 | |
| Full name | William Jackson Clothier |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | (1881-09-27)September 27, 1881 Sharon Hill,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | September 4, 1962(1962-09-04) (aged 80) Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1956(member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (1906,ITHF)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1905) |
| US Open | W (1906) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1912) |
William 'Bill' Jackson Clothier (September 27, 1881 – September 4, 1962) was an Americantennis player. He won the1906 U.S. National Championships - Men's Singles and was the runner-up in1907 and1909. He reached the final round of the1912 U.S. National Championships in mixed doubles withEleonora Sears. He was a member of the United States1905 and1909 International Lawn Tennis Challenge teams. He was the first president of theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame and was inducted as a member in 1956.
Clothier was born on September 27, 1881, inSharon Hill, Pennsylvania.[2] His father Isaac founded theStrawbridge & Clothier department store.[3]
In 1899, he graduated fromHaverford School and attendedSwarthmore College for two years before transferring toHarvard University. He graduated from Harvard in 1904.[3]
Clothier won the college championship in tennis twice and also played hockey and football.[4]
He was a top American tennis player in the early 1900s and reached the singles final of theUnited States Championships three times. In his first final appearance in 1904 he lost in three straight sets to compatriotHolcombe Ward. Two years later, in 1906, Clothier achieved his greatest success by emphatically beatingBeals Wright in the final in three straight sets at theNewport Casino. This despite breaking his pelvic bone in a riding accident earlier that year.[5] His last appearance in the final came in 1909 when he lost in five sets toWilliam Larned who claimed his fifth singles title.[6]
He was a member of the United States 1905[3] and 1909 International Lawn Tennis Challenge teams. He won both his singles matches in the 1909 final against theBritish Isles.[2]
Together with his son, William J. Clothier II, they two won the national father-son title held atLongwood Cricket Club twice in 1935 and 1936.[7]
Clothier was the first president of theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame in 1954 and later served as chairman of the board. He was elected as a member of the Hall of Fame in 1956.[3] He was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1970.[4]
He was a partner in the investment bank of Montgomery, Clothier & Tyler until 1921. He worked as president of the Boone County Coal Corporation in West Virginia, until 1957.[3]
He died on September 4, 1962, at his home inValley Forge, Pennsylvania,[3] and was interred atWest Laurel Hill Cemetery inBala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.[8]
In their bookR.F. and H.L. Doherty - On Lawn Tennis (1903) multiple Wimbledon champions Reginald and Lawrence Doherty described Clothier's playing style:
Clothier has copiedWhitman, but is not so good. His twist service is much the same as Whitman's, and he always follows it up to the net, He volleys well, and is especially severe overhead. His volleying is considerably superior to his ground strokes.
On Lawn Tennis - 1903[9]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1906 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Beals Wright | 6–3, 6–0, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1907 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | William Larned | w/o |
| Loss | 1909 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | William Larned | 1–6, 2–6, 7–5, 6–1, 1–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1912 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Eleonora Sears | Mary Kendall BrowneRichard Williams | 4–6, 6–2, 9–11 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Events with a challenge round: (WC) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (FA) all comers' finalist
| 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | SR | W–L | Win % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French | Only for French club members | Not held | OF | OF | OF | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 4R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Not held | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 66.7 | |||||
| U.S. | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | QF | 4R | FA | F | QF | WC | A | SF | CR | A | A | SF | QF | SF | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | 4R | 3R | 1 / 20 | 58–18 | 76.3 | ||
| Australian | Not held | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Not held | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||||||||||||
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 6–1 | 6–2 | 7–0 | 0–0 | 6–1 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1 / 21 | 60–19 | 75.9 | ||
