Hall of Fame: 2021 Inductees
Photos: Howard Schatz
Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss
39-time Grand Slam Champion King led the “Original Nine” tennis players to form what would eventually become the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in reaction to unequal pay and opportunities compared to their male counterparts. For over 40 years she has been partners with fellow former player Kloss, who was ranked as high as No. 1 in the world in doubles, No. 19 in singles, and captured two major doubles titles. Together, they have dedicated much of their lives to championing gender equality and LGBTQ rights. As a co-founder of World TeamTennis (WTT) over 40 years ago, King helped develop the first-ever tennis professional tennis league in which professional male and female players contributed equally to achieve a team result. Kloss carried on the WTT's cornerstone mission, serving as the CEO and Commissioner of the revolutionary league—which was headquartered for many years in New York City—from 2001 until 2018.
In 2014, King and Kloss launched the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to address equality and inclusion issues in the workplace. The pair are also actively involved with the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), an organization King founded in 1974 to help girls and women all over the world achieve their full potential in sports. Both King and Kloss currently sit on the WSF board, and Kloss previously served as the governing body's chair. King and Kloss are also part of the ownership groups of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Sparks and Angel City FC, and are founding board members of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The couple currently resides in New York City.
With their induction, King and Kloss join fellow tennis trailblazers and notables Arthur Ashe, Mary Carillo, Althea Gibson, “Original Nine” member Julie Heldman, John McEnroe, Patrick McEnroe, Renee Richards, Bob Ryland, Dick Savitt and former USTA President Katrina Adams in the Eastern Hall of Fame.
Dr. Emily Moore
For more than 55 years, Emily Moore has served her community as an educator and supporter of physical fitness. More than that, Dr. Moore has aided generations of students, providing them the tools and skills for them to helm bright futures.
Dr. Moore’s perseverance to help others has been with her for her entire life and she has often lead by example. She was the first of 11 students at Morgan State University to be arrested for refusing to leave a segregated movie theater. Dr. Martin Luther King made a trip to the college to encourage her and her colleagues. She served in Nigeria as a Peace Corps volunteer and during her time there witnessed three military coups in the Civil War and was evacuated on a barge for three days.
In 1975, she founded the Alliance Junior Tennis Development Program, which thrived for decades, introduce tennis to hundreds of young people. Dr. Moore was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2019. Read our extended piece on Dr. Emily Moore here.
Dr. Dale G. Caldwell
A graduate of Princeton University, Dale has tirelessly promoted the history of Black Tennis in the US. He founded the Black Tennis Hall of Fame and, in 2006, he conceived and conjured Breaking the Barriers – currently on exhibition at the International Tennis Hall of Fame – honoring the American Tennis Association and the Black pioneers of tennis.
Along with fellow Hall of Famer Nancy Gill McShea, Dale is the author of Tennis in New York, the History of the Most Influential Sport in the Most Influential City in the World. He has served on the Board of Directors of the USTA and was the first Black president of USTA Eastern. Read our extended piece on Dr. Dale G. Caldwell here.
Dr. Harold German
Harold German began playing competitive tennis at 13. He led Dickinson High School in Jersey City to the NJ State Championships, where the school placed second. He captained his Princeton tennis team to number eight in the country. While attending Columbia Medical School, German reached the Eastern top ten. He then served in Vietnam as a Navy doctor with the Marines. At the senior level, Dr. German has achieved high rankings in all divisions up to the 65s. Read our extended piece on Dr. Harold German here.
Freddie Botur
Freddie Botur emigrated to the US in 1952 and began a 6-decade career as one of the most successful tennis entrepreneurs in New York City. Freddie worked, ran and established several successful tennis facilities, the most renowned of which was Tennisport in Long Island City. The tennis stars and tennis talent that passed through Freddie's doors and played under his wing and with his support could populate a Tennis Hall of Fame. He left his mark on NYC tennis and is remembered in the hearts of thousands of players. At 98, he is happily retired on his Wyoming ranch. Read our extended piece on Freddie Botur here.