Ham Richardson

A two-time NCAA singles champion and a staple of the U.S. Davis Cup team for many years, Ham Richardson was not just a great tennis player. He was also a Rhodes Scholar who studied at Oxford and later had a long career in the investment banking business. One of the greatest players in Southeastern Conference history (Tulane was part of the SEC then), Richardson won the NCAA singles titles in 1953 and ’54. In the SEC, he won four conference singles and doubles titles from 1952-55. Richard and fellow Hall of Famer Alex Olmedo won the U.S. Nationals doubles title in 1958, and he reached the semifinals of the singles at the U.S. Nationals (twice), Wimbledon and the French. Richardson ranked among the top 10 U.S. singles players for 11 years, and he played on seven U.S. Davis Cup teams, including championship squads in 1954 and ’58. He died in 2006 at age 73.