Wilmer Allison

A champion in singles and doubles before going on to a great coaching career, Wilmer Allison was a member of the ITA Hall of Fame’s inaugural class. In 1927, Allison was the NCAA singles champion. He later added a U.S. singles championship at Forest Hills, N.Y. in 1935. In doubles, he and partner John Van Ryn (Hall of Fame Class of 1984), twice won Wimbledon and the U.S. championships, as well as posting 14 victories in Davis Cup. In 1956, Allison became the head coach at Texas, leading the Longhorns for 16 seasons. A member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Allison died in 1977 at age 73.