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General First nameRobert Joseph
LastnameKelleher
GenderMale
CountryUnited States of America
Date of birth1913-03-05
Place of birthNew York City, United States of America
Date of death2012-06-20
Place of deathLos Angeles, United States of America


About

Kelleher received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1935 from Williams College and a Juris Doctor in 1938 from Harvard Law School. He was a trial attorney for the United States Trucking Company in New York City from 1939 to 1940. He was an associate attorney for the United States Department of the Army in Los Angeles, California from 1941 to 1942. He served in the United States Naval Reserve from 1943 to 1945. He was in private practice in Santa Monica, California from 1945 to 1948. He was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California from 1948 to 1951. He was in private practice in Beverly Hills, California from 1951 to 1971.
In 1970, he became a U.S. District Court Judge.

Beginning his distinguished career in tennis as a ball boy at Forest Hills, Kelleher was the New England Intercollegiate Doubles Champion in 1933 and won the Eastern Collegiate Doubles the same year. He won the Canadian mixed doubles championship in 1947 with his wife Gracyn Wheeler Kelleher. Kelleher would serve as assistant referee of the U.S. Championships and later usher in the advent of “Open Tennis” as USLTA President. As the principal USLTA delegate to the ILTF, Kelleher, along with Herman David and Derek Hardwick, was instrumental in making “Open Tennis” a reality in 1968. Thereafter, Kelleher participated extensively in USLTA and Southern California Tennis Association activities.
Prior to his presidency, major tennis tournaments were closed to professional players and prize money was not offered. Kelleher was instrumental in changing this system, thus allowing anyone to play and instituting legitimate prize money in tournaments.
Kelleher was the U.S. Davis Cup Captain in 1962–63 (winning in 1963). He was a three-time U.S. Hard Court 45s doubles champion.

Media


Archive statistics Career1933 - 1956
Tournament wins0
Matches35
Match wins13


Tournaments US Hard Courts - 1956 La Jolla Tournament - 1954 Wellington Open - 1949 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1948 Canadian International Championships - 1947 County of Cumberland - 1947 New South Wales Championships - 1946 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1946 Palm Springs - 1942 Pacific Coast Championship - 1940 Orange Invitation - 1940 US International Indoor Championships - 1939 Lake Mohonk Invitation - 1938 US Open - 1937 Nassau Bowl - 1937 Newport Casino - 1937 Norfolk Invitation Tournament - 1937 US Open - 1936 Mason & Dixon Tournament - 1936 Newport Casino - 1936 US Open - 1935 US Open - 1934 US Open - 1933