Anna McCune Harper (née Anna Virginia McCune, July 2, 1902 – June 14, 1999) was a female tennis player from the U.S. She won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1931 partnering George Lott. She was the runner-up in singles at the 1930 U.S. Championships, losing to Betty Nuthall. She also was the runner-up in women's doubles at the 1928, 1930, and 1932 U.S. Championships and in mixed doubles at the 1931 edition of these championships.
 Harper in 1931 | |
| Full name | Anna Virginia McCune Harper |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | Anna Virginia McCune July 2, 1902 Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 14, 1999 (aged 96) Moraga, California, U.S. |
| Retired | 1932 |
| Plays | Left-handed [1] |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1931) |
| US Open | F (1930) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1928, 1930) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1931) |
| US Open | F (1931) |
| Team competitions | |
| Wightman Cup | W (1931, 1932) |
Harper was ranked in the U.S. top 10 on five consecutive years from 1928 through 1932 and was top ranked in 1930.[2]
Biography
editIn 1924, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley,[3] where she joined the sorority Sigma Kappa.[4] In 1925, she married Lawrence Averell Harper, a history professor at Berkeley.[3][5] Through the following years, she ranked in the U.S. top 10 players, including 1930 when she ranked at the best player.[2]
In 1932, Harper was called home because of an illness in her family.[6] She gave up tournament tennis for other tasks, including raising her three children,[5][6] but continued to follow the game and played for many years.
Harper served as the national president of her sorority Sigma Kappa from 1939 to 1942.[4]
Harper was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.[6][7]
Around 1983, she had arthroscopic knee surgery at age 81 so she could continue to play. An adverse reaction to a general anesthetic sidelined her for good and then precipitated a slow decline in her health. Harper is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.
Grand Slam finals
editSingles : 1 runner-up
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1930 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Betty Nuthall |
1–6, 4–6 |
Doubles : 2 runners-up
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1928 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Edith Cross |
Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman Helen Wills |
2–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1930 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Edith Cross |
Betty Nuthall Sarah Palfrey Cooke |
6–3, 3–6, 5–7 |
Mixed doubles : 1 title, 1 runner-up
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1931 | Wimbledon | Grass | George Lott |
Joan Ridley Ian Collins |
6–3, 1–6, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1931 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Wilmer Allison |
Betty Nuthall George Lott |
3–6, 3–6 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
edit| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| French Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 |
| Wimbledon | 3R | 1R | A | A | A | A | 4R | 1R | 0 / 4 |
| U.S. Championships | A | A | A | 3R | 3R | F | QF | QF | 0 / 5 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 9 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Leader is left hander". The Cincinnati Enquirer. February 15, 1931. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
A left-hander, Mr. Harper started playing tennis in Pacific Grove, Calif., about 12 years ago.
- ^ a b United States Tennis Association (1988). 1988 Official USTA Tennis Yearbook. Lynn, Massachusetts: H.O. Zimman, Inc. p. 260.
- ^ a b Dwight Chapin (June 16, 1999). "Tennis pro, national star Anna McCune Harper". SF Gate.
- ^ a b Becque, Fran (November 9, 2013). "On Sigma Kappa's Birthday - a Wimbledon Champ Who Was National President". Fraternity History & More. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ a b "Lawrence Averell Harper, History: Berkeley". Calisphere.
- ^ a b c "Tennis". Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1999.
- ^ "Anna McCune Harper". California Golden Bears.
