[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17263]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO LUCY S. GARVIN

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing Lucy S. Garvin on the occasion of her retirement as 
chairman of the board and president of the United States Tennis 
Association, USTA.
  Lucy's truly outstanding career in the world of tennis directly 
reflects her over 30-year commitment to advancing and improving the 
game. She has impacted tennis as a competitor, instructor, referee, 
industry representative, and an avid volunteer. As a recreational 
player, she won titles at all levels between 1976 and 1990, and in 33 
years as a certified referee, she has officiated at countless 
tournaments.
  Leading with charm, determination, and humility, Lucy has worked to 
expand the sport of tennis at every level around the country. On a 
local level, she has been a tireless advocate of tennis in South 
Carolina and in the Southern Region. A former president of the USTA 
Southern Section and USTA South Carolina, she was inducted into the 
USTA Southern Tennis Hall for Fame in 2005. Lucy has also been 
recognized with the USTA Southern Section's Jacobs Bowl Award in 1999 
and the South Carolina President's Award in 1998. The South Carolina 
Tennis Association established the Lucy Garvin Volunteer of the Year 
Award in her honor, and she was inducted into the South Carolina Tennis 
Hall of Fame in 1998.
  Lucy was elected chairman of the board and president of the 730,000 
member USTA in January 2009. In doing so she became the first South 
Carolinian and only the third woman to hold the position in the 
organization's 129-year history. Prior to her appointment as esident, 
she served one term as first vice president, two consecutive terms as 
vice president, and one term as a director at large. In addition to her 
responsibilities as USTA chairman and president, Lucy is also the 
chairman of the U.S. Open, and represents the USTA on the Grand Slam 
Committee. During her tenure as USTA president, tennis has grown to 
over 30 million recreational players.
  On an international level, Lucy was elected to the board of directors 
of the International Tennis Federation, ITF, in 2009, serving as a vice 
president. She currently serves as chair of the ITF Junior Competitions 
Committee and a member of the ITF Development Committee. Because of her 
career of dedicated leadership and commitment to tennis, Lucy was 
elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame Board of Directors in 
2008.
  Beyond being respected for her numerous leadership positions, Lucy is 
equally admired for being a devoted volunteer. She has tirelessly 
advocated for growing the game of tennis both by focusing on younger 
players and through outreach to traditionally underserved groups. As a 
result of her commitment and volunteerism with the QuickStart program, 
which focuses on bringing children to the game of tennis, four recently 
constructed QuickStart tennis courts were dedicated in Lucy's name.
  Lucy's well deserved acknowledgments and recognitions highlight the 
impact she has had on both the game of tennis and its worldwide 
community. She is an invaluable asset to the tennis community, and as a 
leader has set an example for future USTA presidents to follow. She 
continues to live by her personal motto, ``Teamwork: One Team, One 
Goal: To Promote and Develop the Growth of Tennis.'' I am confident 
Lucy will continue this mission.
  I ask that the U.S. Senate join me in celebrating Lucy Garvin's 
lifelong dedication to both the game of tennis and to the State of 
South Carolina, and I wish Lucy the very best in her future 
endeavors.

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