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.[1]
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.
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