Mike Blanchard

One of the most revered tennis referees ever, Blanchard worked many NCAA Championships over the years before retiring after chairing the 1985 finals. He was a U.S. Open referee from 1972-82, serving as the tournament director in 1976, and was named U.S. Open referee emeritus in 1983. Blanchard also served as referee at the Davis Cup and Federation Cup. Blanchard served as chairman of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Umpires Committee for six years and in 1957 was given the McGovern Award as the top umpire in the U.S. Blanchard died in 1996 at age 88.