The International Lawn Tennis Club of the United States was founded 75 years ago, in 1931. This club is not a physical place with courts and a pool. It is, instead, part of a global community of such clubs devoted to a single mission: the promotion of international goodwill and friendship through tennis.

Today, there are international clubs, or IC’s as they are known, in thirty four countries, governed by an Executive Council based in London. Collectively, there are more than 4,000 members, most of whom have represented their countries in Davis Cup, Federation Cup and other international competitions. IC teams compete in age categories ranging from 16 through 85 and the distinguishing feature of every match is an overarching spirit of sportsmanship, respect and friendship. These are the simple, but precious, values promoted by all IC’s.

Each year, the USIC honors one man and one woman who have demonstrated: exceptional character, sportsmanship, manners and the spirit of cooperation while contributing to the growth of the game and assisting players of every age. Past recipients of the William M. Johnston and Sarah Palfrey Danzig awards include: Tony Trabert, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, Pam Shriver, Stan Smith, Tracy Austin, Todd Martin, Zina Garrison, Jim Courier and Chris Evert.

Tonight, we honor a woman who served as Captain of the Wightman Cup, the Bonnie Bell Cup and the Federation Cup after playing on these teams from 1966 through 1975. She won the Italian Open, and reached the semifinals at the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open. She held a top ten ranking in the United States for ten years and in the World for four years. In 1975, she was awarded the Service Bowl by the USTA for her myriad contributions to our sport. And, in a demonstration of what, at the time, was characterized either as real guts or as extremely faulty thinking, she agreed to join eight other women in forming the original women’s pro tour organized, coincidently, by her mother, Gladys. Congratulations to Julie Heldman, our 2006 Sarah Palfrey Danzig Award winner.

[Acceptance remarks by Julie Heldman]
I am honored to receive this award. Sarah Palfrey Danzig was a friend of my family, a terrific tennis player and a fine woman.
It’s a wonderful thing to be remembered positively. As I grow older, people may forget how feisty I was on the court. I won one sportsmanship award in my whole tennis career, at the tournament at South Orange, New Jersey. I remember it well, because it was such a big surprise. One of my favorite awards was from the Russians in 1969, in which I won the award for “spirit.” It was won the previous year by Bob Hewitt, who apparently disliked what the crowd was doing, so the story goes that he removed his shorts and mooned the crowd.

I was not so hot headed when I represented the U.S. in team play, either as a player or the captain. Those situations brought a sense of camaraderie and closeness that was lacking when I competed for myself in tournaments.

I’m quite proud that I was one of the original nine women tennis players who started the women’s pro tour. We were committed to making the women’s tour work, giving clinics and interviews at every site. Newspapers sometimes sent their fashion reporters, and we had to explain the difference between a forehand and a serve.

Women’s pro tennis was a baby back then, and now it’s all grown up. I thank you for remembering me, a voice from the past, and for giving me this award.

[Les Nicholson resumes]
Now, we honor a man who played on the US Davis Cup team for five years and then became, at age 29, its youngest captain. After his teams won the Cup twice, he retired as, and remains, our only undefeated Davis Cup Captain. As the Open era dawned, he turned his eye to the business of tennis becoming one of the most successful well-known agents, tournament directors and commentators. With the benefit of his substantial personal involvement and funds generated by a tennis tournament he created, now known as the Legg Mason, the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation has given life changing academic and athletic skills to thousands of children. And, for the past twenty five years, he has served on the Board of the Tennis Hall of Fame, including a term as President and now as Vice-Chairman. Congratulations to Donald Dell, our 2006 Walter M. Johnston award winner.