Dick Skeen

Background

Dick Skeen was born in Dallas, Texas in 1906 and died in Medford, Oregon in 1994 at age 88.

Career

He was runner-up to Fred Perry in the Men"s Singles in the 1941 United States. Pro Tennis Championships, reaching as high as World Number. 7 in Karoly Mazak"s combined amateur-pro rankings for 1941. He was also ranked the World Number.

2 pro by Ray Bowers for the year (and Number 4 in his amateur-pro combined rankings).

Skeen reached the semifinals of other tournaments on four occasions that year. He wrote a tennis book at the request of Dale Jensen, entitled Tennis Champions are Made, not Born in 1976.

He taught three World Champions (Jack Kramer, Louise Brough, and Pauline Betz) and forty National Champions, including Billy Talbert, Gussie Moran, Kathleen Harter, Carole Caldwell, Dave Ranney, Mike Caro, Julius Heldman, Ted Olewine, Eleanor Harbula, Jimmy Wade, George Richards, Connie Jaster, and Barbara Winslow. Many of his players furthered their careers at the Los Angeles Tennis Club (LATC) under the guidance of Perry T. Jones, President of the Southern California Tennis Association.

Skeen was ranked Number. 1 in the National Senior 65-and-over in 1972, after a 28 year layoff (1973 USTA Year Book).

In 1918, Dick arrived in Southern California with his family and learned to play tennis on three courts in Hollywood. In 1931, he turned professional and began his tennis teaching career in Pasadena. Dick was known for his classic stroke production and his emphasis on the backhand chop, not the slice.

After Pasadena, he taught at the Riveria Country Club, the Balboa Bay Club, designed the Newport Beach Tennis Club, founded the Blossom Hill Tennis Club in Los Gatos, and then moved and taught tennis in Medford, Oregon.

While at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach in 1960, he met and taught Dale Jensen. This was the beginning of a lifelong Tennis and business relationship until Dick died in Medford.

While on the Professional Tour from 1935 until 1946, Dick played and defeated these top world-class players: Bill Tilden, Don Budge, Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry, Bobby Riggs, Karel Kozeluh, Vinnie Richards, Frank Kovacs, Welby Van Horn, Bruce Barnes, Wayne Sabin, and Lester Stoefen. He believed that Frank Kovacs had the best backhand he played against.

Connections

teacher:

Bill Tilden