R. Norris Williams

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Olympic medal record
Men's Tennis
Gold	1924 Paris	Mixed doubles

Richard ("Dick") Norris Williams II (born on January 29, 1891 in Geneva, Switzerland – June 2, 1968), generally known as R. Norris Williams, was an American male tennis player.

Williams is best known for his two victories at the U.S. Championships in 1914 and 1916. He was also on the victorious American Davis Cup team twice: in 1925 and 1926 and was considered a fine doubles player. He also had a reputation in singles of always hitting as hard as possible and always trying to hit winners near the lines. This made him an extremely erratic player, but when his game was sporadically "on", he was considered unbeatable.

Williams also gained fame as being a survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster in April of 1912. He and his father, Charles Duane Williams, were travelling first class on the liner when it struck an iceberg and sank. Shortly after the collision, Williams freed a trapped passenger from a cabin by breaking down a door. He was reprimanded by a steward, who threatened to fine him for destroying White Star Line property, an event that inspired a scene in James Cameron's 1997 film Titanic. Williams remained on the doomed liner almost until the very end, eventually swimming to a swamped lifeboat that had been washed off the deck. He spent several hours knee-deep in freezing water in the collapsible lifeboat until RMS Carpathia arrived on the scene to rescue survivors. His father was lost in the disaster. The ordeal left his legs so severely injured that they were almost amputated. Williams, who did not want his tennis career to be cut short, opted instead to work through the injury. The choice worked out well for him: later that year, he won his first U.S. Tennis Championship, in mixed doubles, and went on to win many more championships.

[edit] Grand Slam record

[edit] Wimbledon Championships

• Doubles champion: 1920 (w/Chuck Garland)

[edit] U.S. Championships

• Singles champion: 1914, 1916
  • Singles finalist: 1913
• Doubles champion: 1925, 1926
  • Doubles finalist 1921, 1923, 1927
• Mixed champion: 1912

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