Hall of Fame: Mary Greef Harris

After high school in 1930, Mary went on to attend the University of Southern California where she continued her sparkling playing career. It wasn’t long before the Wightman Cup came calling and she had to leave USC to set sail for England in May of that year. She played on the team with other pioneers like Helen Willis Moody, Helen Jacobs, Sarah Palfrey and Edith Cross. As serious as she was about tennis, she was also very serious about her studies so she talked the university into letting her take her exams early before leaving for Europe.

After the WIghtman Cup, she returned to USC to continue her studies and playing career. There she won the 1931 singles and doubles championships in the National Intercollegiate Women Championships - now the NCAA Championships. Other career highlights include being a three-time quarterfinalist at the US National (now US Open) in 1929, 1930 and 1932. However, one of her proudest accomplishments was making it to Wimbledon in 1930 and playing singles and Mixed Doubles on the hallowed grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Decades later, her granddaughter would come full circle when she followed in Mary’s footsteps by making it to Wimbledon qualifying in 2000.

As impressive as her career was, Mary chose to stop playing competitively at the age of 26. She moved to Kenilworth, Illinois where she turned her focus to raising her family.

Her impact, however, lives on to this day. She continued to be a loving mother and role model to her daughter and grandchildren. Though her playing career was over, she wouldn’t miss any of her grandchildren’s matches and was always willing to share her wisdom. But that wisdom sometimes took a little prodding to get out of her.

For as great of a competitor as she was, she was equally humble. She was never one to openly talk or gloat about her achievements. Even her family members had to pull information out of her throughout the years. Her preference was to let her daughter and grandchildren shine in the path that she helped carved.

It’s only fitting that such a pioneer for women’s sports is being inducted into the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame on the 50th anniversary of Title IX. This honor adds to an impressive legacy that also includes induction into the Kansas City Sports Hall of Champions in 1981 and a posthumous induction into the USTA Heart of America Hall of Fame in 2018. 

“I just think it's exciting that someone's still talking about it and recognizing her,” said Mary’s daughter, Linda Fix. “I think that mother was a trailblazer and she would be proud to know that she was one of the first.”

Mary Greef Harris passed away in 2002 at the age of 91.

Mary was honored at the USTA Missouri Valley Annual Conference in December. Her daughter, Linda Fix, accepted the award on her behalf.