» Hall of Fame

2007 TENNIS HALL OF FAME

CONGRATULATIONS

Hattie Somerville and Jim Schwitters

2007 Tennis Hall of Fame Inductees

JIM SCHWITTERS, 2007 Non-Player Recipient

im Schwitters initially grew up with a passion for baseball in Illinois – he actually tried out for the St. Louis Browns (now the Baltimore Orioles). Luckily for Hawaii tennis, he switched paths and moved to Hawaii in 1961. He started coaching the UH men in 1964 as an assistant, four years after moving to Hawaii. He started as Head Coach for both the men and women the very next year.

In his 39-year tenure at UH-Manoa, coach Schwitters retired in 2003 with a combined overall record of 1,312 wins. Coach Schwitters received the 1990 Regional Coach of the Year and holds the record as the winningest NCAA Division-I coach in history. Jim Schwitters, was a key proponent in establishing the USTA Hawaii Pacific Section in the mid-1970’s. Jim was the 2^nd member of the USPTA from Hawaii and the 2^nd President of the Hawaii State Lawn Tennis Association – now the USTA-Hawaii Pacific Section. Jim’s hard work and effort to increase both membership and sanctioned tournaments helped institute the organization as it stands today.

Jim Schwitters a Diamond Head Tennis Court regular Schwitters in action

. He has been ranked No. 1 in his age group nearly ever year since 1974, and has held more than 20 national rankings. He was the Honolulu Quarterback Club’s 1978 Hawaii Senior Athlete of the Year and the state’s Player of the Decade in the 1970’s.

In addition to the Tennis Hall of Fame honor we are presenting Jim, he is also a 1981 inductee to the Ambrose College Sports Hall of Fame, a 2004 inductee to the USPTA Hawaii Hall of Fame and in 2006 he was, and still is, the only tennis player to be inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.

HATTIE SOMERVILLE, 2007 Player Recipient

Hattie Somerville, started playing tennis at Wilcox Estate on Kailua Beach at the age of 4. After spending the war years in San Francisco she returned home and played four years on Punahou’s varsity team. She went on to Braircliff College in White Plains, New York, where she was a three-sport athlete, earning starting positions on the tennis, field hockey and swim teams.

Since 1957, she was the #1 ranked women’s player in Hawaii in the 40s, 50s, 60s and now, 70s age groups. Hattie also brought her game to the National level; achieving rankings in both singles and doubles in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s age groups.

Hattie is also well-known as the mother of Hawaii’s first family of tennis. The Somerville children: twin sons Henry and Jim, and daughters Hannah and Betsy, have all been prominent players here in Hawaii. Hattie and Betsy - the youngest - have captured three National Senior Mother-Daughter Grass Court Championships since 2001, and have been Runner-Ups twice before. Hattie also has a Bronze Ball for her third-place national finish in singles.

Hattie & John After numerous years as the Tennis Director and Teaching Professionals at the Waialae Country Club on Oahu, Hattie and husband John Hattie Somerville moved to Kauai in 1995, where they continue to teach at Poipu Kai.

Hattie’s overall commitment to this sport, reinforces the belief that tennis is truly a sport for a lifetime.

Somerville Family