Henry Warner Slocum, Jr. (May 28, 1862 – January 22, 1949) was an American male tennis player who was active in the late 19th century.[3]

Henry Slocum
Full nameHenry Warner Slocum, Jr.
Country (sports) United States
Born(1862-05-28)May 28, 1862
Syracuse, New York, United States
DiedJanuary 22, 1949(1949-01-22) (aged 86)
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Turned pro1884 (amateur tour)
Retired1913
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1955 (member page)
Singles
Career record112-57 (66.2%)[1]
Career titles9[1]
Highest rankingNo. 8 (1888, ITHF)[2]
Grand Slam singles results
US OpenW (1888, 1889)
Grand Slam doubles results
US OpenW (1889)

Biography

edit

He was born on May 28, 1862, in Syracuse, New York, to Henry Warner Slocum.[3]

Slocum graduated from Yale University in 1883 and started playing tennis in 1884 although he entered few prominent tournaments until the spring of 1886.[4] Slocum won the 1888 Men's Singles title at the U.S. National Championships' in Newport against defending champion and compatriot Howard Taylor in straight sets. The next year he successfully defended his title in the Challenge Round with a victory over Quincy Shaw.[5]

His other career highlights include winning the Rockaway Hunting Club Invitation three times (1886–1888), the Wentworth Open Tournament at Wentworth, New Hampshire (1887), the Staten Island Invitation (1887).

He was president of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) in 1892 and 1893.[3]

He died on January 22, 1949, at St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan, New York City.[3]

Legacy

edit

Slocum was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1955. In 1890 he published a book titled Lawn Tennis in Our Own Country.

Grand Slam finals

edit

Singles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)

edit
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1887U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Richard Sears1–6, 3–6, 2–6
Win1888U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Howard Taylor6–4, 6–1, 6–0
Win1889U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Quincy Shaw6–3, 6–1, 4–6, 6–2
Loss1890U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Oliver Campbell2–6, 6–4, 3–6, 1–6

Doubles (1 title, 2 runners-up)

edit
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1885U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Percy KnappUnited States Joseph Clark
United States Richard Sears
3–6, 0–6, 2–6
Loss1887U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Howard TaylorUnited States James Dwight
United States Richard Sears
4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 3–6
Win1889U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Howard TaylorUnited States Valentine Hall
United States Oliver Campbell
14–12, 10–8, 6–4

Singles performance timeline

edit
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RRQ# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Events with a challenge round: (WC) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (FA) all comers' finalist

1884188518861887188818891890189118921893189418951896 18971898189919001901190219031904190519061907190819091910191119121913 SR W–L Win %
Grand Slam tournaments
French Not held Only for French club members 0 / 0 0–0
Wimbledon A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 0
U.S. 3R 2R QF CR W WC CR A 3R A A A A A A A A A A 2R A 3R A 1R 2R 4R 4R 4R 5R 3R 2 / 17 25–14 64.1
Australian Not held A A A A A A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Win–loss 1–0 0–1 2–1 4–1 5–0 1–0 0–1 1–1 0–1 2–1 0–1 0–1 1–1 2–1 2–1 3–1 1–1 2 / 1725–1464.1

References

edit
  1. 1 2 "Henry Slocum: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL.
  2. International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee Page
  3. 1 2 3 4 "H. W. Slocum Dies. Once Tennis Star. National Lawn Champion In '88 And '89 Was Twice Head Of Governing Association". New York Times. January 23, 1949.
  4. Hall, Valentine G. (1889). Lawn tennis in America. New York: D. W. Granbery & Co. pp. 1, 2. hdl:2027/loc.ark:/13960/t1fj3bd46. OCLC 15175498.
  5. Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 454. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  6. H.W. Slocum, Jr., Lawn Tennis Champion of New England 1887/88, from World's Champions, Second Series (N43) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. Retrieved August 26, 2022 via Metropolitan Museum of Art Free access icon. (MET, 63.350.202.43.20); JSTOR community.18393823, JSTOR community.18395494.
edit