Skip to main content

St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association (Triple "A") Collection

 Collection
Identifier: P1062

Scope and Contents

The St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association (Triple "A") Collection contains photographs documenting the tennis-related activities of the St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association, also known as the Triple "A" Club. Nine loose photographs show the following players: W. Parker, Corinne Gould Chamberlain, Tom Okker, Gus Boehmer, Vernon Tietjen, Ted Eggman, Edmundo Serrano, Ted Drewes, and Fred Josties. Several photographs show African American tennis pro Arthur Ashe. Photographs also show the Triple "A" team that competed in the 1969 Leon Dubler Cup Tennis Tie; players on the Triple "A" Court during a 1961 Davis Cup match; the early clubhouse and courts; and a copy of George W. Parker's Triple "A" membership card. Also included are a photo and article documenting the 1976 fire that destroyed the original clubhouse.

The collection also includes an album with the title embossed on the cover: "Triple "A" Youth Foundation / Annual High School Tennis Tournament." The album contains many snapshots showing players posed on the courts during a variety of cups and tournaments, including competitions for high school athletes. Players are generally not identified. The album also includes letters documenting various activities of the Board of Directors; newspaper clippings documenting games played by a variety of teams and players from St. Louis; and materials related to the construction of the Mallinckrodt Tennis Center. Also included are snapshots showing the opening of new facilities in 1985. Materials in the album generally date from 1956-1990.

Also included are two caption cards and a letter that describes the players listed on one of the cards. The letter references an attached photo, but no photo was attached. It is unclear whether these captions belong to any of the photographs in the collection.

Dates

  • ca. 1900-1990

Conditions Governing Access

No viewing restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. The user assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical / Historical

The St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association (Triple “A”) formed in 1897 under the leadership of Alfred Jones to provide low cost athletic facilities, primarily for tennis and golf. The first club house was located inside the one-mile track of the Gentleman’s Driving Club in Forest Park, near Skinker and Forsyth on what is now the Norman K. Probstein Golf course. In 1902, Triple "A" was given 70 acres of land in the southeast corner of the park on what was known as Tierny Hill to make way for the 1904 World’s Fair grounds. The association remains in that spot in a facility known as Highlands Golf and Tennis Center.

The Association has helped to develop both amateur and professional athletes including Jimmy Connors and golfer Judy Rankin. It has also hosted the international Davis Cup tennis matches (founded by Dwight Davis) in 1927, 1946, and 1961.

Extent

0.9 Cubic Feet ( (4 folders, 1 box))

Language of Materials

English

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

No physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

Collection donated by the Triple A Youth Foundation, 2019.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital copies and item-level records of select images are posted as they are created and can be accessed through the Online Collections on the Missouri Historical Society website (mohistory.org/collections).

Digitized images are generated from the original item whenever possible and files are adjusted only to ensure an accurate representation. Master files are saved in TIF format and JPEG viewing files are automatically generated from the master files.

Formats

Photographs; Photograph Album

Processing Information

Processed by Lauren Sallwasser, 2022.

Title
Guide to the St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association (Triple "A") Collection.
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Lauren Sallwasser using ArchivesSpace.
Date
2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society, Photographs and Prints Department Repository

Contact:
Library and Research Center
225 South Skinker Boulevard
St. Louis MO 63105