Sam Lee (tennis)

{{Infobox person

| name = Sam Lee

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1914|06|18}}

| birth_place = Oregon, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|04|09|1914|06|18}}

| death_place =

| education = Stanford University

}}

Sam Lee (June 18, 1914 in Oregon – April 9, 2012),{{cite web|title=Samuel Lee's Obituary on The Oregonian|url=http://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?pid=157186148|website=The Oregonian|accessdate=20 December 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051339/http://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?pid=157186148|archivedate=22 December 2017}} was a former NCAA champion tennis player.

Biography

As a youth tennis player, Lee reached as high as {{abbr|No.|number}} 7 in the U.S. tennis rankings for players 15 and under.{{cite web|url=http://www.irvingtonclub.com/tho/players_lee.html|title=Sam Lee profile|publisher=Oregon Tennis Historical Committee|accessdate=2007-04-26}} He attended Stanford University, and as a sophomore, won the 1933 NCAA Doubles Championship with partner Joe Coughlin.{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaasports.com/tennis/mens/history|title=Men's Tennis: Past Champions|publisher=NCAA|accessdate=2007-04-26 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070418045954/http://www.ncaasports.com/tennis/mens/history |archivedate = 2007-04-18}} Lee won the Oregon state doubles championships with Elwood Cooke in 1936,{{cite news|last=Eggers|first=Kerry|date=May 4, 2004|url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=24134|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083225/http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=24134|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 29, 2007|title=Mariner radio needs some editing|publisher=Portland Tribune|accessdate=2007-04-26}}{{cite web|url=http://www.irvingtonclub.com/tho/Tourn_Oregon_State_Men_Doubles.html|title=Oregon State Tournament Men's Doubles Champions|publisher=Oregon Tennis Historical Committee|accessdate=2007-04-26|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928173344/http://www.irvingtonclub.com/tho/Tourn_Oregon_State_Men_Doubles.html|archivedate=2007-09-28|df=}} and the Oregon state singles championship in 1937.{{cite web|url=http://www.irvingtonclub.com/tho/Tourn_Oregon_State_Men_Singles.html|title=Oregon State Tournament Men's Singles Champions|publisher=Oregon Tennis Historical Committee|accessdate=2007-04-26|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928173355/http://www.irvingtonclub.com/tho/Tourn_Oregon_State_Men_Singles.html|archivedate=2007-09-28|df=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pnw.usta.com/hall_of_fame/custom.sps?iType=3495&icustompageid=11356 |title=2000 USTA Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame Inductee Bios |publisher=United States Tennis Association |accessdate=2007-04-26 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060518080832/http://www.pnw.usta.com/hall_of_fame/custom.sps?iType=3495&icustompageid=11356 |archivedate=May 18, 2006 }}

In 1942, Lee was called to service in World War II. In 1945, with Wimbledon suspended due to the war, Lee played in the "Military Wimbledon" tournament. In 1947 and 1948, Lee and partner Emery Neale played in the Wimbledon doubles tournament.

Lee was instrumental in promoting the construction of the Portland Tennis Center in the 1970s, and served as president of the Multnomah Athletic Club. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, the United States Tennis Association Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame in 2000, and is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.

References

Category:1914 births

Category:2012 deaths

Category:American male tennis players

Category:Stanford Cardinal men's tennis players

Category:Tennis players from Oregon

Category:20th-century American sportsmen