Gardnar Mulloy Given French Legion of Honour
Former University of Miami tennis coach Gardnar Mulloy was awarded the French Legion of Honour, the highest distinction in France, by the consulate general of France this week.
Mulloy, who will be 102 years old this fall, was the Hurricanes tennis coach for 10 seasons (1935-43, 1947) and is recognized as the organizer of UM tennis.
The French Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour, was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to recognize eminent accomplishments of service to France.
In his late 20s, Mulloy served in the navy four years during World War II, earning the rank of lieutenant and commanding officer of a tank-landing ship, the USS Alameda County. His ship participated in the invasion of Southern France in August 1944.
He is a member of nine tennis halls of fame and is the oldest living member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 75 years of playing, he collected 127 national championships and 25 international titles, playing in senior events into his mid-90s.
In 1939, Mulloy won his first U.S. Championship with his father in the Father and Sons doubles, but it certainly was not his last title. Teaming up with Bill Talbert, the duo was ranked No. 1 and won US Open doubles titles in 1942, 1945, 1946 and 1948. Pairing with Budge Patty in 1957, he set the record as the oldest player to have won men’s doubles at Wimbledon. One year earlier, he advanced to the finals of mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Althea Gibson.
In addition, Mulloy was ranked among the world’s top 10 in singles play for 14 years — including a No. 1 world ranking in 1952. He helped the United States win three Davis Cup trophies — in 1946, 1948 and 1949 — and played for the US in 12 Davis Cup ties.
Mulloy, who earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Miami, played football and boxed for the Hurricanes before starting the tennis program. As the head coach, he recruited Pancho Segura, a three-time NCAA singles champion.
In 2013, the City of Miami renamed a section of road near the 99-year-old’s longtime home in Spring Gardens, calling it “Gardnar Mulloy Way.”
