Francis Townsend HUNTER

In the days when lissome stroke players reigned supreme, Frank Hunter, a rugged former captain of the Cornell hockey team, was a noticeable figure on the tennis court. Hunter went out of the 1924 Olympic singles in the third round. In the doubles he was joined by Vinnie Richards and after a five-setter in the semi-final against Jean Borotra and Rene Lacoste of France and a final, which also went the full distance, against two more Frenchmen Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet – the U.S. pairing took the Olympic title. Hunter and Richards had won the Wimbledon doubles earlier in the season and Hunter won again at Wimbledon in 1927 with Bill Tilden as his partner. Hunter and Tilden also won the U.S. doubles in 1927 and they played together in the Davis Cup in 1927 and 1928. Hunter won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1927 and 1929 before turning professional in 1931. In World War I he served as a Iieutenant commander in the Navy and was assigned to Admiral Beatty’s flagship when the German fleet surrendered. He later wrote a book about his experience of serving under Beatty. Frank Hunter ultimately prospered in the business world. After involvement in the coal industry and newspaper publishing, he founded, in 1935, )21) Brands Inc., and later )21) Brands Distillers,and served as president of both corporations.