DEDICATION | INTRODUCTION | Chapter I

This book is for Mal Anderson and Larry Hodges

 

Mal Anderson deserves recognition here—not only for continuing to share with me his enormous collection of photos of players and officials, but for his indispensable help in scanning 1,000 or more photos for possible use in this book.

 

Larry Hodges I’m again thankful to—his computer expertise and assistance in layout work has also been indispensable to the making of this, the eighth volume in my History series.

 

To Mal and Larry, then, I dedicate this book—in appreciation for their continued support in helping me to preserve the History of our Association.

 

 

In addition, I’d like to give special thanks again to Dave Sakai for his unfaltering encouragement and for repeatedly facilitating the printing of these volumes in the way I’ve enjoyed doing them.

 

Finally, I want again to applaud Professor Scott Gordon, our USATT Film Archivist, for his determined efforts to locate and preserve the all too few films from our historic past.

 

 

PRINTED BY: The Outer Office, Lime Kiln Road, Fulton, MD

 

 

ISBN NUMBER: 0-9707657-7-0

 

 

COPYRIGHT 2008

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or reproduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

Acknowledgements

 

            From Oct., 1933 through Nov.-Dec., 1993, the name United States Table Tennis Association (USTTA) prevailed; thereafter the Association is referred to as USA Table Tennis (USATT). During the years this volume deals with, 1975-77, I’m of course greatly indebted to the official publication of the USTTA, Table Tennis Topics.

 

            Those to whom I particularly want to show my gratitude: Mal Anderson, Tommy Andersson, Ray Arditi, Mike Baber, Mike Babuin, Ed Ball, Tom Baudry, Lou Bochenski, Houshang Bozorgzadeh, Ross Brown, George Braithwaite, Bernie Bukiet, Mike Bush, Errol Caetano, Jack Carr, Lim Ming Chui, Robert Compton, Zlatko and Irena Cordas, Dave Cox, Carl and Fred Danner, Kasia Dawidowicz, Wendell Dillon, Charlie Disney, Dick Evans, Shazzi Felstein, Ray Fields, Neal Fox, Danny Ganz, Cosmo Graham, Bob Green, Dan Green, Fred Grobee, Howie Grossman, Don Gunn, Bobby Gusikoff, Harvey Gutman, Rufford Harrison, Fred Herbst, Bill Hodge, Larry Hodges, Mike Hoffland, Jack Howard, Steve Isaacson, Dean Johnson, Bob and Barbara Kaminsky, Gus and Jean Kennedy, Larry Kesler, Norman Kilpatrick, Lem Kuusk, Mike Lardon, Don Larson, Joseph C.H. Lee, D-J Lee, Y.C. Lee, Marv and Caron Leff, Paul Lewis, Ray Mack, Barry Margolius, Tony Martin, Janet Martorano, John Masters, Jim McQueen, Jack “Buddy” Melamed, Dick Miles, Parvis Mojaverian, Leah Thall Neuberger, Joe Newgarden, Bette Newman, Dean Norman, Sean O’Neill, Dusan “Dule” Osmanagic, Tyra Parkins, Sheri Pittman, Marv Plevinsky, Bruce Plotnick, Marty Prager, Scott Preiss, Pam Ramsey, Phil Reid, Marty Reisman, Errol and Jairie Resek, Stan Robens, Fuarnado Roberts, Raul Rodriguez, Leon Ruderman, Dave and Donna Sakai, Nisse Sandberg, Sol Schiff, Perry Schwartzberg, Dr. Michael Scott, II, Dan Seemiller, Adham Sharara, Ron Shirley, Jim Shoots, Tom Slater, Neil Smyth, Suzanne Soderberg, Joe Sokoloff, Olga Soltesz, Thelma “Tybie” Thall Sommer, Rudi Stipkovic, Larry Thoman, Russ Thompson, Zdenko Uzorinac, Jim Verta, Herb and Marilyn Vichnin, Ron Von Schimmelman, Bill Walk, George and Kathy Walters, E. (Helen?) Weiner, Tom Wintrich, Charlie Wuvanich, and Mort Zakarin..

 

 

            Since I’ve acquired former USTTA Historian Leah Neuberger’s records, I’m able to show, from their beginnings into the beginning 1990’s, the results of World Championships; annual Canadian National Exhibition Championships; U.S. Open and Closed Championships; U.S. Open Team Championships; Eastern Open Championships; and numerous City and State tournaments around the country.

            I again want to thank Leah Neuberger’s sister, Thelma “Tybie” Thall Sommer, for agreeing, after Leah’s death, that I might, in my Historian’s role, have access to these unique labor-of-love Binders. I also want to thank again Leah and Tybie’s late, longtime friend Bob Green for taking the considerable time and trouble of boxing up all those Binders (as well as the many miscellaneous Folders Leah had acquired) and sending them to me.

           

References where possible, including photo acknowledgements, will appear in the text.

 

 

                                    HISTORY OF U.S. TABLE TENNIS

                                                  Vol. VIII: 1975-77:         

 

            “The average U.S. player just doesn’t get it. The conceptual difference between  amateur and professional is too new, too great.”

 

                                    by Tim Boggan, USATT Historian

                                                            Copyright 2008

 

 

Changes in bio:

 

(2000) through VIII (2008) of his

 

Having retired from teaching, he was until recently the Association’s Secretary and continues as its longtime Historian.