Neenah Joint School District to Re-Dedicate Williams Tennis Courts
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Note: The ceremonies have been postponed to July 27 at 5 p.m. due to the weather forecast
One of Neenah’s longtime coaches will be honored posthumously on July 26 July 27 when the Neenah Joint School District re-dedicates the Ivy Williams tennis courts near Shattuck Middle School. A brief program will begin at 5 p.m. and light refreshments will be served.
The Williams courts were constructed in the mid-1950’s when Shattuck served as the high school. The courts were originally dedicated in honor of Williams on Aug. 31, 1970 and served the varsity and junior varsity tennis teams, summer park and recreation programs and Shattuck physical education classes. However, the courts fell into disrepair and have not been used for over a decade. The District and the Friends of Neenah Tennis booster club combined to fund the reconstruction of the courts, which was completed in late June.
Williams lived from 1905-2002 and was a 1923 graduate of Neenah High School. He taught American History and coached football, basketball and tennis in Neenah from 1930-70. Williams led the Rockets to four WIAA state tennis titles and four runner-up finishes. He also created the highly-successful parks and recreation tennis program in 1934. Williams was inducted into the District Hall of Fame in 2016.
The original dedication featured two exhibition matches. Four-time WIAA state champion John Whitlinger was entering his junior season and faced Milwaukee Open and Western Professional champion Jock Miller. Don Vought, the 1946 WIAA state singles champion, took on Norm Thiel in a rematch of the previous year’s Neenah city title in the other match. Current Neenah tennis coach Tom Berven was beginning his first season as head coach of the Rockets and served as umpire for the Whitlinger-Miller match.
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