George MacCall (2)
Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame To say that George MacCall has been a pillar of the tennis community would be an understatement.
Born and raised in Kearny, New Jersey, MacCall attended Scarborough Prep School in New York in 1935. After graduation, he attended the University of Virginia in 1936, then transferred to Bucknell, where he attended from 1937-41. He has also taken courses at Upsala College, UCLA and UNLV.
MacCall started playing tennis at the age of 10. One of the early rackets he used was a Bill Tilden open-throat wood racket. He bought his first tennis shoes for 99 cents. During his tennis career as a player, MacCall won numerous awards and titles, including the 1959 USTA National Public Parks Open Men’s Doubles Championship, the 1960-62 USTA Hard Court Men’s 35 and Over Doubles Championship and the 1964 USTA Men’s Hard Court 45 and Over Doubles Championship, among others. He was also a three-time Wimbledon Finalist in the 45 and Over Doubles competition.
Following his playing career, MacCall served as the U.S. Davis Cup captain from 1965-67. From 1967-70, he staged celebrity tennis events featuring Bill Cosby and Charlton Heston and organized tennis matches between Pacho Gonzales and Rod Laver in New York and Los Angeles. He organized the National Tennis League, promoting matches all over the world with tennis greats Laver, Gonzalez, Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Rosie Casals, and Billie Jean King, among others. In 1970, he sold the league to Lamar Hunt.
A frequent visitor to Las Vegas, MacCall officially moved to the city in 1973. He served as a tennis consultant, overseeing the tennis programs at the Desert Inn, Frontier and the Sands. MacCall later became the Sports Director at the Sands, a position he held until 1992.
In 1992, MacCall was hired by UNLV to construct the Frank and Vicki Fertitta Tennis Complex. He also co-chaired the search committee to find UNLV’s first tennis coach.
During his time in Las Vegas, MacCall has provided his time and effort to give back to the community. Founded in 1988, the MacCall Youth Tennis Foundation brings together professional instructors, quality equipment and facilities to provide tennis opportunities for children of all income levels across the community. Through the foundation, as well as his work with the Las Vegas Inner City Games, the Boys & Girls Club and Ace-Out Drugs programs, MacCall has provided free tennis lessons to more than 20,000 children in Las Vegas.
In 2009 the Darling Tennis Center located in Las Vegas, NV. dedicated court #11 in memory of George MacCall.
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