This was the largest Nationals since its inception. Fifty-one teams played in the mixed doubles at the Wee Burn Club in Darien, Connecticut. Thirty-one teams fought it out in the national senior men’s doubles, and there were 43 teams in the women’s doubles, both held at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club of Scarsdale, New York. The men’s doubles draw, also at Fox Meadow, was the highlight, with 77 teams from 35 clubs from Massachusetts to Virginia entered. It was run by a committee under the able chairmanship of Walter H. Close, the APTA President. With the aid of four Manursing Island courts, 154 players were taken care of in two days. The Women’s event was won by the mother-daughter team of Madeline Beck and Susan Beck Wasch.

Source: Adapted from Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959

“In 1959, also, was played one of the best matches of men’s doubles ever seen in the finals of the national championships. William M. Cooper and James P. Gordon won from James M. Carlisle and Richard K. Hebard 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 8-6, after being down 2-5 in the final set and having 4 match points against them. The last two sets, particularly, produced some of the most brilliant play on both sides that the game has ever seen. Hard hitting and changes of speed in the return of service, particularly by Jim Gordon, combined with good lobbing, were features of the match. I was sorry to see so many opportunities for winning a point missed by a failure to use a drop or stop volley, but then that is a failure characteristic of many good players. I have often felt that if some players would study and practice the technique in that respect of Fred Walker, Helen Barnes or Susan Beck, they, as well as the game, would benefit by the experience. Despite this one lack, few of us have ever seen a match in which such excellent play predominated.

I understand that the combined age of the winners was 32 years less than those of the runners-up, yet the teams battled on practically even terms. This is good evidence that even championship platform tennis is a game for all ages.”

Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959

Women’s Nationals 1959: Barbara Koegel and Ruth Walker, Finalists. Louise Raymond – umpire. FMTC clubhouse in background

Blanchard considered the Scrambles event championed by Ken Ward to be “one of the greatest steps forward in the history of platform tennis.”

The Scrambles was a men’s event and was followed by Jamborees, a mixed event that Oz Moore was active in fathering.

In 1959, the APTA turned over all responsibility for the Jambles to Fox Meadow, where a Scrambles event had been run very successfully for a number of years. Fox Meadow also had enough courts to handle the number of teams signing up.

Close served as APTA Tournament Chairman from 1958-1959, after which he served as association President from 1960-1961. These were busy and successful years for the game and, during his regime, the APTA membership increased from 24 to 38 membership clubs.

Close received the APTA Honor Award in 1967

APTA President Carlisle and Johnson repeated in the 45+ and Carlisle also captured the Men’s with partner Hebard when they made a great comeback after being two sets down against the previous year’s winners.

Elfie Carroll and Louise Ganzenmueller, the previous year’s finalists, captured their third title. From 1950-1960 they won three and were finalists four times.

Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959

Don McNeill and Rob Carlisle taped an on-the-spot Men’s Nationals commentary from Fox Meadow Tennis Club which was later broadcast over NBC’s “Monitor” program

The Nationals now included a Men’s senior event, the 45 or over (this was changed to 50+ in 1965 as too many 45+ players were still very competitive in the Men’s).

Fittingly the new APTA President James Carlisle won the inaugural Men’s Senior with partner Berkeley Johnson, and was a finalist in the Mixed.

The Women’s final pitted two-time champion Louise Ganzenmueller against her sister-in-law Louise Raymond.

The sister-in-law won.

Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959, and Paddle World Feb/Mar 1979

Carlisle had served as APTA Secretary the previous two years. He was a multiple Nationals winner and the only one to use an underhand serve.

Carlisle received the APTA Honor Award in 1966.

In the Men’s Harrison and Pardoe won their first of their two titles.

Sally Childress Auxford teamed up with Barbara Koegel and got the best of her sister, Madge Beck, and her partner, Blanchard’s daughter, Ruth Walker.

The Mixed was a repeat of the 1955 final but this time Hebard and Madge Beck won.

Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959

Carlisle and Hebard, the finalists in 1954, prevailed in a close match against Moses and Deland.

Elfie Carroll collected her second Women’s title with Louise Ganzenmueller (their first win had been in 1950 and they were finalists in 1952 and 1953).

John Moses sweetened his loss in the Men’s by winning the Mixed with Fritzi Smith over the very strong team of Madge Beck and Dick Hebard.

Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959