Nancy Pearce Jeffett (July 16, 1928 – July 6, 2017) was an Americantennispromoter, credited with advancingwomen's tennis as a major professional sport.
Jeffett was born inSt. Louis, Missouri, on July 16, 1928.[1] A tennis player during the 1940s, she became one of the country's first woman tennis promoters in 1969 when she created and held the first Maureen Connolly Brinker Memorial Tournament, named in honor ofMaureen Connolly.[1] In 1972, she successfully arranged thenetwork television broadcast (on an unknown television network) of the Connolly Brinker Memorial Tournament, marking the first time women's tennis was shown on national television.[1][2] The tournament was also the first to award prize money.[1][2][3]
Jeffett was recognized for her longtime contributions to women's tennis. She was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983, the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999, and theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame in 2015.[3] She remains the only American woman who was not aWimbledon champion to be named an honorary member of theAll England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.[2]
Jeffett died on July 6, 2017, at the age of 88.[1][2]