Dorothy Vest

Dorothy Crowe Vest (May 10, 1919 in Brownsville, Texas - January 7, 2013[1] ) was a female tennis player from Jackson, Mississippi. She is the eponym of Jackson's Dorothy Vest Tennis Center.[2]

Vest is known for establishing the sport of tennis in Mississippi. During her career she participated in competitions which led to grand slam tennis events and was undefeated in mixed doubles with her partner Slew Hester.[3] In 1979 her family[4] was selected for the United States Tennis Association's Ralph W. Westcott USTA Family of the Year Award,[5] and in 1980 Dorothy Vest was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Her two daughters—Rebecca L. "Becky" Vest (inducted 1998) and Carol Ann Vest Dunn (inducted 2003)--are in the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame.[6] From 1951 to 1981 Dorothy Vest was Director of Tennis for the City of Jackson, where she not only coached the game but also supervised the building of tennis facilities.[7]

The Mississippi Tennis Association annually gives a Dorothy Vest Award for the best male tennis player and the best female tennis player in Mississippi.[8] As of 2011 Vest lived in Dallas, Texas.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Dorothy Vest". Clairon Ledger. January 24, 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  2. ↑ Dorothy Vest Tennis Center site (accessed 2011-11-21). Her mother's maiden name was Austin, in the lineage of Stephen F. Austin.
  3. ↑ Jackson Go City Kids site (accessed 2011-11-21).
  4. ↑ The "Family of John Vest" (Dorothy Vest's husband). John Vest held a Ph.D. in mathematics and developed techniques for tennis court construction which led to the formation of Vesco Tennis Courts, a privately held firm headquartered in Slidell, Louisiana.
  5. ↑ Ralph W. Westcott USTA Family of the Year award list (accessed 2011-11-21).
  6. ↑ Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame list (accessed 2011-11-21).
  7. ↑ "Dorothy Vest". Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
  8. ↑ Mississippi Tennis Association awards site (accessed 2011-11-21).