John Callen Scholarship Established

Callen is a member of four Halls of Fame: the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame (inducted in 2013), the Alabama Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame (2000), and the Georgia Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame (2004). He is also an honorary member of the Georgia Professional Tennis Association and member of their Hall of Fame.

Over the span of more than a half century, Callen’s contributions to Southern tennis run the gamut of the tennis world. Starting as a noted junior and college player, he also has been a standout coach, volunteer and, ultimately, a leading tennis executive.

Callen grew up in Birmingham, Ala., where he was Student Body President, Athletic Club President, a member of the National Honor Society and a varsity tennis player who went undefeated in high school dual matches.

He went on to play at the collegiate level at Georgia Tech from 1970-1974, where he served as co-captain and played No. 1 to No. 4 singles and No. 1 to No. 2 doubles over his four-year career. In 1974, he began a 15-year tennis pro career as Head Tennis Professional at Big Canoe (Ga.), Director of Tennis at the Indian Hills Country Club and Athletic Director at Standard Club. Callen continued to hone his skills as a player, winning numerous Southern tennis titles and reaching the No. 1 ranking in the section for multiple years across many age groups.

Callen, of Johns Creek, Ga., has been dedicated to volunteerism in the Southern Section. He was a founder of the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame, founding member of the Georgia Tennis Patrons Foundation and founding member of Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) Foundation. He served as Georgia Tennis Association President from 1982-1983. He was also elected to ALTA’s Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of the Georgia Professional Tennis Association. Callen coached winning Georgia Junior Davis Cup teams. He served as USTA Southern Vice President along with being a member of numerous USTA committees.

Since his hiring to lead USTA Southern, the section’s membership rose to a high of more than 187,000, representing 25 percent of the national membership. During that time, the section has been at the forefront of growing grassroots tennis, including fostering USTA League expansion, Junior Team Tennis formation and growth, and hosting an array of junior and adult tournaments in the section’s nine states. The section has a robust adult program, including the largest Combo and Mixed Doubles leagues in the country. As Southern Tennis Foundation Executive Director, Callen oversaw the giving of approximately $5 million, notably to NJTL programs, junior tournament players and college students.

Callen’s immediate family includes Frances, his wife of 45 years, and daughters Ashley, Melanie and Courtney, along with three grandchildren.

The foundation awards 10 annual scholarships of $1,000 to incoming college freshmen. The STF’s scholarship committee determines which recipient will be awarded the John Callen Scholarship.

Each student will receive $1,000 to help offset the expenses of his or her first year of school. The awards will continue for three additional years provided the recipient remains a student in good standing, giving each scholarship a total value of $4,000. To qualify for these scholarships students must demonstrate financial need and must have participated in tennis for at least two of their high school years, either on a school team or through tournaments, National Junior Tennis & Learning, Junior Team Tennis or other USTA programs. The primary consideration in awarding the scholarships will be academic performance and potential, but community service and sportsmanship will also be considered. Here is the link to apply.