Julius Seligson

Julius "Julie" Seligson (December 22, 1909, in New York City – October 13, 1987) was an American tennis player in the early part of the 20th century.

Julius "Julie" Seligson
Country (sports) United States
BornDecember 22, 1909
New York City, NY
DiedOctober 13, 1987(1987-10-13) (aged 77)
CollegeLehigh University
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 8 in USTA Singles (1928)

Seligson was ranked as high as # 8 in USTA Singles in 1928.[1] In 1928 he won the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship in singles. He was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.

Early and personal life

Seligson was born in New York City, New York, and was Jewish, and experienced anti-Semitism in tennis.[2][3][4][5] He attended Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School.[4]

In 1937 he married Gertrude "Gerry" Seligson (nee Goodman).[6] They lived in Westport, Connecticut, from 1948 on.[7][6]

Tennis career

As a junior he was the national boy's 18-and-under champion in 1925 and 1926.[7] In 1927 he won the Eastern Grass Court Championships.

He played collegiate tennis at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1930.[3][8] Seligson never lost a regular season match.[8] In 1928 he won the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship in singles, beating Ben Gorchakoff 6–1, 6–1, 6–1, to become Lehigh’s first individual national champion.[9][8] [2] He won 66 straight matches, before losing in the 1930 NCAA finals 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 8–6 to Cliff Sutter of Tulane.[8][7]

He won the NCAA indoor singles championship in 1928, 1929, and 1930.[8] In 1930 he also won the Eastern Clay Court Championships.[10]

Seligson was ranked as high as # 8 in USTA Singles in 1928.[1]

In 1928 and 1930, he was a singles finalist at the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships. In 1929, at the Cincinnati Masters, he reached the singles final, where he lost to Herbert Bowman in four sets: 6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 1–6.

He later turned professional and won three titles at the Metropolitan Clay Court Championship.[8]

Halls of Fame

In 1992, he was inducted into the Lehigh University Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2002 he was enshrined into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.[8][11]

After tennis career

After graduation he became an insurance broker.[10]

Seligson died in 1987 of a malignant melanoma at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 77 years old.[12][8]

See also

References
  1. The American Hebrew. American Hebrew. September 22, 1940 – via Google Books.
  2. Seligson, Julie : Jews In Sports @ Virtual Museum
  3. Wechsler, Bob (2008). Day by Day in Jewish Sports History. KTAV Publishing House, Inc. ISBN 9780881259698 – via Google Books.
  4. Baltzell, E. Digby (2017). Sporting Gentlemen: Men's Tennis from the Age of Honor to the Cult of the Superstar. Routledge. ISBN 9781351488341 – via Google Books.
  5. Postal, Bernard; Silver, Jesse; Silver, Roy (September 22, 1965). Encyclopedia of Jews in Sports. Bloch Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  6. "Gertrude "Gerry" Seligson, 95". WestportNow.
  7. "Julius Seligson". October 14, 1987 – via NYTimes.com.
  8. "Traditions & History & - Hall of Fame". Lehigh University Athletics.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 12, 2005. Retrieved 2007-02-21.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Lehigh - Julius Seligson". history.lehighsports.com.
  11. "Rick Leach To Be Inducted To ITA Hall Of Fame". USC Athletics.
  12. "Julius Seligson obituary". The New York Times. October 14, 1987. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
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