Robert J. Kelleher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Robert J. Kelleher | |
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| Born | March 5, 1913  New York City, New York, United States |
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| Occupation | Tennis player and official |
Robert J. Kelleher (born March 5, 1913) was a tennis player and tennis official inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000. He graduated from Williams College in 1935, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and from Harvard University Law School in 1938.
Kelleher was the New England Intercollegiate Doubles Champion in 1933 and won the Eastern Collegiate Doubles the same year. He won the Canadian mixed doubles championship in 1947 with his wife Gracyn Wheeler Kelleher. Kelleher was the U.S. Davis Cup Captain in 1962-63 (winning in '63) and was a three-time U.S. Hard Court 45s doubles champion.
As president of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) in 1967-68, Kelleher helped make open tennis a reality in 1968. Prior to his presidency, major tennis tournaments were closed to professional players and prize money was not offered. Kelleher was instrumental in changing this system, thus allowing anyone to play and instituting legitimate prize money in tournaments. He also participated extensively in the activities of the Southern California Tennis Association.
Kelleher is currently U.S. District Court Judge in Los Angeles, California.
