Philip Shelton Sears (November 12, 1867 – March 10, 1953) was an American

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player and sculptor.

Early life

He was the son of Frederic Richard Sears and Albertina Homer Shelton. His twin brother was Herbert M. Sears, and older brother

Richard Sears Richard Sears may refer to: *Richard Warren Sears (1863–1914), founder of Sears, Roebuck and Co. *Richard Sears (pilgrim) (1595–1676), early settler of Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts *Richard Sears (tennis) Richard Dudley Sears (October ...

, was also a tennis player, and won the US Open singles in its first seven years, from 1881 to 1887, and the doubles for six years from 1882 to 1887, after which he retired from tennis. He won the

NCAA Men's Tennis Championship The NCAA Men's Tennis Championships are annual tournaments held in the spring to crown team, singles, and doubles champions in American college tennis. The first intercollegiate championship was held in 1883, 23 years before the founding of the NCA ...

in 1887 and 1888 while at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He would later graduate from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1892.

Tennis career

Sears reached the semifinals of the U.S. National Championships in 1888, and the quarterfinals in

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

. He won the Intercollegiate Championships in 1887 and finished runner-up to Edward L. Hall at the Longwood Tournament in 1891.

Sculptor

He was active as a sculptor in Boston. His work was part of the art competitions at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

and the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

. In 2007, the original statue from which the one at Fruitlands Museum was used to create its current life-sized ''Pumanangwet (He Who Shoots the Stars)'', sold for $11,250 at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

in Beverly Hills; the life-size version, placed in the 1920s and pictured, left, is located at the

Fruitlands Museum Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts, is a museum about multiple visions of America on the site of the short-lived utopian community, Fruitlands (transcendental center), Fruitlands. The museum includes the Fruitlands farmhouse (a National ...

in Harvard, MA.

Personal life

His son Mason Sears (1899-1973) was a member of the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...

and the chairman of the

Massachusetts Republican Party The Massachusetts Republican Party (MassGOP) is the Massachusetts branch of the U.S. Republican Party. In accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 52, the party is governed by a state committee which consists of one man and one woma ...

References

External links

* 1867 births 1953 deaths American male tennis players 20th-century American sculptors Tennis people from Massachusetts Harvard Crimson men's tennis players Harvard Law School alumni Olympic competitors in art competitions 19th-century American sculptors Sculptors from Massachusetts {{US-tennis-bio-stub