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WELCOME CLASS OF 2024!!

Included in the Class of 2024: James F. Phipps, Jr., William Murray, Maurice "Mo" Renee Hunter, and Lange Johnson.

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WELCOME CLASS OF 2023!!

Included in the Class of 2023: Dr. John Andrew Watson, Jr., Cecil Hollins, Eddie Davis, Edward John Davis, and Ronald Landfair.

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WELCOME CLASS OF 2022!!

Included in the Class of 2022: Midwestern Tennis Association (MID-TAC), Bernard A. Chavis, Bruce Stone, Sande French, Otis Smith III, Carl Hodge and Marion I. Rice

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OPERATIONS

Service 1

ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION

Service 2

PRESERVATION OF BLACK TENNIS HISTORY

Service 3

ANNUAL INDUCTION OF INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS

Service 4

BLACK TENNIS HISTORY EDUCATION

Service 5

HONOR HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED BLACK TENNIS ORGANIZATIONS, PIONEERS, PLAYERS, CONTRIBUTORS AND REGIONAL LEGENDS

Service 6

MAINTAIN ALL COLLECTIBLE ARTIFACTS AND MEDIA FOR BLACK TENNIS HISTORY MUSEUM

CLASS OF 2024 - CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME!!

Black Tennis Hall of Fame is honored to welcome and induct the Class of 2024! As in 2023, the Induction Ceremony will be held at the incredibly beautiful Virginia Museum of History & Culture on Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond, Virginia. CLICK LINKS BELOW

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*****CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2024*****

TOP ROW(L-R): Lange Johnson and The Whirlwind Johnson Foundation, Contributor and Organization, James F. Phipps, Jr., Regional Legend, Maurice "Mo" Renee Hunter, Regional Legend, BOTTOM ROW(L-R): William Murray, Regional Legend

DISCOVER PATHS ALONG BTHOF'S JOURNEY

OUR EXCLUSIVE BLOG

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3 Blog Posts

LEADERSHIP MATTERS

EXECUTIVE TEAM

President D. A. Abrams

President D. A. Abrams

D. A. ABRAMS

President

Chief Executive Officer Shelia Curry

Chief Executive Officer Shelia Curry

Shelia Curry

Chief Executive Officer

Founder Dale Caldwell

Founder Dale Caldwell

DR. DALE CALDWELL

Founder

PARTNERS


CONTACT

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Contact With Us

DISCOVER PATHS ALONG BTHOF'S JOURNEY

OUR EXCLUSIVE BLOG

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February 12, 2024

Black Tennis Hall of Fame Founder Dr. Dale Caldwell Is "Successful Because Of Diversity" - News Interview Sharing Dr. Caldwell's Continuous Commitment To Black History

 

 

Lehigh Valley Regional News, Priscilla Liguori, February 5, 2024

 

HACKETTSTOWN, Pa. - February is Black History Month, though the head of Centenary University is devoted to educating people about black history all year long. He co-founded the Black Excellence Alliance, which highlights black history and accomplishments via different halls of fame.

 

"My dad knew and marched arm and arm with Dr. King, and my mom was a school teacher, and they grew up in the South, and so they grew up around segregation," said Dr. Dale Caldwell, Centenary University's first African American president.

 

Understanding history is important to Caldwell.

 

 "If we don't know our path or our history, we're doomed to repeat the bad parts of history, and so by really educating people about the struggles of others, it gives us a sense of what's going on today," said Caldwell.

 

It's why Caldwell founded five black halls of fame. The first one was for tennis in 2008, and then came inventors, entrepreneurs, authors and educators.

 

"There are so many people, especially African Americans, who did amazing things, but we're left off out of the history books, and so I said, well, why don't we try to do something to make sure that that history is memorialized and those people are recognized," said Caldwell.

 

Centenary's library director is also on the board of the Black Inventors Hall of Fame.

 

"I've just learned so much, and I've been able to share that history as well," said Susan Van Alstyne, the director of the Taylor Memorial Library at Centenary University.

 

Some of that history is documented in the library's Dr. Caldwell room, which full of hundreds of books he donated to the school community, upon taking the job of president last year.

 

"He and his daughter came here one day in a U haul," said Van Alstyne.

 

Caldwell, whose an author too, says more halls are in the works.

 

"This idea of unifying America, with black history....we're approaching the Super Bowl. The winning Super Bowl team is going to have a center and a wide receiver and running back and defensive backs. All different people, different body types, but they're successful because of their diversity," said Caldwell.

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Centenary is holding events with the different halls of fame throughout the month.

 

 

 

February 11, 2024

Black Tennis Hall of Fame Sends Condolences To The Family of Our Hall of Famer, Lendward "Lenny" Simpson Who Passed Away On February 9, 2024




 

In 1964, Simpson made history by becoming the first African American to win the USLTA Eastern Boy’s 14 singles title at Forest Hills. This was a particularly significant achievement because he defeated future pro tennis legend Dick Stockton in the finals. This extraordinary accomplishment enabled Simpson, ate the age of 15, to become the youngest male to ever compete in the US National Championships at Forest Hills in 1964. He also played in the US National Championships in 1965 and 1966. In 1967, he continued his extraordinary junior career by winning the ATA National Boys Singles and Doubles Championships. Simpson was able to use his exceptional tennis talents to enhance his education. He attended Cheshire Academy on a tennis scholarship and played #1 singles and, because of his extraordinary tennis accomplishments, was the first person inducted into their athletic hall of fame. In 1967, Simpson won the National Prep School Championship. He was one of the best players in the country throughout his junior career as evidenced by his being ranked in the top 10 nationally in the USLTA in every junior age group in both singles and doubles.

 

While at Eastern Tennessee State University, Lenny played #1 singles for three years and was ranked #1 in the Ohio Valley Conference for three consecutive years. In 1964 and 1965 Simpson and Luis Glass won the ATA Men’s Doubles Championship. In addition, Simpson and 2009 Black Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee Bonnie Logan won the ATA National Mixed Doubles Championship four consecutive times from 1967-1970.  

 

In 1974, Simpson made history once again by becoming the first African American to play World Team Tennis, signing with the Detroit Loves. He was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Simpson continues to give back to the tennis community and support future tennis champions. The not-for-profit tennis program that Simpson currently leads serves more than 200 children per week in the Wilmington, North Carolina community.

 

 

 

 

November 20, 2023

July 25, 2023

Black Tennis Hall Of Fame's President D.A. Abrams Author Of New Book, "WHERE IS YOUR WHY?"


 

 

Where is your Why? unpacks the thinking behind D.A. Abrams’s well-reasoned and inspiring “Formula” for success. It lays out clearly for you how to develop and execute on your Personal Plan of Attack, which will fuel your actions toward achieving the things that are important to you and ensure that all you do supports what you want out of life. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in maximizing their full potential.” —Katrina M. Adams, Own The Arena: Getting Ahead, Making A Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One

What does success mean to you? What does it look like? And, most important, how can you go about attaining it? This may seem like a broad and somewhat ineffable subject, but we can agree, we would all like successful lives in its many facets, and we want to utilize our capacities and creativity to realize what’s important to us, so we all get what we want out of life. The good news is, as Tony Robbins says, “Success leaves clues!”

“Where Is Your Why? is an indispensable publication for anyone earnestly striving to achieve sustainable and purposeful success.” —Michon Ellis, Livewire Communications

D.A. Abrams calls his answer to these questions the Formula for Success. He identifies his Foundation, the six core areas most important to him, to ensure he serves and succeeds in these aspects of life. He helps you state what you value. Then, he commits to a set of Personal Values that guide and inspire him in his choices and actions. He gives you his list of 40 Precepts, actionable concepts to apply to your professional and personal life. And then he guides you through devising a Personal Plan of Attack that figures out your
why and helps you to reach your goals, measure your accomplishments, and pivot to continue your growth as an employee or boss, parent or child, partner, family, and community member.

The Foundation + Personal Values + Precepts + Personal Plan of Attack = SUCCESS

D.A. (David Anthony) Abrams is the Chief Operating Officer at Groundswell. In his role, he is responsible for accounting, finance, information and technology systems, human resources, marketing and communications, fund development, research, business development, and overall operations. Prior to joining the Groundswell, D.A. served as the Managing Director for the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. D.A. is the immediate past Chief Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Officer for the United States Tennis Association (USTA), a position he assumed in February 2012 and concluded in March 2019. While in the role, he focused on developing and innovating the USTA’s D&I initiatives on the national, regional, and grassroots levels. His books include
Make it Happen, The Inclusion Solution, New-School Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, and Association Management Excellence. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

July 18, 2023

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022 MIDWESTERN TENNIS ASSOCIATION (MID-TAC) FOR THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!!

Margaret Dorsey, President(L), 

Shelia Curry, Black Tennis Hall of Fame CEO



MID-TAC celebrated its 100th Year Tournament Celebration in 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization recognized its many Living Legends, Hall of Fame Deceased Members, and Member Club accomplishments. Tennis is live and growing in the African American community and MID-TAC stands as a beacon in the continuity of its existence.

 

Visit MID-TAC at www.midtactennis.org and view all of the incredible information about organization and its celebration. 

 






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