Induction Year: 2006

 

Barbara Lain Camp (born 1944) began playing tennis when she was fourteen. She became a Texas ranked junior player and went on to win two high school state doubles championships, in 1961 (at Midland High School with Betsy Worden) and 1962 (at Robert E. Lee High School with Carol Nix).

 

After obtaining a degree in education from Texas Tech, she taught physical education for several years before starting the women’s tennis team at Southern Methodist University in 1969.

 

Over her eleven years coaching at SMU, the team was nationally ranked nine times with a record of 93-13. During those years she also served as the Executive Director of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (1971-75), acted as the Junior Wightman Cup Coach (1970-1975), was the coach for the Texas Girls Junior Development Program (1970-1975) and the Tournament Director for the Virginia Slims of Dallas twice, while playing competitively in Texas tournaments. In 1980, Camp turned to more athletic administration roles, first at Southern Methodist and later at the University of California, Irvine, California and Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. In these roles she oversaw countless tennis, basketball and gymnastics tournaments. She helped improve gender equity in sports by serving as a member of the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Committee from 1993-1997.

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