Madeline Childress “Madge” Beck ( -1991)

When Fox Meadow celebrated its hundredth anniversary in 1983, they almost ran out of numbers in recording Madeline “Madge” Beck’s accomplishments on a national ranking level. Madge Beck counted among her accolades the women’s singles crown in 1936, and the mixed doubles titles in 1939, 1953, 1954 and 1956.

But it was in Women’s doubles where she left her greatest legacy, winning the national championship for five consecutive years (1938-42), then again in 1949, then another streak of four (1951-1954), and again in 1959 and 1960.

Fox Meadow also cheered its famous women’s player with a quiz question:

What individual went the greatest span of years between winning National Championship honors?

Madge Beck holds that honor with a 22-year span between her first and last women’s doubles titles.

Source: Platform Tennis News, Mid-Winter 1991

Charity and the game

The Children’s Village (Dobbs Ferry, NY) Tournament, held annually at Fox Meadow, was now in its ninth year and the results had been fabulous. From $900 the first year to over $10,000 the previous year, money was donated to this worthy cause through a slew of sponsors, silent auctions, direct donations and the open hearts and wallets of the women’s platform tennis community.

Much of the credit for this best run/ most fun tourney went to Fox Meadow member Barbara Rau and her able colleagues Barb Lippe, Yvonne Robinson and Delsa Wilson.

There was an anonymous “Super Angel” who kicked in big bucks every year. Home Insurance Co. also received an angel designation, while Family Circle Magazine was a benefactor, and People’s Westchester Savings Bank and Hedstrom Corp. were Patrons. As noted in the Winter 1990 issue of PTN, “The list of donors and friends runs the length of the baseline. What it all adds up to is a platform tennis tournament that not only helps players’ games, but helps needy kids as well.”

The article added one other observation: “There’s some food for thought here. Platform can be a vehicle for lots of competitive action and warm friendships. But as these individuals have proven, its strength can be translated far beyond the bounds of the court itself. Next time you’re involved in organizing an event, at any level from club to county to region, think good will. Is there a way to tie platform to a community charity or organization? It benefits us all.”

Source: Platform Tennis News, Winter 1990

Sallie Van Norden McClure (1924 -1987)

Sallie Van Norden McClure moved to Chicago in the 1960’s, bringing with her a platform tennis heritage. She was the daughter of Fox Meadow President John Van Norden (1937-1938) during the Depression years when paddle was critical to the survival of the Club. The Nordens were neighbors of the Cogswells who built the first two courts.

Norden McClure had been paddle tennis’ greatest Midwest sponsor, right up to her death. While many of her paddle tennis accomplishments are engraved on the trophies on display, it was the unrecorded teaching and organizing efforts that helped Chicago build a program of 57 women’s teams (over 600 players) and 63 men’s teams (800) players.

Source: Platform Tennis News, Nationals 1988

National Championships

The men’s and women’s National Championships culminated at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, NY, and crowned new champions in both divisions. Sunny skies and warm temperatures drew large weekend crowds and spurred on competitors.

The women’s tourney produced the popular team of Pat Butterfield and Diane Tucker as champions.

In the men’s draw, the new and legitimate team of Hank Irvine and Greg Moore soundly and artistically beat the defending champions Baird and Maier. Over six hundred spectators shared the surprise as Moore and Irvine stayed even, and then won the big points for the first set. Behind 1-3 in the second, they flicked the switch and won eleven of twelve games to storm onto the popular straight set victory 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Source: Platform Tennis News, April 1986

Greg Moore in action in the final of the Men’s Nationals at Fox Meadow Tennis Club. Moore and Hank Irvine were National Champions in 1986 and 1987.

Fox Meadow Tennis Club hosts Women’s President’s Cup

National Championships results – Men’s Nationals return “home”; AT&T sponsors Junior Nationals

The Men’s Nationals returned to Fox Meadow, the “spiritual home” of Platform Tennis for the 1985 Championships.

For the occasion, Molly Blanchard Ware, the daughter of Fessenden Blanchard a co-inventor of the sport, recalled the early days of the game and the camaraderie in an article in the New York Times.

Source: APTA newsletters covering this event are missing

FMTC celebrates its 100th Anniversary and hosts National Senior Men’s 45+

The club hosted the Men’s 45+ Nationals, chaired by Bob Brown, and awards were presented to 38 FMTC members who had won National Championships.

The fact that entries had to be 45 years old or over seemed to give the gallery more empathy for the players, especially in the tense finals, won by Dick Squires and Bill Mimnaugh after tiebreakers in each of the three sets. Although it was disappointing not to have Fox Meadow finalists, many spectators felt the match was one of the most exciting ones they’d ever watched.

As former APTA President Cecil J. (Mike) North, Jr. of Bedford Golf and Tennis Club wrote in the program for an earlier Nationals:

“As platform tennis attracts greater numbers of players, expands geographically, and becomes increasingly money-oriented, I think it is important to remember why people played it in the first place: because it is informal, because it is fun. Fox Meadow is a reminder of these qualities.”

Source: Diana Reische, Fox Meadow Tennis Club – The First Hundred Years, 1983

Fox Meadow – Club of Champions

Of the 211 APTA Championship tournaments held for adults through 1982, Fox Meadow players had won 79.

National Championships

The Men’s National was again by invitation only and limited to 64 teams based on qualifying criteria. Graebner and Russell captured the Men’s title over the 1976 champions Steve and Chip Baird.

Yvonne Hackenberg won her first of five Women’s titles with Linda Wolf (1976 champion) over Hilary Hilton and her partner in their 1975 win, Annabel Lang Rogan.

Doug Russell and Hilary Hilton won their second Mixed title.

In the Senior events, Charlotte Lee won her final championship in the Women’s 50+ and St. John Bain and Bill Schneebeck beat the previous year’s champions, Bob Brown and George Reynolds, in the Men’s 50+.

Robert R. Kingsbury elected APTA President (1978-1980)

Kingsbury was active in the APTA and served as President when paddle grew from a game to a sport to a business. He was instrumental in developing sponsors for the game when many top players were tennis and platform tennis professionals. He knew that prize money was essential for growth, but he also knew that the health of the game relied on keeping the average player involved and interested. This was a difficult balancing act, which he handled with perfection.

Kingsbury managed to get Coca Cola and Seagrams to make financial contributions to the game at the national ranking level. Following that, he enlisted the Hertz Corporation to underwrite events for club level players, culminating in a two-day President’s Cup that was extremely popular.

Source: Gannett Westchester Newspapers, January 1979