James Dwight

Hailed as the “Father of American Tennis,” Dr. James Dwight ranked second to his cousin, Dick Sears (Class of 1983), his frequent doubles partner and protége, in 1885 and ’86. Dwight reached the U.S. national singles final in 1883, the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1885, and won five U.S. doubles titles with Sears. Born in Boston in 1852, Dwight is credited by some with introducing tennis to the United States in 1874. He was president of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association from 1882-84 and again from 1894-1911. He also refereed the U.S. Championships for more than 30 years and supervised the first Davis Cup match in 1900. An inaugural member of both the ITA Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Dwight died in 1948.