John A.
Been
Male
United States of America
0000-00-00
Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States of America
John Been, a native of Shawnee, Oklahoma, learned to play tennis at the age of twelve with a next door neighbor. As a junior player he was the Oklahoma high school singles champion twice, and won the Junior 18s Singles and Doubles championship the same year he won the Missouri Valley Men’s Open Singles championship.
While attending the University of Houston in 1953, he won the Missouri Valley conference singles title three times, the conference doubles title four times, and was a NCAA doubles semi-finalist in his senior year. As an adult player, Been and partner Richard Schuette, won a total of six national doubles championships, were the runners-up for six more, and for five years were ranked in the top 5 of the Men’s 45s Doubles, including 1972 when they reached the top ranking for the year in that category. Other victories include winning the Osuna Cup doubles event with Howard Startzman, winning the National Public Parks Championship with partner Ollie Gresham in both the Men’s Doubles 65s and Men’s Doubles 70s, wins over Sammy Giammalva and Whitney Reed and playing against two U.S. presidents and several celebrities.
A 2005 Inductee of the United States Tennis Association Missouri Valley Hall of Fame, his love of the game is legendary, as is his ability to bring others to the game and encourage them to play on a higher level.
1953 - 1967
8
118
65
1967 - Houston T.A.A.F (Open)
1963 - Houston Fall Festival (Open)
1961 - Texas Sectional Championships (Open)
1959 - Houston T.A.A.F (Open)
1956 - Buccaneer Days (Open)
1955 - Louisiana State Championships (Amateur)
1954 - Houston Fall Festival (Open)
1953 - Henryetta Labor Day (Amateur)
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Glenn Land
6-3
3-6
6-1
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Ronald W. (Ronnie) Fisher
6-8
6-1
6-4
Final
John A. Been 1 *
Tim Heckler
6-4
6-4
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Arthur Louis (Art) Foust
6-1
6-2
Semifinals
Andrew (Andy) Lloyd 1 *
John A. Been
6-1
6-3
Round 1
Ramanathan Krishnan 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
6-2
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Stephen (Steve) Stockton
4-6
7-5
6-0
Round 2
Ham Richardson 1 *
John A. Been
6-2
6-2
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Tom Nance
6-2
6-1
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Jim McCabe
18-16
6-1
Round 1
Antonio R. (Tony) Palafox 1 *
John A. Been
8-6
6-1
Round 1
Clifford M. (Cliff) Buchholz 1 *
John A. Been
4-6
6-3
6-2
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Doug Fuller
6-2
6-2
Semifinals
Bill Bonham 1 *
John A. Been
3-6
6-4
8-6
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Al Driscole
5-7
6-3
6-1
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Dr Richard Earl Schuette
6-1
6-0
Final
John A. Been 1 *
C. Clyde Buck
6-3
8-6
Round 1
Francis Rawstorne 1 *
John A. Been
6-4
3-6
7-5
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
w.o.
Semifinals
Jim Parker 1 *
John A. Been
6-4
9-7
Round 3
John A. Been 1 *
Rod Coffin
6-2
6-0
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Doug Fuller
6-4
6-1
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Dale McCleary
3-6
6-3
7-5
6-3
Final
John A. Been 1 *
James Gordon Schmidt Sr
6-2
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Chuck McKinley 1 *
John A. Been
3-6
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Ron Latta
6-1
6-0
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Arthur Louis (Art) Foust
6-2
6-3
Final
Armando Ferla 1 *
John A. Been
7-5
6-3
Quarterfinals
Doug Fuller 1 *
John A. Been
2-6
6-1
9-7
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
James (3) Brown
6-2
6-4
Round 3
Hugh W. Stewart 1 *
John A. Been
6-1
4-6
6-1
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Tom Stevens
4-6
6-4
6-2
Final
John A. Been 1 *
Joe (Kirk) Kuykendall
6-3
6-4
Final
Buddy McCune 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
1-6
6-3
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
DeEdward Greer
6-0
6-0
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-2
6-4
Final
Ronald W. (Ronnie) Fisher 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
6-0
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Andrew (Andy) Lloyd
6-2
ret.
Semifinals
Ken Wagstaff 1 *
John A. Been
7-5
7-5
Round 3
Rodney (Rod) Susman 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
7-5
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Chuck McKinley
1-6
6-2
6-4
Quarterfinals
Bernard (Tut) Bartzen 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
6-3
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Roy Grimse
6-2
6-3
Quarterfinals
Ham Richardson 1 *
John A. Been
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Grant Golden 1 *
John A. Been
w.o.
Round 3
John A. Been 1 *
George Tanbara
6-0
6-1
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
John Swann
6-3
7-5
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Gordon L. Davis
6-4
6-2
6-2
Final
Noel Brown 1 *
John A. Been
6-1
6-1
6-1
Round 2
Billy Talbert 1 *
John A. Been
9-7
6-1
Round 2
Ronnie Sawyer 1 *
John A. Been
8-6
6-4
Final
John Lawhon 1 *
John A. Been
2-6
6-2
6-3
10-8
Final
Dr Richard Earl Schuette 1 *
John A. Been
4-6
7-5
11-9
4-6
6-1
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Richard P. Keeton
6-2
6-1
Round 3
Ulf Schmidt 1 *
John A. Been
3-6
10-8
6-4
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
John Newman
6-1
6-3
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Jesse Pfeiffer
6-4
6-1
Final
John A. Been 1 *
Edgar (Ed) Braswell
6-0
6-2
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Dennis Cross
6-2
6-0
Round 3
John A. Been 1 *
Rex O. Matthews
6-4
6-3
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Whitney Reed
7-5
6-4
Semifinals
Wade Lanning Herren 1 *
John A. Been
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Sidney (Sid) Schwartz 1 *
John A. Been
1-6
9-7
6-4
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Donald (Don) Walraven
6-3
10-8
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Charles Willis (Charlie) Hickox
12-10
6-2
Final
Barry Walraven 1 *
John A. Been
w.o.
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Berkeley Bell
6-1
6-2
Round 3
John A. Been 1 *
William Joseph (Bill) Tully
6-3
3-6
6-4
Quarterfinals
John W. (Jack) Frost 1 *
John A. Been
1-6
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Gilbert James (Gil) Shea 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
6-3
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Allen Quay
7-9
6-1
6-4
Round 2
Ham Richardson 1 *
John A. Been
8-6
6-4
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Alvin Woodrow (Al) Bunis
4-6
6-3
3-4
ret
Round 2
Tony Trabert 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
7-5
Round 2
Dr Richard Earl Schuette 1 *
John A. Been
4-6
8-6
9-7
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Roger Young
6-3
6-0
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Ben Weems
6-2
6-0
Round 3
Mike E. Green 1 *
John A. Been
6-4
6-1
Round 3
John A. Been 1 *
Charles C. Tedford
7-5
6-2
Round 4
John A. Been 1 *
Johnny Hernandez
10-8
1-6
6-2
Quarterfinals
Francisco (Pancho) Contreras 1 *
John A. Been
6-4
3-6
6-3
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Ronnie Fenasci
6-0
6-2
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Henry (Hank) Jungle
6-4
0-6
6-3
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Felix Kelley
6-1
1-6
6-2
6-2
Final
John A. Been 1 *
Bill Lust
6-0
6-1
6-2
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Jerry R. Dalrymple Jr.
2-6
6-1
6-2
Round 2
Barry MacKay 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
6-4
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Carl Matthews
6-3
8-6
Round 3
Bernard (Tut) Bartzen 1 *
John A. Been
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Donald (Don) Thompson 1 *
John A. Been
10-8
2-6
6-3
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
John Lawhon
6-2
6-1
Final
Dr Richard Earl Schuette 1 *
John A. Been
6-4
1-6
11-9
1-6
6-1
Final
Whitney Reed 1 *
John A. Been
8-6
6-3
Semifinals
Gilbert A. (Gil) Bogley 1 *
John A. Been
6-4
6-4
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Leo LaBorde Jr.
6-4
6-3
Final
David W. (Dave) Snyder 1 *
John A. Been
7-5
6-4
Quarterfinals
Dr Richard Earl Schuette 1 *
John A. Been
4-6
6-2
6-3
Quarterfinals
C.J. Hixson 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
6-1
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Karl Kamrath Jr
8-10
6-1
6-2
Semifinals
John A. Been 1 *
Dr Richard Earl Schuette
6-4
6-4
Final
John A. Been 1 *
Felix Kelley
6-3
6-3
Round 1
Richard (Dick) Doss 1 *
John A. Been
9-7
6-3
8-10
6-4
Round 1
Tony Trabert 1 *
John A. Been
6-4
7-5
Round 1
James W. (Jimmy) Read 1 *
John A. Been
7-5
6-3
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Macky Worth
w.o.
Round 2
Vic Seixas 1 *
John A. Been
6-2
6-3
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Jack Vincent
6-2
0-6
6-2
Round 3
Cliff P. Mayne 1 *
John A. Been
6-0
6-0
Round 3
John A. Been 1 *
Robert (Bob) Joslin
6-4
6-2
Quarterfinals
James Alton (Jim) Schulze 1 *
John A. Been
6-3
8-6
Round 1
John A. Been 1 *
Richard C. (Dick) Sorlein
6-3
7-5
Round 2
Grant Golden 1 *
John A. Been
6-2
6-1
Round 1
Dr. Edward Geiser (Ed) Dailey 1 *
John A. Been
4-6
6-3
6-4
Final
John A. Been 1 *
Rick Green
6-4
ret.
(leg
cramps)
Round 2
John A. Been 1 *
Bob Shepherd
6-0
6-1
Round 3
John A. Been 1 *
Peter Milius
6-0
6-1
Quarterfinals
John A. Been 1 *
Hugh West Sweeney
6-1
6-4
Semifinals
Robert Lovelace 1 *
John A. Been
10-8
6-2