WILLIAMSBURG — The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women’s Tennis Hall of Fame, located at William & Mary’s McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center, has artifacts, trophies, medals, outfits, and more, all relating to those who have risen through the ranks of collegiate tennis.
The Hall of Fame was established in 1995 thanks to the vision of Millie West. West, who arrived on campus in 1959, was an instructor, professor, coach, Women’s Athletic Director and a champion for female athletics. In 1988, she helped oversee William & Mary’s selection as the site of the Women’s Hall of Fame, where she served as the first curator and chair for the hall.
Tyler Thomson, the current curator of the I.T.A. Women’s Tennis Hall of Fame, was an assistant tennis coach at William & Mary from 1997 to 2001. He left to become the head coach at the University of Minnesota before returning to William & Mary as head coach from 2012 to 2018. He is now the women’s head tennis coach at the University of North Carolina.
“Millie was a real trailblazer in the Title IX year with William & Mary. She was instrumental in getting the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center facility built. The Hall of Fame was really Millie’s brainchild. She had seen the men’s counterpart at the University of Georgia which is not as regal as the William & Mary location, and she really wanted to do something better for the women,” Thomson shared.
The Hall of Fame is free to visit and is open daily at the tennis center. The hall showcases historical items ranging from tennis dresses created by fashion designer Ted Tinling to racquets used by Billie Jean King. There are also numerous trophies, including a Wimbledon trophy, Olympic memorabilia, and books written by tennis greats.
“I think of it as being a little bit less of a museum and more of a hall of fame. There are some notable things for sure, but it’s less about going in there and seeing the items. It’s more about going in and seeing who the people were that were instrumental in generations of women’s college tennis,” Thomson said.
The hall is decorated with multiple plaques, noting each inductee and their accomplishments in the world of collegiate tennis. While many of the inductees are players, there are also coaches, officials and sports figures who also contributed to the sport.
“It’s the only place and the only entity that preserves the history of our sport,” Thomson said. “Tennis is a sport that amongst women’s college sports has as much, if not more, history than any other women’s college sport. Tennis is a really good example of how things were pre-Title IX and post-Title IX.”
Thomson encourages all of his athletes to visit the hall.
“Everyone owes a debt of gratitude to those who came before them. Athletes today, especially women’s athletes, have incredible luxuries that weren’t available to those who came before them. None of what they are enjoying today would have been possible without these women who did without for many, many years,” Thomson said.
Every two years, the I.T.A. Women’s Collegiate Hall of Fame hosts an induction ceremony on the campus of William & Mary. The 2024 ceremony will take place on Oct. 5 and will see the induction of players Shelley Keeler Whelan and Louise Allen, and coaches John Peterson and Jan Brogan.
Tickets are available for the induction dinner.
Since the hall has been inducting members since 1995, space is starting to become an issue. Thomson hopes to see an expansion of the facility and to find new and innovative ways to share the stories of tennis greats.
For more information the I.T.A. Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, visit itahalloffame.org.
