Induction Year: 2000

 

Ron Fisher (born 1940) was a member of the Rice Institute tennis team that won the Southwest Conference Championship in 1958 and 1959. An NCAA All-American, Fisher won the SWC Singles and Doubles Individual Championships in 1958 and 1959. He also defeated U.S. Open finalist Frank Froehling in the finals of the first Rice Intercollegiate Championship. Fisher graduated from Rice with a degree in mathematics. While competing on the international tennis tour, he defeated five Grand Slam champions. He played at Wimbledon and at several other international events.

 

He designed and implemented STAR, a computerized tennis ranking system for players of all ages and levels, which is used across the U.S.

 

Fisher remained involved with tennis both at Rice and throughout Texas. He was served as president of the Texas Tennis Association (now USTA Texas) in 1976. He was inducted into Rice’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981 and is a member of the U.S. Open Final 8 Club. The first Texan to serve on the board of directors of the United States Tennis Association, he received a 40 Years of Service volunteer award from the national organization in 2010. He remains active on the Executive Committee of the USTA Texas.