Clarence Clark

Clarence Munroe Clark was an American tennis player who born on August 27, 1859 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He was a member of a prominent family and an older brother to another tennis player, Joseph Clark.

It was the Clark brothers who introduced the game of lawn tennis in the United States. In 1873, English army major Walter Clopton Wingfield sold in England, boxes containing equipments for a version of tennis that can be played outdoors, hence, the term “lawn tennis”. The Clark brothers purchased one box and brought it to the United States in 1874. Later in the same year, the first lawn tennis tournament was held in the U.S.

He became the president of the All-Philadelphia Lawn Tennis Committee. In 1881, only at the age of 22, Clarence Clark became the first secretary of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association. He was also one of the organization’s guides during its foundations along with James Dwight and E.H. Outerbridge.

In the same year, he reached the finals of the first singles in the U.S. Championships in Newport Casino, Rhode Island but lost to defending champion Richard Sears. He, however, was victorious in the doubles with partner Frederick Winslow Taylor defeating Alexander van Renssellaer and Arthur Newbold. He and his partner became the first doubles champions in the history of the U.S. Open. The next year, the doubles partners lost to Richard D. Sears and James Dwight.

In 1883, Clarence together with his brother Joseph Clarence represented the U.S. in a doubles match in England but lost to twins Willie and Ernest Renshaw.

Clarence Clark married the sister of his doubles partner, Frederick Taylor. He died at the age of 78 on June 29, 1937. He was inducted in the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983 much later than his brother Joseph Clark who was inducted earlier in 1955.