Allison Danzig | |
|---|---|
 Allison Danzig | |
| Born | (1898-02-27)February 27, 1898 Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 27, 1987(1987-01-27) (aged 88) |
| Occupation | Sportswriter |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
Allison "Al"Danzig (February 27, 1898 – January 27, 1987) was an Americansportswriter who specialized in writing abouttennis, but also coveredcollege football,squash, manyOlympic Games, androwing.[1] Danzig was the only American sportswriter to extensively coverreal tennis, the precursor to modernlawn tennis.[2]
Danzig covered every tournament in the Grand Slam, theU.S. Open, theAustralian Open,Wimbledon, and theFrench Open, as well as many others. In 1968, Danzig was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame inNewport, Rhode Island, becoming the firstjournalist in the Hall.[2] In an interview shortly before his death, he namedBill Tilden as the greatest player he had covered.
Danzig was born on February 27, 1898 inWaco, Texas, and grew up inAlbany, New York. His sister,Evelyn Danzig, wrote the music for the hit song"Scarlet Ribbons" in 1949.
He attendedCornell University, where he was co-editor ofThe Cornell Daily Sun withE.B. White. Danzig also briefly played football for theCornell Big Red while weighing just 125-pounds.[1] He graduated from Cornell in 1921.
He joinedThe New York Times in 1923, after a stint at theBrooklyn Eagle, and remained there until his retirement in 1968.[1] Before becoming a sportswriter, Danzig wroteobituaries, and was originally planning for a career as aforeign correspondent.
Danzig wrote several books, including:The Racquet Game (Macmillan 1930), a history of racquet sports;The Fireside Book of Tennis (Simon & Schuster 1972); andOh, How They Played The Game (Macmillan 1971), about the early days ofAmerican football. A critic atThe New York Times called his bookHistory of American Football: Its Great Teams, Players and Coaches (1956) "without doubt, the most ambitious and best book ever published on the subject of college football."[1] His last book,The Winning Gallery, was a collection of articles and essays aboutreal tennis, published by theUnited States Court Tennis Association (USCTA).[3]
He is credited with coining the term "ace" to describe a serve in which the opposing player fails to get their racket on the ball.[2]
He lived most of his adult life inRoslyn Estates, New York, with his wife, two daughters, and one son.[4][5]
Danzig retired toBergen County, New Jersey, where he died on January 27, 1987, at age 88.
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