2001 USATT Hall of Fame Awards

By Tim Boggan, USATT Historian

1939 U.S. Open Champion Jimmy McClure

Mark Matthews Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Jimmy McClure

1934: Best record (16-1) at Parker Brothers’ American Ping-Pong Association Intercities. APPA National Champion with sandpaper racket made by his father. Received free trip to 1935 Wembley World’s by winning (with rubber racket) American Zone Qualifier. Began Coleman Clark Tour of 20 U.S. cities with visiting World Champion Victor Barna and his 1933 World Champion Doubles partner Sandor Glancz.

1936: Won World Doubles at Prague with Bud Blattner. Also won Doubles at U.S. Open with Blattner. Earned Best Performance Medal (11-0 record) at USTTA Intercities.

1937: Member of winning U.S. Men’s Team at the Baden World’s. Again won World Doubles with Blattner. Reached final of English Open in Singles (televised by GE) and Mixed.

1938: With Sol Schiff won third straight World Doubles – an achievement unmatched by any player since. The Awards Presentation, Sol and Jimmy agreed, was perfect. The Empire Pool and its 10,000 spectators were bathed in black. As the orchestra played The Star Spangled Banner, the American flag was spotlighted...as was the official carrying the Men’s Doubles medals...as were the honored recipients Sol and Jimmy. McClure and Schiff also won the Doubles at the ‘38 Philadelphia Nationals.

1939: After a good showing in East-West Matches, Jimmy received the encomium from Glancz that McClure has “been our most colorful player for years, but this year he seems to have a steadier and better attacking game.” Won Toledo Nationals.

1940: Won Doubles with Schiff at Indianapolis Nationals (run by Jimmy).

1942: Enlisted in the Navy, served in the South Pacific, returned home in ’45. 

1945-47: Concentrated on building up his pre-War McClure Table Tennis Company and Pla-Good Sports Shop business.

1949: Captain/Player of the U.S. Team to the World Championships. With the Women’s Corbillon Cup win, Jimmy added a 5th World Championship star to his warm-up jacket.

1949-52: Captain/Player of two more U.S. World teams. Won Austrian Open Men’s Doubles. Directed two National Team Championships (1949 & 1952). Won Indianapolis City Singles and Doubles Tennis Championships.

1957: Married Nellie Lee Orr.

1964-85: Referee at U.S. National Clay Court Tennis Championships.

1966: Charter member of  USTTA Hall of Fame. 

1979-: President of USTTA Hall of Fame.

1980-83: Olympic Commissioner for North America.

1980-86: USTTA Vice-President.

1980-2000: USTTA Olympic Chairman.

1982-2000: Member of USOC Board of Directors

1984-98: USTTA Foundation Chairman.

1985-98: USTTA Equipment Chairman (as he had been in ’49-51).

1986: U.S. Olympic Festival Chairman.

1987: Pan-Am Table Tennis Commissioner. Began two-year tenure as ITTF Vice-President for North America. Began and continues to be ITTF Hall of Fame and Merit Award Chairman. Pan-Am Table Tennis Commissioner.

1990-96: Active International Umpire and Referee.

1991-98: USTTA Vice President.

1992-96: Olympic Commissioner and Jury Member for Atlanta Games, as he had been in Seoul.

1993: Charter Member of ITTF Hall of Fame, and Indiana Hall of Fame. U.S. Open Tournament Director.

1998: Honored by Japanese TTA for his post-World War II help in getting the ITTF to accept the JTTA as a member body.

1999: Member of ITTF President Adham Sharara’s select Advisory Committee. Met IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch in Lausanne and awarded him an Honorary Life Membership in the USATT.  

USATT Hall of Fame Player Inductee: Scott Boggan

1970: Long Island Parent-Child Doubles Winner (Age 8).

1972: U.S. Open Boys U-13 Doubles Champion (Age 10).

1973: U.S. Open Boys U-13 Consolation Winner (Age 11).

1974: U.S. Open Boys U-13 Finalist.

1976: U.S. Open U-15 Doubles Champion. Toronto CNE Junior Mixed Doubles Champion. At U.S. Open Team Championships a member of the winning Junior Team and Junior Most Valuable Player Award Winner. U.S. Closed U-17 Doubles finalist.

1977. U.S. Open U-17 Junior Champion. At USOTC’s, member of runner-up  Men’s Team. U.S. Closed U-17 Doubles Champion.

1978: Member of U.S. Junior Team to Swedish Open Junior Championships. U.S. Open U-17 Doubles Champion. CNE Men’s Singles Finalist. Trinidad-Tobago Invitational Finalist. At USOTC’s, member of winning Men’s Team. U.S. Closed Men’s semifinalist (catches table edge in upswing, breaks his thumb, is forced to retire).

1979: Member of U.S. Team to Pyongyang, North Korea World’s. Pacific Coast Singles ($600) and Mixed Doubles Champion. Begins 4-year play in Second Division of German Bundesliga. Has hard time at first, but Coach supports him, and four years later will finish #1 in the Second Division West with a 35 and 3 record. U.S. Closed Men’s semifinalist. U.S. Closed U-21 Finalist. Qualified for 1980 U.S. Team via Team Trials.

1980: Represented U.S. at Italian and German Opens. Coached a little in Belgium – Jean-Michel Saive one of his pupils. Quarterfinalist in Norwich Union Canadian Open. CNE U-21 and Mixed Doubles Finalist. Writes first of a number of overseas articles for USTTA Topics and  for (father) Timmy’s magazine.

1981: Member of U.S. Team to Novi Sad World’s. U.S. Open Hard Rubber Finalist. Represented U.S. in Scandinavian Open. U.S. Men’s Closed Champion and perhaps unprecedented Finalist in four other events as well: U-21, Hard Rubber, Men’s and Mixed Doubles. Qualified for 1982 U.S. Team via Team Trials.

1982: Represented U.S. in German Open. Louisiana Open Singles ($500) Finalist/Open Doubles Winner. U.S. Open Hard Rubber Champion. U.S. Open Men’s Doubles Finalist. After being mugged and taken to the hospital with a head wound, won National Sports Festival Singles and Doubles. Member of U.S. Team to Seoul Open/Matches in Taiwan, and Canadian Open. U.S. Closed Amateur Champion. U.S. Closed Hard Rubber Champion. U.S. Closed Mixed Doubles Finalist.

1983. Member of U.S. Team to Tokyo World’s. Represented U.S. in French, Russian, and Swedish Opens. U.S. Closed Men’s Doubles Finalist. U.S. Team member (via Team Trials) for 6th straight year.

1984: Represented U.S. in German Open. U.S. Closed Men’s Doubles Champion.

1985: Montreal Open Men’s Doubles Champion. Fourth ($400) in North American Championships. CNE Men’s and Mixed Doubles Finalist. Hoosier Open ($500) Singles and Doubles Champion. U.S. Closed Singles 5th Place.

Thereafter played sparingly, became New York City firefighter, married, won 1991 World Policemen/Fireman’s Games, permanently retired, fathered two sons. 

Photo by kausphoto.com copyright 2001

USATT Hall of Fame Player Inductee : Richard Hicks

1959: Wins first of 30 (!) Indiana Men’s Singles Championships.

1960:  St. Joe Valley Open Champion (defeated two U.S. Top 10 players).

1961-82: Helped run, then, for 17 years, was part owner and operator of the Indianapolis T.T. Center, during which time he was Tournament Director for an estimated 80 USTTA sanctioned tournaments.

1962: Toronto CNE semifinalist (defeated Defending Champion Bobby Fields). Central States Champion (defeated Erwin Klein, Houshang Bozorgzadeh, and Laszlo Varenyi).

1963: Begins a run of 25 consecutive Indiana Men’s Singles Championships. U.S. #7 for ’62-63 season. U.S. Team Member in CNE International Match against Canada (defeated multi-time Canadian National Champion Max Marinko in deciding match to give U.S. a 6-5 win).

1964: U.S. Team Member at CNE – Mixed Doubles Champion.

1966: U.S. #6 for ’65-66 season. First of two years as U.S. Midwest Regional Tournament Director. Won Barna Award (for contributing the most to the Sport during the season). U.S. Team Member at CNE.

1967: U.S. #10 for ’66-67 season.

1969: First of three years as National Tournament Director.

1973: U.S. Open Parent-Child Doubles Champion. At USOTC’s won Most Valuable Player Award with a 16-1 record.

1974: U.S. Open Parent-Child Doubles Champion.

1986-: Chairman for the Hoosier State Games.

1991-2001: During this 11-year stretch, Dick’s play in the U.S. Open and Closed, especially in both the Over 50’s and 60’s, has been of extremely high quality and consistency. To summarize: in the U.S. Open, he’s been the Over 50 Singles Champion 3 times and the runner-up once; the Over 50 Doubles Champion 4 times and the runner-up 4 times; the Over 60 Singles Champion once, and the runner-up 3 times; and the Over 60 Doubles Champion 4 times. In the U.S. Closed, he’s been the Over 50 Singles Champion twice and the runner-up twice; the Over 50 Doubles Champion twice and the runner-up 6 times; the Over 60 Singles Champion 3 times and the runner-up twice; and the Over 60 Doubles Champion 3 times and the runner-up twice.

Such longevity in the Sport, and Dick’s role as both contributor and player, had to be rewarded. 

USATT Hall of Fame Official Inductee: Tom Miller

1981: President of his Livermore, CA-area Tri-Valley Table Tennis Club.

1981-97: Avid tournament-goer. 1984: U.S. Open U-1800 Champion. 1994: two Golds and a Bronze at St. George, Utah Huntsman World Senior Games. 1995 and ’97: Gold at California Senior Games. 1996: Gold at Nevada Senior Olympics.

1980’-‘90’s-Present: Began the Umpire and Referee work for which he’s best known – quickly advancing to a string of starts as Chief Umpire at the U.S. Open and Closed. In 1990 umpired U.S. Open final between Waldner and Appelgren.

1985-: At U.S. Open began annual historic photo-scrapbooks of officials.

1987-88: In Cleveland County for 60th English Open. At Seoul, first U.S. Umpire to serve in the Olympics.

1990-: Officiated in many a California tournament and later was inducted into the California TTA Hall of Fame.

1990-: First of his now 13 trips to Japan to umpire. Held in such esteem there that in tournaments to date he’s umpired 2 Women’s and 8 Men’s finals, including the Grand Prix Ogimura Cup with Waldner.

1993. Won Best Umpire Award given by Japanese at World Global Youth Championships. At U.S. Open won Worst Umpire Award…from a Dominican player, who, on being faulted and carded by Tom, snarled, “You come to my country and I kill you!”

1993-2000:  attended the World Championships in Gothenburg; officiated at the European Championships in Bratislava; was out on court 20-plus times during the South American Championships at Curacao (in a hot and humid un-air conditioned gym), umped a Samsonov match in the Italian Open at Bolzano, was in Paris for the Pro-Tour Final,  in Mexico City for the Pam-Am Paralymics, and in Eindhoven for the World Championships. At the 1995 Canadian National’s he umpired 59 matches; at the ’96 Arctic Games 78 matches. At the ’99 Pan-Am Games was brought back on his day off  without time even to put on his uniform. But he often works out of uniform – at 2001 U.S. Closed confirmed that, as a former measurements engineer and manager of a standards lab, he’d been in the right profession, for even in retirement he was into measurements and standards: went round, as was his custom before play started, to set the nets on all the tables (in this major, 75 of them).   

2000-:was in Sydney for the Olympics, in Doha, Qatar for the Pro Tour carrying on a dialogue with a Prince and his racing camel, and at Osaka for the World’s. Back at the 1996 U.S. Open, Tom had been chatting with a Chinese woman umpire named Ji Lan Liu. Four years later, as Ji in China was watching live table tennis action from the Sydney Olympics, who’s flashed on the screen but the match umpire – Tom Miller! “I know him!” said a surprised Ji. Over to the phone she went, called former USATT Officials Chair Y.C. Lee. Y.C. relayed the warm greetings to Tom’s wife Marilyn. Marilyn e-mailed Tom at his Sydney residence dorm. And when Tom returned from the Games that day, he received Ji’s testament to his far-flung fame.

So who says USATT umpires go unrecognized?