Jimmy Van Alen

Jimmy Van Alen

James Henry Van Alen (September 19, 1902 – July 3, 1991) is best known for being the founder of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the largest tennis museum in the world. A poet, musician, publisher, civic leader and raconteur, Jimmy Van Alen achieved his greatest renown in tennis. His greatest legacies are as the inventor of the tiebreaker in tennis, and as founder and primary benefactor of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum at the Newport Casino, which he gave to the United States Tennis Association in 1954, saving the national landmark from a proposed car park.