Patricia Henry Yeomans Was One Of A Kind

Written by: Staff on 20th March 2013

Patricia Henry Yeomans Was One Of A Kind |

Patricia Henry Yeomans, (Pat to those who knew her), passed away on March 13th at her Hancock Park home in California. Words can never adequately explain the influence the 95-year-old had on tennis locally or nationally, for that matter.

The daughter of William (Bill) Henry, a widely respected Los Angeles Times columnist, and Corinne Stanton, an outstanding tennis player in her own right, Yeomans was the 1935 National Girls’ 18 champion. At Occidental College, she became No. 1 on the men’s freshman team, but Title IX was nearly forty-years away and she was told that she would not be allowed to compete with them. Nonetheless, she won the College Girls’ Invitational in 1936 and 1937, which was the pre-NCAA Championships organized by Hazel Wightman.

The 1936 victory earned her a Big “O” letterman’s sweater, the first given to a woman in the school’s history. At a 2007 fundraiser for the women’s tennis program, she was acknowledged as the institution’s greatest tennis player. Last fall, she was one of eight individuals named to the inaugural Occidental College Athletics Hall of Fame.

She graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1938, and in 1941 received a Master’s degree from the California Graduate School of Design. Besides her artistic talent, she was the distinguished author of “Behind the Headlines with Bill Henry (1972)”, “Southern California Centennial Champions 1887-1987”, and “History and Heritage of the Los Angeles Tennis Club 1920-1995”.

“First” should have been her nickname because she accomplished so much, including being inducted into both the Southern California Tennis Association Hall of Fame and the Senior Hall of Fame in 2009. (Her father was a 1973 Hall of Fame honoree.)

In 1958, the same year she became a member of the SCTA Board of Directors, Yeomans helped organize the first sanctioned women’s intercollegiate championships (and donated the doubles trophy). She chaired the USLTA Junior Wightman Cup Committee, and the USLTA presented her with the Service Bowl in 1956. (At the time, “Lawn” was still included in the United States Tennis Association title.) The SCTA honored her with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. In 2000, she was inducted into the Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.

Long a crusader to increase senior age division competition, she chaired the National Women’s 65, 70, 75 & 80 Hard Court Championships in 1979-80. For years, she joked that thanks to her efforts, seniors gained more opportunities to pursue the gold tennis balls that are awarded for winning National Championships. (Her fervor certainly benefitted her friend, Dodo Chaney, who now has 393).

Always a competitor, her skill was evidenced when she won the inaugural National Women’s 50 Hard Court Championships singles, and the doubles with Ruby Bixler in 1970. She also claimed the first National Women’s 60 Indoor title, and later earned the doubles with Lish Dudley in 1978. The next year, she teamed with Gertrude Amling to capture the first National Women’s 60 Hard Court doubles.

With the strong support of Joseph Bixler, who was the SCTA Executive Director, along with tennis legend Jack Kramer (both of whom are no longer with us), Yeomans began lobbying, in 1972, to bring tennis back to the Olympic Games. Her dream was achieved in 1984 when tennis was a Demonstration Sport at Los Angeles. (It became a medal sport for the 1988 Games).

Looking back at all she had accomplished, it seems Yeomans was proudest of having co-founded the “Youth vs. Experience” competition in 1988. The event, which is no longer held, took place every Memorial Day at the Los Angeles Tennis Club and featured Southern California’s best youngsters playing wily veterans of the game. A highlight she always remembered occurred in 1991 when a very young Venus Williams faced the incomparable Cheney.

Not surprisingly, Yeomans was working to complete an addendum to her memorable book, “Southern California Centennial Champions 1887-1987”, before she passed away. Tennis was a huge part of her world, and her concern for the game, along with the people in it, made the sport much better. Simply stated, there will never be another Patricia (Pat) Henry Yeomans. She will be dearly missed.

@Daily Tennis News Wire

Editor’s Note – Patricia Henry Yeomans and Gussy Moran were great friends. 10sBalls.com sends comforting thoughts to the the Yeomans family and friends.

Topics: Dodo Chaney, Gertrude Amling, Lish Dudley, Occidental College tennis news, Pat Yeomans, Patricia Henry Yeomans, Ruby Bixler, SCTA tennis news, Tennis Legend, William Henry, WTA tennis news

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