40s and 50s. He was considered Rhode Island's ambassador of tennis.
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