This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Red Director (talk | contribs) at 13:17, 4 October 2019 (Adding local short description: "American tennis player and tennis administrator", overriding Wikidata description "American tennis player" (Shortdesc helper)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 13:17, 4 October 2019 by Red Director (talk | contribs) (Adding local short description: "American tennis player and tennis administrator", overriding Wikidata description "American tennis player" (Shortdesc helper))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) American tennis player and tennis administrator| Full name | Fern Lee Kellmeyer |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | (1944-02-19) February 19, 1944 (age 80) Wheeling, West Virginia |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2011 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Wimbledon | R2 (1964) |
Fern 'Peachy' Kellmeyer (born February 19, 1944 in West Virginia, United States) is a retired tennis player and current tennis administrator who helped change the face of women's tennis. Kellmeyer is an alumnus of Florida Atlantic University.
A junior champion in the 1950s, Kellmeyer played No. 1 on the University of Miami women's tennis team and became the first woman to compete on a Division 1 men's squad. Hired as physical education director and coach at Florida's Marymount College in 1966, Kellmeyer successfully sued to overturn an AIAW rule barring women's athletic scholarships, leading to Title IX legislation.
In 1973, Kellmeyer was tapped by founder Gladys Heldman as the first tour director of the fledgling Virginia Slims Circuit. She continuously pushed to secure additional venues and increased prize money for players. In 1977, she brought the first women's tennis tournament to Madison Square Garden.
She is the tour operations executive consultant for the Women's Tennis Association.
References
- "ITA - Fern 'Peachy' Kellmeyer". ITA Women's Hall of Fame McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. Archived from the original on 2006-08-31. Retrieved 2006-11-24.