 Lois
Blackburn Bryan
Dedicated to her players and to her
sport, Lois Blackburn Bryan (b.1923 - d.1996) led Mary Bladwin
College to 20 consecutive winning seasons, five of them undefeated.
She also was instrumental in developing women's intercollegiate
competition, serving as court director of two national championships
and directing the Mid-Atlantic regional championships throughout
her coaching career. In 1989 the ITA honored Blackburn as the
Division III Coach of the Year.
Blackburn taught values as well as
tennis skills and her team members were recognized with such
honors as the ITA's Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award. In 1990,
upon her retirement as Associate Professor of Physical Education,
Blackburn's former students paid a tribute to the role she had
played in their lives. As one student wrote, "Under your
instructions I not only became a better tennis player, but a
better person, too."
Career Highlights
B.S.'44 Westhampton College,
University of Richmond; M.S.'68 University of Virginia
Coached Mary Hotchkiss Leavell,
Mid-Atlantic Tennis Association (MATA) singles champion 1973;
Crissy Gonzales, MATA singles andn doubles champion 1976; Martha
Coates, 3-year competitor, NCAA Division III 1985-1987; Karwin
Whitt, winner of the ITA Division III Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship
Award 1988
Team Winner, MATA Collegiate
Championship 1970; Virginia Collegiate Champtionship 1971-1973;
Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship 1988
Director, USTA Women's Collegiate
Champtionship 1975; MATA Collegiate Championship 1970-1989; South
Regional Championship 1989
Court Director, NCAA Division
III Collegiate Championships 1986-1987
Panelist, National Tennis Teachers
Conference 1971-1979
Secretary, USTA Women's Collegiate
Committee 1971-1979
Member, USTA National Education
and Research Committee, 1973-1980
Commissioner of Championships
(14 sports), Region II AIAW 1982, 1983
Member, ITA National Committee
for Rookie and Player of the Year 1984; Southern Region Ranking
Committee 1987-1989; ITA Women's Hall of Fame Committee 1988-1996
Winner of the USTA Educational
Merit Award 1980
Winner of the ITA Wilson Division
III Coach of the Year Award 1989
Virginia Tennis Association President's
Outstanding Service Award 1991
Author, Handbook for Planning
and Conducting Tennis Tournaments
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