Polly Palfrey Woodrow

Palfrey was born in Boston, the eldest daughter of John Gorham Palfrey and Methyl Gertrude Oakes Paltrey. Her father was a lawyer. She graduated from Smith College in 1929.{{Cite journal |date=February 1941 |title=Class Notes: 1929 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TVrnAAAAMAAJ&dq=Polly+Palfrey+Woodrow&pg=PA132 |journal=The Smith Alumnae Quarterlly |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=132}} At Smith, she was president of the Student Government Association.{{Cite news |date=November 18, 1928 |title=Gains Highest Honor at Smith |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ty_bs8MXN1wC&dq=%22Smith+College%22+%22Polly+Palfrey%22&pg=RA17-PA10 |work=The Michigan Daily |pages=11 |via=The Michigan Daily Digital Archives |last1=Applebee |first1=Constance M. K. }}

File:"Five Sisters in Boston Who Know Their Tennis" The Messenger Apr 6 1927.jpg

Palfrey and her siblings, including John Palfrey, Sarah Palfrey Cooke and Mianne Palfrey, all competed in tennis at the national level.{{Cite news |last=Johnston |first=Laurie |date=1979-10-29 |title=John Palfrey Dies; Ex-Columbia Dean |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/29/archives/john-palfrey-dies-excolumbia-dean-law-professor-served-4-years-as.html |access-date=2024-07-19 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Bud |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WM4UAQAAIAAJ&q=Polly+Palfrey+Woodrow |title=Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis |last2=Hollander |first2=Zander |date=1994 |publisher=Gale Research |isbn=978-0-8103-8988-5 |pages=476 |language=en}} Polly Palfrey won the Massachusetts and national Junior Doubles championships in 1924, with Fanny Curtis as her partner.{{Cite news |date=1924-06-26 |title=Mianne Palfrey, Aged 13, A Title Winner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-mianne-palfrey-aged-13/151688809/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite journal |date=April 1930 |title=Women's Invitational Tennis Tournament to be Held This June |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ty_bs8MXN1wC&dq=%22Smith+College%22+%22Polly+Palfrey%22&pg=RA17-PA10 |journal=The Sportswoman |volume=6 |issue=8 |pages=10}}{{Cite news |date=September 13, 1924 |title=Another Berkeley Girl Tennis Champion |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=HTS19240913.2.71&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-Fanny+Curtis+tennis------- |work=Humboldt Times |pages=5 |via=California Digital Newspaper Collection}} She also played doubles with younger sister Elizabeth, also known as Lee, as her partner.{{Cite news |date=1924-10-04 |title=Upset in Junior Girls' Tournament; Polly Palfrey and Fanny Curtis Defeated |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-upset-in-junior-girls/151688167/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=9 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1924-10-03 |title=Favorites All Score Victories; Junior GIrls' Tennis on at Chestnut Hill |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-favorites-all-score-vic/151688292/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=16 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1923-10-05 |title=Junior Girls' Tennis Tourney Under Way at Chestnut Hill |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-junior-girls-tennis-to/151689446/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=12 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1929, she played in both singles and doubles games at a tournament in Cohasset,{{Cite news |date=1929-08-01 |title=Polly Palfrey Puts Out Miss Winthrop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-polly-palfrey-puts-out/151687648/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=22 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1929-07-30 |title=South Shore Champion Loses |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-south-shore-champion-lo/151688433/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=22 |via=Newspapers.com}} and in a college tournament in 1929, partnered with Curtis again.{{Cite news |date=1929-06-29 |title=Sweep for California Girls |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/68759153/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=11 |via=Newspapers.com}} She played in doubles and mixed doubles games at a tournament in Swampscott in 1930,{{Cite news |date=1930-07-24 |title=Palfrey Sisters, Mary Greef and Mrs Harper Eliminated in Day of Upsets at Essex County Club |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-palfrey-sisters-mary-g/151688002/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=8 |via=Newspapers.com}} and as a singles player at a 1931 tournament in Chestnut Hill.{{Cite news |date=1931-10-07 |title=Polly Palfrey Put Out by Miss Ellis |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-polly-palfrey-put-out-b/151688523/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=23 |via=Newspapers.com}} She was seeded second at a 1935 tournament at Longwood Country Club, but lost in the second round.{{Cite news |date=1935-07-10 |title=Polly Palfrey is Loser at Longwood |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-polly-palfrey-is-loser/151689853/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=21}} In 1940, in her thirties, she lost to Helen Jacobs at Germantown Cricket Club near Philadelphia.{{Cite news |date=1940-06-18 |title=Helen Jacobs Advances in Philadelphia Meet |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-globe-democrat-helen-jacobs-ad/151690137/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=St. Louis Globe-Democrat |pages=17 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Palfrey was also an avid golfer, and she was president of the Schenectady Junior League in the 1940s. She taught English at Bryn Mawr College and at Skidmore College.

• "Read to Me" (The Atlantic, 1948){{Cite news |last=Woodrow |first=Margaret Palfrey |date=1948-09-01 |title=Read to Me |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1948/09/read-to-me/644094/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Atlantic |language=en |issn=2151-9463}}

Palfrey married civil engineer Charles A. Woodrow in 1936.{{Cite news |date=1936-04-05 |title=Tennis Player Engaged; Miss Margaret Palfrey to Be Wed to Charles Woodrow |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1936/04/05/archives/tennis-player-engaged-miss-margaret-palfrey-to-be-wed-to-charles.html |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |date=1936-04-05 |title=Palfrey Sister to Wed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-palfrey-sister-to-wed/151698688/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=Oakland Tribune |pages=12 |via=Newspapers.com}} They had a daughter, Joanna. Her husband died in 1981, and she died in 1997, at the age of 90, in Santa Clara, California.{{Cite news |date=1997-10-15 |title=Sports Log |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-sports-log/151690373/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |work=The Boston Globe |pages=67 |via=Newspapers.com}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:3t947700w A photo of the five Palfrey sisters in 1934], uploaded to Digital Commonwealth by the Boston Public Library

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodrow, Polly Palfrey}}

Category:1906 births

Category:1997 deaths

Category:Tennis players from Boston

Category:Bryn Mawr College faculty

Category:Smith College alumni

Category:American tennis players