APTA President John Horine on the Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame; he made it happen

APTA President John Horine provided an update in the March and September From the APTA columns in PTM:

I am very excited about the progress the APTA Board has made so far. In the past, APTA Board discussion of a Hall of Fame has never gotten off the ground. I am determined to make this a reality. This is where you, the APTA member, come in.

A significant development occurred this spring/summer for The Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation. The Hall of Fame became incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization. Thanks to the work of Cincinnati player/attorney, Andy Giannella, the Hall of Fame now stands alone from the APTA with its own Board and fund raising capabilities.

You can bet one of the first goals will be to begin fund-raising for a permanent location (Note: This had to wait for an application to be made to the IRS for approval of the 501 (C) (3) status and then working through the approval process; the IRS granted exempt status effective February 19,2004).

To say the least, I am very excited about the future of The Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation. There are many people who have been inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame who have given selflessly to the game.

To this day, there has not been a physical location where someone can go to learn more about these people or about the history and evolution of our sport. Now, with the creation of the Foundation, money can be raised to find and build such a place.

Hopefully, with your financial support and ideas, this can take shape. Right now, we do not know where the museum will be located or how much it will cost. These questions will soon be answered.

If you would like to make a monetary contribution to the foundation, it would be most welcome. If you have some memorabilia you think the Foundation might like to display, please contact the APTA office.

Setting up the Museum/Hall of Fame from scratch is a large endeavor – one which I am not taking lightly and one which will need your help. If you are called to contribute, please do so in whatever manner you are capable. Show your love for the game.

Historical Factoid: The idea for a “physical space” to house APTA memorabilia went back as far as 1972 when a proposal was made to Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, NY by the then APTA Secretary, Robert A. Brown.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 4, March, 2001 and Vol 3. Issue 1, September 2001