Foundation History

Platform Tennis Museum & Hall of Fame

THE SEARCH FOR A HOME

 “Somewhere There’s a Hall for Everyone, and With Visitors, Too” was the headline in the New York Times on December 26, 1999. The author, Vincent M. Mallozzi, pointed out that if you are in Knik, Alaska, you can visit the Dog Mushers Hall of Fame or in Mount Solon, Virginia, you can stop in at the National Jousting Hall of Fame. While Newport R.I. is best known as the home of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, also located there is the National Croquet Galley, Hall of Fame and Archives. Not included in the article was the sport of platform tennis. This was no oversight. The ruling body of the sport, the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) has inducted 77 individuals into its Hall of Fame since 1965. Unfortunately, there has been no site to recognize those honored or to display the sport’s memorabilia. The Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation is working hard to change that.

In 2002, the Foundation was established as a body, independent of the APTA, with the sole mission of locating a site and creating a facility to display the memorabilia of the sport and recognize the Hall of Fame inductees. In 2004, the trustees applied for and received tax-exempt status so that contributions to its efforts would be tax deductible.

The Board of Trustees then turned its sights to finding a location for the facility. The first choice, of course, was the Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, New York. It is known as “The Home of Platform Tennis” because it was the first club to build a court in November 1931. The sport was invented in October 1928 and the initial court was constructed in the backyard of James Cogswell, who is one of the inventors of the game along with his neighbor, Fessenden Blanchard. Both were members of the Fox Meadow Tennis Club and they brought the game to their club.

After considerable discussion with the Fox Meadow Board, in March 2005, the Board declined to proceed with the project and the Foundation was forced to look elsewhere.

This was followed by an unsuccessful negotiation with the Board of the Episcopal Academy in New Square, PA. where there was a possibility of establishing the Hall of Fame museum as a part of their major reconstruction of their school facilities, but in the end the Academy Board declined to proceed.

The Foundation then held a discussion with Centercourt Athletic Club (CAC) in Chatham, New Jersey regarding the installation of the Hall of Fame Museum on the second floor of their clubhouse.  They were undergoing a major renovation and installed four new platform tennis courts.  Although a tentative agreement about the Hall of Fame Museum was reached in 2008, the project was canceled by CAC in 2010 in favor of using that space for a Junior Tennis Academy.

As the search for a new site continues, high on the agenda of the Foundation is a fund raising program to provide for initial capital investments in the museum and future operating expenses. The collection of memorabilia from the sport’s participants and Hall of Fame inductees is also moving ahead.

Also included in the fund raising campaign was the publication of a pictorial history of platform tennis as part of the Foundation’s program. Tina Kelly, an APTA Director, was named editor and the book has been completed and is expected to be available for sale in October 2010.  The book, titled “Passing Shots”, is also planned to be used as a gift for monetary contributions to the Foundation of $250.00 or more.

Some day, somewhere, there will be a place where you can visit a Hall of Fame. This one will be for the sport of platform tennis.