International Tennis Hall of Famer (1909-1995) and the first player to have won all four Grand Slam events. He later went on to contribute to the invention of the sweatband and a successful clothing line. TLS, one page, 8.5 x 11, Boca Raton Hotel and Club letterhead, March 6, 1957. Letter to Mrs. Lyman H. B. Olmsted, an early tennis player and enthusiast who donated the Service Bowl Award trophy presented annually by the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) to the player 'Who Yearly Makes the Most Notable Contribution to the Sportsmanship, Fellowship, and Service of Tennis.' In part: "I have just received word from the Club Management that they have been forced to cancel their plans for holding a Boca Raton invitational Tournament this season. They have asked me to contact the players and tell them…I regret that we shall not have the pleasure of seeing you here for the tournament…it was only in the last day or two that the matter was decided." In very good condition, with creasing, staining, and intersecting folds.
Since 1944 the Service Bowl Trophy has been awarded on a nationwide basis, usually by the USTA President at a stadium court ceremony or an Executive Committee Meeting during the US Open. Like Hockey’s Stanley Cup, the Service Bowl Trophy is not kept by the award recipient. Instead, their name is engraved on the bowl. Noted recipients include Billie Jean King (1966), Chris Evert Lloyd (1983), and Pam Shriver (1995).
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