Background
Van Alen was born on September 19, 1902, in Newport, Rhode Island, United States of America, to James Laurens Van Alen (1878–1927) and Margaret Louise Post (1876–1969).
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Jimmy Henry
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He graduated in 1924 from Cambridge University.
Career
These and other details are found in his 2010 biography He helped found the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1954 at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. One of his contributions to the game was the development of the Van Alen Streamlined Scoring System (VASSS) which, among other elements, advocated a sudden-death tie breaker to end prolonged sets and matches. Van Alen actively promoted his system and in 1970 the United States Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to introduce, on an experimental basis, the tie-break.
Initially it was a best-of-nine-points, sudden death tie-break which made it possible to have simultaneous match points for both players.
Via a few intermediary steps this would evolve into the current best-of-twelve-point tie-break. He was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1965.
He was a great fan of Clement C. Moore"s famous poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas which is more commonly known as Twas the Night Before Christmas. He purchased and restored the Clement C. Moore house on Catherine Street in Newport, Rhode Island and would make an annual public reading of the poem to children during the Christmas season.
He died after striking his head in a fall at his home on July 3, 1991.
Two days after his death, on July 5, 1991, in a Wimbledon semifinal, Stefan Edberg lost to Michael Stich 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(5-7), 6-7(2-7). Edberg did not lose serve. Later, after hearing of Van Alen"s death, Edberg said: "If he hadn"t lived, Michael and I might still be out there playing".
Achievements
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A poet, musician, publisher, civic leader and raconteur, Jimmy Van Alen achieved his greatest renown in tennis. His greatest legacies are as the inventor of the tiebreaker in tennis, and as founder and primary benefactor of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum at the Newport Casino, which he gave to the United States Tennis Association in 1954, saving the national landmark from a proposed car park. He was an avid tennis player and was a national singles and doubles champion in court tennis. President/Founder of National Hall of Fame National Court Tennis singles and doubles champion.
Views
Quotations: "If he hadn"t lived, Michael and I might still be out there playing".
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Born
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Died
July 3, 1991 (aged 88) -
Nationality
United States