A whole lot of people. But inductees Richard Hudlin, Earl Buchholz Sr. and Allan Carvell were the first, and the great motivators of legions of others.

They fanned out over the area’s public parks and schools—and taught thousands of people. To this day, tennis is a mainstay on both sides of the river.

2019 inductee Mark Platt leads the nation with award-winning programs that have taken tennis into public schools and county parks. For adult players, his Saturday-night mixers are not just something to do. They’ve spawned a non-trivial number of marriages among couples who met for the first time at a Platt event—Mark keeps track!