Dwight F. Davis was ranked No. 2 in the country in 1899 and 1900 and won the U.S. Intercollegiate title at Harvard. He served as St. Louis Parks Commissioner, president of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, and Secretary of War. 

Most importantly, he opened every public tennis court in St. Louis to everyone, free of charge, regardless of race or income. 

And then there's the Davis Cup. 

The Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park is his legacy in concrete and asphalt. Thousands of St. Louisans learn the game there every year, on public courts, for free. Just as he intended. 

(1990)